Unseen Message of Christmas

Christmas is when GOD sent His Son to the world to save us from sin and it happened when the Holy Spirit overshadowed the virgin Mary, later resulting to Jesus being supernaturally born. So this day commemorates GOD's love for us proven by how HE initiated reconcilation through Jesus. It also highlights GOD's miraculous power. He wants us all to be saved and HE made the first miraculous move. 

Photo by Richard Bell on Unsplash.

But we stop there. We think Jesus' coming is just that, to save us from sin and tell us GOD is with us. Jesus' birth is a vital aspect of the whole event but other details of the Advent should also be highlighted so that the commemoration won't just be about gift-giving, expenses, holidays, feasts and special Christmas church programs. We should see the unseen message of Christmas.

Outcasts

First was the barreness of Elizabeth at an old age. And then the strange and doubtful circumstances around Mary's pregnancy. I tried to put myself into their situation and saw how difficult it all was. Barreness and pre-marital pregnancy were issues then that subjected the guilty parties to the prying, judgmental eyes of the public, unlike today when pre-marital sex is an ordinary occurence. Barreness is still seen as a disgraceful weakness or disability today. 

I asked myself, why would GOD choose this scenario for them? Wouldn't this background be a minus factor for HIS plan? Wouldn't it be lots better if Jesus and John had come from prominent family backgrounds instead of having questionable ones? I can just imagine how it felt for Elizabeth, Zechariah Mary and Joseph to be in such discreditable circumstances. It's not indicated in the Gospel but it's easy to see how it went for them--the humiliation, ostracism, bashing and gossip. 

And then born in a dirty, nasty manger where domesticated animals were fed and probably defecated or pissed? Why this, when GOD could have so easily arranged something more decent? At least a clean lying-in clinic? And yet, nothing in these narratives were accidental, by chance or overlooked by GOD. Every detail had a divine purpose and Christmas and church would be vastly different from what they are today if we saw the purposes clearly.

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Poor Family

Jesus came from a poor family. This is proven by the offering they gave when they presented the baby Jesus at the temple and for the purification rites--a pair of doves and two young pegions--offerings required from the poor. 

Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. 3 On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised.

6 “‘When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering.

8 But if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons...

- Leviticus 12 

Why choose a poor couple as parents for Jesus? Why not be Herod's or Caiaphas' son so that the prominence could've helped the cause of the Gospel, being more easily promoted and more readily accepted by the people with zero persecution? Just imagine the huge evangelism budget possible with Herod or Caiaphas as Jesus' father. No, GOD opted for a poor carpenter, one that disappeared from the scene early. Imagine a single mom with a tainted image of pre-marital pregnancy raising up Jesus till he was a young adult. 

Then he was born in Bethlehem, the least town in Judah, and grew up in equally poor Nazareth, a notorious locality at the time. When Nathnael and probably other folks learned that Jesus was from Nazareth, they doubted how anything good could come from Nazareth. There's no mention of his educational attainment but a hint somewhere says he never entered school [John 7.15-18]. 

GOD Chooses the Despised and Weak

He could've been raised in decent cities like Jerusalem, or Sepphoris which at the time was a super wealthy town considered the jewel of Gallilee. He could've availed of quality education there, or perhaps in Alexandria, Egypt which offered the best university. But GOD didn't think so. HE didn't think all these supposedly plus factors were necessary for Jesus' success. Jesus never even set foot on Sepphoris or mentioned about it even if it was the posh and popular vacation and tourist destination of dignitaries and wealthy people at the time. To me, this was a display of Jesus' repugnance for vanity and a wealthy, superfluous lifestyle. 

All these, I believe, are part of the Christmas message. The Father sent Jesus here not just as Savior but to model the value system of the Kingdom for the church to mirror. This is part of the Good News--salvation through Jesus, meekness, poor in spirit, last is really first, and the least being the greatest. Jesus' birth, life and ministry focused on this but the church has been missing it all the time. If we really see this and understand, we'd celebrate Christmas in a totally different manner, and most especially, do ministry entirely differently.

We Hate the Manger Scene

Up to now, we have a different value system and preferences from what Jesus had. We marvel at mega churches, big church income, vast properties and costly vehicles, and boast of titles and degrees. We delight in our wealthy church members and supporters (we despise "benchwarmers"), or take pride in our association with the rich and famous. Pastors like to be identified with politicians and feel accomplished when connected with them--or have their selfies taken and displayed on social media. I can't imagine Jesus doing that.

We treat small churches blandly and either belittle or deem them "dying" just because they lack money and resources. That has been the church's value system--it's dead until it makes big money. People skip past poor churches and prefer mega ones anytime anywhere. They insist that only big and "growing" churches deserve their support and money. We hate anyting small, poor or least and put them last in our preferences. 

In our hearts we hate the manger scene though fondly put it up at the church altar under a dazzling Christmas tree on Christmas day, changing its meaning further when we put glittering decors, hanging Santas and angels and twinkling lights, sprayed with pine scent to put in glamour. But that's not how GOD presented it. The scene was an epitome of what the world despises and rejects. On Judgment Day, many will be shocked to see how GOD will prefer and delight in the despised, weak, rejected, small and mocked while trashing those that people have held in high honor. 

UNSEEN GOSPEL: 

And even if our gospel is unseen, it is unseen to those who are perishing. [2 Corinthians 4.3]

Why the Gospel is Veiled

They teach us the how-tos of local ministry. The how-tos of the denomination. Jesus taught his disciples the how-tos of the Kingdom, particularly how to connect and work with God in his heavenly realms. This is what the church terribly lacks today. [Photo above by Jo Szczepanska, Unsplash].

To most of us, Jesus' gospel is unseen. Yeah, church people read and memorize passages and pastors preach about them, but most of us don't really see it. It's a sign of a dying people that have been blinded by the god of this world. Paul declared the veiled Gospel in 2 Corinthians 4:3. It's an unseen Gospel. And you'd see why if you watch how churches operate today. Like in seminars.

How-To Formulas

In seminars, they teach us steps and formulas. How to evangelize. How to plant churches. How to worship. How to pray. How to minister to the lost or the sick or the hungry. They teach us steps and procedures, what we should do first and then next, and then the third step and so on. A funny formula invented by man is the prayer formula, particularly following the ACTS acronym. Jesus never did anything like that. He taught his disciples the protocols of heaven.

Jesus taught the protocol of heaven for prayer, showing us that relationship is crucial above all else. "Our Father in heaven," he said. From this, we do the rest. He showed us how we can simply "ask" God directly, and make things short but sincere (so sincere that we have to forgive others their trespass against us).

"Pray to your Father who is unseen." Jesus said. "Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." That is the Kingdom dynamics here, but people miss it altogether even to this day. They treat prayer as a show, and often believe it's the length that matters, "for they think they will be heard because of their many words." Nope, it's relationship. "Our Father..." 

So they emphasize the contents rather than the relationship.

And smart Alecks saw something else. They saw a formula for prayer. Your prayer should have the ACTS ingredients, they say. They suggest that each time we pray, we need to adore, confess, give thanks and supplicate. But we never see Jesus use the ACTS formula in his prayers. When he fed the 5,000 he didn't pray using the ACTS formula. He just looked up and thanked the Father.

The protocols of heaven is what so many church people (and leaders) do not understand. They just do ministry as they see fit. Worse, they copy from the world and apply it to ministry--like using sales and marketing principles. I was in this ridiculous pastors' seminar where they taught us how everything in ministry should be according to the SMART principle (especially when setting goals)--specific, measurable, attainable, relevant (some say reasonable), and time-bound (I thought it was time bomb).

The supernatural acts of God in ministry will never fit this SMART thing that smart Alecks believe in. Just look at "measurable" and "attainable," for instance. That's exactly how you put God in a box (and yet you hear them say we should not put God in a box). And goal-setting? Our only business is obey God. God sets the goals of what we can do and achieve. He reveals and we obey. Period. Moses could not decide to go either this or that way. He just followed the cloud. God decided where the Promised Land was.

Jesus' "Seminars"

Jesus did handle some "seminars" but they were very different from what seminars churches have today. An example is John 14. Jesus taught about the Father's house and the only way or path to it. This is so important--and it's far from being basic. Aside from Jesus being the only Way to the Father (and the only Truth and only Life), it teaches how knowing him makes us know the Father as well. This is a Kingdom fundamental we cannot do without (but which the church has been doing without).

Here is the powerful Kingdom principle. Anyone who has seen Jesus has seen the Father. Why? Because (watch this principle closely) Jesus said, "I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me." The same principle should work with us. We are in Christ and Christ is in us. Therefore, anyone who has seen us has seen (or should see) Jesus. Without this, it's impossible to take part in Kingdom building on earth. If you take this to heart, this will revolutionize your faith, worship and relationship with God and how you see yourself.

You mirror Christ. It's no longer you who live but Jesus who lives in you. Thus, the sick should think that by just touching the hem of your garment, they will be made whole--not because of you but because they see Jesus in you. Is this the case in church now? Nope, because the church has not pursued this. In fact, they don't believe this. You talk about it and they belittle you, thinking you're an idiot or a cult. So when someone in church feels sick, he opts to skip church this Sunday because he doesn't see it as a place where the sick gets miraculously healed by just touching garments.

It would be odd to hear someone say in Jesus' time, "I cannot come to Jesus' worship service today because my menstruation keeps flowing."

But church people and leaders don't get this. You look at them and you still see them, not Jesus. For one thing, they still stubbornly stick to their denominations and denominational doctrines. Christ never had them and never taught about them. And church pastors work so hard at becoming true to their denomination's creed. So when you look at them, you see their church denomination, not Jesus. You see a religious clergy doing his denomination's rituals, goals and policies. So people say of them, "He's a Baptist or Methodist or Pentecostal or Nazarene pastor." And they identify themselves the same way.

When Peter looked at Christ, he said "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." When John the baptizer saw Jesus, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" They saw nothing of man or of the world in Jesus. They saw only God and His Kingdom in him. This is the kind of seminar churches today need so badly--how people would see the same in them, not their denomination. They need to know how to connect and identify with heaven on a higher level, so that "it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work." Not steps or formulas or strategies or gimmicks. Not hermenuetics or homiletics which are all human formulas perpetuated by the church as things of the Kingdom. Not their clever theology.

"...whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

The Kingdom dynamics of greater things begin with doing the same works Jesus did. THE SAME WORKS. Again, this is the kind of "seminar" the church needs today. No church today follows this course. They're all doing their own works and even copying what they see is effective in the world, paving the way to the modern Babylon system in church. You look at most churches and you see corporations or cause-oriented (or "purpose-driven") groups, not Jesus.

We're given the hint that Christ doing what we ask in his name (to effect the greater things) is predicated on the church doing THE SAME things as Jesus did. This is the only way the greater things will come and church ought to be desperately pursuing after this in these last days. This is what their seminars should be all about. This is the sole purpose that should be driving them.

Then "the Father may be glorified."

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UNSEEN GOSPEL: And even if our gospel is unseen, it is unseen to those who are perishing. [2 Corinthians 4.3]

How the Smallest of All Seeds Becomes the Largest

God thinks big, but he does that by thinking small. He knows the potentials of "small." With small, we easily focus on the few details that really matter, uncluttered by nonessentials which often occupy big spaces and dominates the whole screen or stage. Small keeps us accurately faithful to God and his Kingdom. Big tends to overwhelm us with nonessentials. That's how the smallest of all seeds becomes the largest of all garden plants in God's Kingdom.

Photo by Joshua Lanzarini on Unsplash.

Then God grows us big. Remember, real growth in the Kingdom comes only from God, not us or anything we do. Growth manipulated by our hands may get applause in this world but never in God's Kingdom. It's merely vanity. So God wants us to stop thinking of our imagined greatness and just focus on accurate faithfulness. We keep our focus on the few really important things that matter.

How Small Grows

First, it needs to be planted, buried in the ground. In the soil it dies. Jesus said, unless a seed dies it remains a single seed. But when it dies, then it has the potential to increase. In fact, "the largest."

"(God's Kingdom) like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.” [Mark 4]

Don't think this is just about numerical growth. It could be, but the real point here is the growth of the Kingdom, and that Kingdom is within you, said Jesus [Luke 17.21]. Jesus added that, often, it's not something seen by the naked eyes, so that you say "Here or there it is." It's spiritual growth. The Kingdom in you grows but physically people may not see it.

A Mustard "Tree"?

I mean, do mustard seeds really grow into big trees? I have planted mustard seeds in my gardening days and I know for a fact they never grow into big trees. But it happens spiritually in the Kingdom, for everything impossible is possible there, and everything weird here is normal there. Real Kingdom growth is like that. It's spiritual. It happens within you. A "growing" church in the Spirit should be seen this way, not through membership size, income, programs or facilities.

In fact, it's an abnormal seed. It's not normal in this world for a mustard seed to become a tree, but it's the norm in the Kingdom. Real Kingdom churches are "smallest" in people's eyes---particularly the eyes of natural men---and it's how the smallest of all seeds becomes the largest of all garden plants in God's Kingdom. The least is the greatest. That's among powerful Kingdom principles in Jesus' unseen Gospel.

That's why often I say, the true church in Christ is abnormal.

Seed Becomes Shade

Then the tree from the small seed becomes a shade or covering. Genuine Kingdom people and churches who maintain Kingdom meekness serve as spiritual covering or protection for people connected to them in the Spirit. They become "big branches" that support people who find them a secure place to perch on, providing ample and protective shade. So people naturally seek refuge in them.

And didn't Jesus, the true Vine, explain how we are branches attached to him? In a sense, Jesus is the Kingdom within us. He was like a tiny, small, minuscule, unimpressive seed---seen like that by big-time religious leaders who thought they were somebody. But Jesus grew to unseemly proportions after dying and rising (or planted), although mortals hardly saw it that way. They still belittled Jesus and mistreated his ragtag church after he left.

But to real Godly men, the Kingdom spread and advanced even if to most people it perished in the persecutions. Later, some men started their own churches which were worlds different from what Jesus had introduced and started, again belittling the smallest of all seeds and preferring large ones. In fact, to this day, many treat that seed outmoded or irrelevant (worse, even persecuted), though given utmost importance and kept in glass frames in magnificent museums called "church buildings" where God's things are kept sacred (but unused).

Small is Big to God

Definitely, God wants all men to be saved [1 Tim.2.4], and wants us to "compel" folks from the outskirts of town to attend and eat his banquet "so that my house will be full," [Luke 14], but he nonetheless wants us to keep small---because small is big to him. Small though big. Big though small. (I love these Kingdom reversals!). Have you seen a big-time rich guy acting like a small-time, low-profile, simple, common folk? In fact, like a poor Nazarene carpenter? That's the idea. And that's how the smallest of all seeds becomes the largest of all garden plants in God's Kingdom.

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” [Zechariah 4.10]

The Work has small beginnings, and it grows enormously inside while appearing small. And it's not the physical size that matters but the "plumb line" held in "Zerubbabel's hand." That plum line ensures accuracy in the Work, making sure everything is according to God's Kingdom patterns alone. Zerubbabel (symbolic of God's servants in his temple, which is our bodies) should focus on this alone, not on physical size, income, programs, or what-have-you. These are merely added when we focus on the smallest of seeds.

[Continued]

UNSEEN GOSPEL: 

And even if our gospel is unseen, it is unseen to those who are perishing. [2 Corinthians 4.3]

How Moses Brings You Closer to Jesus

Image from Twitch.

If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say? [Jn.5]

I find it odd that a lot of young Christians today barely understand what Jesus says in the Gospel. All they get from reading the Gospel are historic accounts of what happened to the historic Jesus, not real-time fresh and powerful Word from God for the present---the spoken Word of God that demolishes the strongholds of Satan. Jesus gave us a hint why---most Christians today don't take the Old Testament seriously. So, much of the Gospel remain Unseen Gospel to them.

Honestly, I haven't met any young Christian today who seriously studies the Old Testament, even those very active in their churches. And what the majority of them know in the Gospel is that God loves them, in John 3:16.  Yes, that passage is important and powerful, but it's a different thing if all you know about the New Testament is John 3:16 and other basics like it.

We have to meditate the Word day and night. That's God's will. And Paul told the Ephesians not to be foolish but know what God's will is. That means taking the whole bible seriously, not just John 3:16. 

And Jesus gives us a powerful hint in John 5---if we don't take the Old Testament seriously, we will never understand what the Lord Jesus Christ wants us to do. Taking Moses seriously means we also take Jesus seriously. Moses wrote about Jesus. I mean, yeah, Moses wrote about their 40-year journey in the wilderness, their experience at Mt. Sinai and about the Tabernacle, but it was really all about Jesus. If you don't see Jesus in what Moses wrote, you will have serious problems trying to know Jesus in the Gospel.

Much of the Gospel will be unseen to you.

A lot of church people never take the Old Testament seriously. It's because they don't believe it's important. They think living by faith, not by works of the law, means you can ignore the Old Testament altogether. But listen to Jesus tell it himself---not believing that what Moses wrote is important means not believing that what Jesus says in the Gospel is important.

It is impossible to believe wholeheartedly what Jesus is saying if we ignore the Old Testament. 

The details of the Tabernacle, for instance, and how it was to be constructed are all reflective of the works of Jesus. The animal sacrifices at the altar, the altar of incense in the Holy of Holies, the division between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, the lampstand, the shew bread, the table, the incense smoke, the ark, etc. all point to Jesus and his ministry.

When the curtain between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies was torn when Jesus died, for instance, it marked the beginning of direct access to the Throne. Hence, Paul said we should approach the Throne of Grace with confidence. Back in the Old Testament, this curtain was important because it kept the priests from seeing God's glory directly and dying. 

But that curtain was torn when Jesus died. Meaning, we can now go directly to God, see his glory and still be alive.

Yet, so many believers today remain in fear, not daring to approach God right at his Throne as sons and daughters and talk to him directly. This fear is expressed through the formal worship programs and rituals they do in church and the way everything is done with extreme religiosity that you cannot appear before God anymore as your free, happy, true self. I don't know why every face has to look serious and sad and formal. Even the way they speak is so formal, like how people in funerals would speak. And their voices have to be modulated.

They still do it as the priests and Levites did it in the Old Testament---one mistake and you're dead.

Of course, there should be reverence and awe in the way we freely approach God because he is God and holy and majestic. He is Almighty God. But that doesn't mean we have to look sad and formal and very religious. Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord always. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but we should not remain in the beginning. Higher level of faith says, there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. 

The Israelites dealt with God in fear so they didn't want to get close to God. But Moses was different. He approached God freely and just as he was, without the pretensions of religion. He talked with God as he would a friend. There was no formality or program or ritual. No modulated voice. No serious religious talk. And yet his respect and reverence for God was highly acceptable to the Lord. This was a harbinger of what Jesus would introduce to true worshipers who worship in spirit and in truth. 

Everything inside the Tabernacle and the Temple was of gold, but outside were of bronze---the bronze sea, altar, basins, and utensils. Bronze is a likeness of gold. You only see gold during worship if you are able to confidently access the Throne of Grace. If you remain outside, all you see is bronze---a copy or likeness of what is in God's very awesome presence. 

Today, church worship enjoys only a copy or pattern of what is in heaven. The way church is today---immature, carnal, divided, self-centered and earthly---church people might take God's gold and sell it for their denominations' sake if they are allowed inside. So all they are permitted to see is the bronze outside, for now. And they think that bronze is the highest worship already. They don't think there's anything higher. Most of them don't believe there's still a place deeper where everything is God's gold.

Christ is the end of the law. Meditate the Old Testament---it is very much a part of God's Word. Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament makes us see clearly the Unseen Gospel in the New Testament.

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UNSEEN GOSPEL: And even if our gospel is unseen, it is unseen to those who are perishing. [2 Corinthians 4.3]

When Jesus Asks Us a Question

Don't we sometimes have questions in our minds? Or more aptly at times, don't we "hear" questions in our minds? Unknowingly (and if we're really born again), we hear God ask us questions in our minds and often we think it's our subconscious speaking to us.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash.

Well, sometimes it's our subconscious, sometimes it's God himself. But even if it's the subconscious, it's still the Holy Spirit talking to us through our subconscious. It's the Spirit bearing witness with our spirits.

God does talk a lot. It's among unnoticed truths in the unseen gospel.

Why does God ask us questions? Isn't he all-knowing? Doesn't he know everything? One time, 5,000 men (not counting the women and kids) followed Jesus to a remote place after they saw how he miraculously healed the sick. It was getting late and the crowd was hungry. Jesus wanted to feed them and he already knew how. Yet, he asked Philip, his disciple: "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?"

He did this to test Philip. Or more precisely, he gave him opportunity to practice his faith or activate miraculous powers. Would he rely on God's supernatural powers or on man's effort? Sadly, Philip used his human wisdom and relied on human effort---what man could do.

Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

There's the problem with human effort---it always comes short of solving impossible problems designed for supernatural solutions. Human effort always relies on what's available and visible at hand---the resources, abilities and skills of man. These things can do some remedy but never completely. That's why churches today are half-baked, lukewarm (neither hot or cold), because what they accomplish, (though grand) is always incomplete.

Only God's power makes everything complete.

Andrew almost got it right, pointing to the small boy with some loaves of bread and fish. The boy and bread and fish were God's intended instruments to perform an awesome miracle that late afternoon, but later Andrew missed it. He changed his mind and doubted whether the boy, bread and fish were solutions. Again, it was a case of reliance on what available material was at hand instead of God's power.

"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

Hadn't they seen Jesus perform powerful miracles out of nothing? Didn't they understand? Well, most times we also don't. Jesus would whisper a question in our minds and we disappoint him by relying on what the material world can provide, or what man can do, instead of what God can give. Sometimes, we have a headache and we hear a question in our minds saying, "What shall you do?" And the first thing we do is reach out for an analgesic or paracetamol.

Umm, how about oil? Why not anoint yourself with oil and pray and see how God would miraculously get rid of the headache? Nope, we see paracetamol and analgesic more powerful than oil and prayer, which seem weak. We forget that God's power is made perfect in weakness. God provided the disciples with a small boy, few small loaves of bread and fish, but they looked weak and useless to them. They'd rather send the people to the villages to buy something to eat [Matt.14.15]. That's typical of human solutions. 

But Jesus proved them wrong. With only a few, he fed about 10,000 people if we include the women and children. 

Often, Jesus would ask us questions to test us. I often hear him ask me in my mind, and I'd recognize it's his voice because the questions sound familiar---I've read them somewhere in the bible. The questions give us opportunity to put our faith to practice. As we practice our faith and strengthen it, we soon learn Kingdom principles on how to activate miracles in various situations. Faith is strengthened by obeying the Word, especially when using it for supernatural remedies.

[Check my e-books here]

The next time you hear a question in your mind, make sure your reply is spiritual. Put bible truths to work and activate God's supernatural powers.

Very Relaxed for Someone Assigned a Gargantuan Task

Gnome Stew

I don't know if you've seen this in the Gospel---but Jesus was a very relaxed person, sometimes too relaxed for someone assigned the gargantuan task of saving the whole world. In fact, 33 years had to pass before anyone could get saved and go to heaven.

Souls of the dead from the Old Testament waiting for centuries for a Savior still had to wait more than 3 decades after the Messiah was born. It seemed that heaven was going a slow, relaxed pace in accomplishing the task of salvation even if thousands---perhaps millions---of souls were perishing in hell at the time, like the Rich Man who fed Lazarus with crumbs of bread. Yeah, some say that was just a parable, but Jesus' parables reflected truth.

Why didn't Jesus simply come to earth as a 33-year-old man and be nailed on the cross all in one day? Nothing is impossible to God. He could have saved man that way. But no, Jesus had to be born and grow up just like anyone else. Salvation cannot be hurried up. Salvation was designed to flow naturally with life. There are other important components that God needs to insert as the story of life naturally unfolds and lead to the act of salvation. For instance, you cannot be born as a baby and get born again at the same time.

Yes, the salvation of souls is urgent. But there's no need to hurry up, like what a lot of ministers today are doing. The right way of doing salvation is to live LIFE as Jesus did. And then the urgent task of salvation naturally flows into it. Seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and the rest, including the task of evangelism, are added. You don't have to exert hard efforts or hurry up because God will simply "add" them to you. And what number of souls he adds to you as pastor is his business alone. You cannot mess with that.

Do not hasten it up. If you move before God does, a deadly friction happens between what you do and what God is doing. The physical or the flesh can never interfere with the Spirit. The nature of a spiritual man is to simply keep still and wait on God. Otherwise, beware what happened to Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu. They moved before God did and offered "unauthorized fire" before the Lord [Leviticus 10]. It's not your excitement or aggressiveness or industriousness in ministry that matters. It is your steady walk with God.

No wonder many "busy" ministers today are sick with deadly diseases. They do not know how to walk with God.

Mary knew what Christ was capable of becoming. Just imagine the numerous angelic appearances that accompanied Christ's birth. Imagine the angel announcing, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."

No doubt, the Wise Men also could've mentioned to Mary how they sought "the one who has been born king of the Jews," as they had also told Herod earlier.

Jesus was to be Messiah and King.

And yet, as Jesus grew up, Mary saw him spending more time alone in remote places and the wilderness than going to educational institutions, like the Royal Library of Alexandria in Egypt perhaps, where the great scholars of the time spent hours of serious study, or probably sitting down before great teachers of the law to study religion. How was he to be King of Israel if all he did was wander in remote places?

If you were aiming for the country's presidency or a seat in the Senate, you would be spending a lot of time in prestigious learning institutions like UP or Ateneo. The same if you wished to be CEO of a big company. If you were aiming to be a church bishop or pastor, you should be earning titles and degrees in seminaries. You see how the world and the church are similar? To them, power means being the greatest.

But in God's Kingdom, it's quite different. In fact, even eerily different. You have to be relaxed and have as much free time as possible to do the one thing that really counts---know God intimately and learn to walk in his ways alone. Know his timing.

Here's how to get out of the kingdom of this world. Click here. 

Hence, Abraham was sent out of busy Mesopotamia to a long quiet journey to Canaan, Joseph spent 2 years in jail before being called to the king's service (I believe he felt relaxed while in jail), Moses was sent out to God's mountain (from being prince of Egypt) to become a lowly shepherd there, David was likewise assigned menial tasks as shepherd out in the wilderness, and Jesus was often in remote places and hillsides.

See the pattern? That's how the Kingdom often works. God prepares you in a secluded, uncomfortable and often uninteresting places where you have no choice but to have free time with him. At first, its painful and difficult, and makes no sense. You're all stressed up. But later, you get used to it and find yourself relaxing amid adversities. And there he sharpens you to be his instrument, unleashing you in his time. In the Kingdom, power means being the least.

Have you experienced this kind of wilderness?

Yet, Jesus, indeed, was being groomed to be king. But the kingdom was not of this world. All kingdoms here on earth are bastions of stress and pressure. And this includes the kingdom of the church, even evangelical churches. These kingdoms are always in a hurry. Aspiring for greatness makes you always hurrying to and from, like Martha was. But if you're the least, what is there to hurry up for? No wonder, Mary, Martha's sister, simply sat at Jesus' feet. And Jesus said Mary did what was "better."

Jesus' kingdom is all rest and relaxation. "Come to me all who are tired, and I will give you rest."

It's important to be in the center of God's will, to live out his commands with urgency. But that does not mean we cut short God's timetable to produce everything now. It does not mean we keep hurrying with ministry. That's how the world works, but not God.

God's kingdom works through LIFE. Jesus came from the desert hungry after 40 days of fasting, and the devil wanted him to eat RIGHT NOW by turning stones into bread. That's not how God works, although he could do that. If the devil can have his way, he would have created everything in one day. But not God. God took his time and created in 6 days. Then after that, he rested again.

How Many Times Have You Walked Out the Door and Have Big Crowds Pursue You?

Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. [Matthew 13]

Imagine this--he just went out of the house to see the lake and already multitudes of people, crowds of them, went after him. I try to picture this out in my mind--a lake along the shore so filled with people that Jesus had to get to a boat to have some space.

socialmediacrowd.com

That's a mighty big crowd.

And yet, we don't see him issuing invitations to people or promoting his lake-shore bible "conference." You know what churches today would do just to get a big crowd? They'd put out ads and display banners and posters, distribute fliers, offer freebies and invite everyone to their crusades or concerts. Or even force them.

You know how other churches attract people? They offer free meals or medical missions. Jesus never offered free meals just to attract people to his meetings. He saw how late it was when one of his "conferences" ended and decided to feed the 5,000 men (later, the 4,000 men). It was out of compassion, not to attract membership like what churches do today.

Question is, why was it so easy for Jesus to draw people to himself without effort, and why does it take a lot for the church today to lure crowds to itself? Have you seen that?

There must be a big ingredient missing which the church has not figured out for centuries--because it doesn't care about the ways of Jesus Christ--or probably hasn't realized what it means to have Jesus as the only Way. 

How did Jesus do it--without any fanfare or gimmicks, even staying low profile (sometimes he told people not to spread the word around about him), he got big crowds he sometimes didn't seem to pay much attention to. he loved them, no doubt, but you never see Jesus desperately pursue after people the way churches and pastors do today. 

[Continued here]

Two Types of Armor: What Armor are You Wearing?

genius.com

The New Testament talks of two types of armor--God's armor and man's armor. What armor are you wearing?

Here's God's armor, and I'm sure we all know this:

Therefore put on the full armor of God,so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. [Ephesians 6]

Here's man's armor. Not many believers know this:

But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder. [Luke 11.22]

Seldom would you see someone wearing God's full armor these days. Often, what believers wear is just the helmet of salvation. By the way, "God's armor" is God's very own armor, the one he wears all the time. If you are in Christ (Christ rules you), God's armor is automatically put on you. But if you are a believer who relies more on your church attendance and activeness than on Christ's rule on you, then you're wearing man's armor.

As simple as that.

Man's armor has close semblance with God's armor--it also has a helmet of salvation, sword which is the Word, breastplate of righteousness, belt of truth, shield of faith, and sandals of readiness. But they're all just a semblance of God's armor, not God's armor itself.

Have you read the 7 churches in the Book of Revelation? Most churches there had man's armor--they looked great physically but God wasn't happy with them. But they were all Christian churches trying to do God's will.

The problem with man's armor is, it doesn't have real sustaining power. It can protect only as long as the enemy is not stronger than the one wearing the armor. Unfortunately, a stronger enemy always comes along and attacks and overpowers the believer.

Then that enemy "takes away the armor in which the man trusted" and steals from him. The enemy can never steal God's own armor. But he can man's armor.

There's an armor that seems right to wear--it looks and feels good to wear--but the end of it leads to death. Again, I ask, what armor are you wearing?

fireemblem.wikia.com
Often, a tattered humble cloak is draped over
God's glorious armor which only the spirit world sees.

King Saul wanted David to wear his armor--man's armor. David tried it but decided it wasn't good for him. He rather relied on what meager "armor" God provided him with--God's own spiritual armor. Physically, it didn't seem much, Goliath even mocked him. David looked weak and vulnerable. Even stupid. But God's armor has power not just to slay giants but to make God's army win against enemy strongholds hands down!

Man's armor is great for display and bragging, but in real spiritual battles it has no use. God's spiritual armor keeps you looking small, weak and meek and yet winning even against the strongest enemies. You appear weak but the armor makes you win all the time--because God's power is made perfect in weakness.

Church Still Can't Handle God's Gold [2]

museumbnm,gov.my

[Here's Part 1]

Often we ask God for money because we need it for our personal expense. In His faithfulness, He gives us the amount we need, sometimes intentionally making it short of meeting the amount we think we need--and then making us see how the financial needs of others, especially of nonbelievers, are given even over and above what is needed. But rest assured, God always gives us enough, exactly what we need.

When God finally sees in our hearts that we need money only because we need it for building His Kingdom on earth, only then will He bring out pure gold from His inner chambers and take it to the temple court and even beyond the gate. For now, church can only handle bronze. And we have to live with that for a while.

So folks, don't brag about your mega church buildings or posh sanctuaries designed state-of-the-art. However expensive it is, it's just bronze in the spirit.

Even churches and Christians who think they are so "blessed" because they have more money than others shouldn't think highly of themselves. God gives you wealth so you can give them all up. But no one wants to do that today. God blesses them with wealth and they store it up for themselves and make a show of it--their lifestyles become sophisticated, they act and live like the rich and famous of this world, they travel for pleasure, buy costly cars and clothes, build or live in mansions. 

Some even buy private airplanes and jets, and brag about them in their "testimonies" or sermons and sometimes even on Facebook--unbelievable--everything Jesus said in His Sermon we shouldn't do.

God gives you wealth so you can find occasion to prove yourself--that you can give them all up for HIM. Only then will God give you true riches. No church denomination can do this today, that's why God will destroy everything man-made, even man-made "born-again" churches.

When God sees that His gold is safe in the hands of meek and selfless men of God, then He will release His material riches to build His spiritual Kingdom on earth by Jesus' glorious church, which is without spot or wrinkle or any blemish but holy and pure!

The important thing is Christ's simplicity. I and my wife and family still try to live up to this Kingdom principle--it takes some getting used to--because we are daily bombarded with suggestions and brain-washing on what they say we need. Even the church sometimes take the lead in suggesting what non-essentials we need, like church buildings, hi-tech praise and worship, hi-tech sound systems, church vehicles, etc. 

It's sad to see church denomination leaders and "men of God" in their expensive cars and mansions and posh offices--all of which Jesus had none. Once he just rode on a “borrowed” donkey, that's what I read in the Book. The moment church gets to touch even a bit of God's pure gold, they'd use it for their self convenience and welfare, then parade to all how "blessed" they are. They've been doing that for ages.

But God is going to change all that. He is now raising up true servants who are closely and radically getting the Jesus LIFE and ministry. I want to see (and God will let me see soon) true men of God who commute in public vehicles to conferences and crusades, who are in plain t-shirts and cheap jeans and simple sandals or shoes, with plain and simple guitars for worship and who do not plan for evangelistic crusades and advertise them but which just happen and grow big as Jesus and the Acts church had them. 

I want to see true men of God who live in simple, humble homes, almost unknown and faceless and so radically selfless and have no big ambition but just ready to have what God has predestined for them, dying to obey God and join Him in building His spiritual Kingdom on earth. When God sees that His gold is safe in the hands of these meek and selfless men of God, then He will release His material riches to build His spiritual Kingdom on earth by the Jesus' glorious church, which is without spot or wrinkle or any blemish but holy and pure!

We need more of God's enabling grace to really live as aliens in this world, and by God's grace and mercy we are not far away from finally being thus. When God gives you His vision, you will surely see its fulfillment for yourself. You or your descendants (your Joshua generation) will surely accomplish it in His power. 

The unseen Gospel will soon be plain to see by all fully revived souls in Christ!

"Give and It Will Be Given to You." But What Was Given Back to Jesus When He Gave?

talkingbrian.com

It's been a popular Gospel verse, a favorite especially of prosperity preachers and wealth lovers in church--and those who make money a gauge for success, even ministry success. Here was how Jesus put it:

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. [Luke 6.38]

So they conclude, you're probably not a giver if you're not materially well rewarded. "You're probably not giving enough like we are."

But going back to the context, I find that Jesus was not talking about giving money to get back bigger money in return. It's not about how to get more money or wealthier. It's about giving favors to people--especially your enemies--so that you become poor in spirit. 

The poor and despised always have to give way to the rich, powerful, arrogant, boastful and demanding and cannot insist on their rights and privileges. So, instead of resisting powerful people they should instead give. In fact, Jesus said:

Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. [v.30]

And then, if you finally have this selfless or giving attitude, it will given to you. What will be given you? More money? No, but favor, the favor of being forgiven, as the context implies. "Forgive and you will be forgiven."

About money and riches, this was what Jesus said in the passage:

But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. [v.24]

Moreover, what did Jesus give? Did he give money to God? He gave his life. And what did Jesus get in return for giving? Nothing, except that he was abandoned by his disciples, was belittled, was persecuted and later crucified. He never got more money or a bigger house or posh camel.

In short, he got persecuted "a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over." He never got any money or material possession. The same with Paul and the Acts apostles. What did they get in return for giving? Did they become rich or moneyed? Did they live a comfortable lifestyle? Did they have more material possessions?

Yet, to be sure, poverty is NOT God's will. God wants to prosper his people, not to enrich themselves, but to be able to give up all for his work. However, we see riches being made the measure of "success" today so that churches compete against each other. They think (even some church ministers) that the more money you have, the better person (or minister) you are. We see ministers changing lifestyle once they start getting more money and trying to live like the rich and famous of the world. We see wealthy believers showing off their riches just like how worldly people do it.

Thus, some pastors work hard to get more members in because more members means more church income.

But the Gospel says God has only one design for riches and wealth--they should be given up totally so the poor can have something--to equalize wealth distribution in church--which was what the believers in Acts did. No one lived like a millionaire in Acts but no one among them was in need either.

For sure, God honors his Word. If you are faithful with your tithes, offering and giving, you can expect God to reward you back. But you don't practice faithfulness in giving just to get more in return and later brag about it and use it as the world does. God will reward you back so you can give it all up so the church can do whatever God wants it to do.

[Click here for more]

Secrets on How to be Approved by God: Easily Attract God's Favor

fileinabox.com

Getting God's favor---it's the most important thing in life---in fact, the ONLY important thing in life, more important than your career, ambitions and even your family. If you please only your family and have not God's favor, you forfeit yourself and your family of a very precious thing. But if you please God, you and your family have everything God has for you.

The one key to getting approved by God is this:

For on Christ, God the Father has placed his seal of approval. [John 6.27]

God's approval is on Jesus Christ alone. Jesus alone can please the Father. So, unless the Father sees Christ in you, you get no favor from him. Zero. Nil. Nada. Even if you're so active in church and multi-awarded. Thus, the most important thing in life is to manifest the life of Jesus in your life, in your body. And the good news is that this is all by God's grace through faith in Christ. It isn't through some good works or sacrifice or religion or church ministry or by being good or nice.

It starts the moment you repent of sins, receive Jesus Christ into your life as Savior and Lord, surrender your life 100% to him, and meditate and live out his WORD daily.

No wonder Paul urged Christians about this truth:

Christ in you the hope of glory. [Colossians 1.27]

St. Paul further emphasized the need to super prioritize putting Christ in you before anything else in life. He said he trashed everything so he may gain Christ. You see, he had every reason to brag about his achievements. But he realized that as long as he held on to them, he would never have Christ. And without Christ, you have zero favor with the Father.

I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ. [Philippians 3.8]

There are vital Kingdom principles we should know to be approved by God and easily attract God's favor in everything we do. One principle is living the life of Christ so that the Father sees Christ in us instead of merely seeing us. God's grace is in Christ. In fact, Jesus is the grace. If God sees only us, the bible says everything we do is like filthy rags in his sight. This is true whatever religion you have---even if you're born again.

Revealing Christ in you is one principle. 

There are more principles in the Old and New Testaments we should learn to understand what God's grace gives us to get his approval for our lives and what we do. If by God's grace these principles are present in your life daily, you easily attract God's favor.

The good news is, the principles are laid out in my e-book, "Leaving the Land of Slavery." This 188-page e-book shares the different Kingdom principles found in the bible and how to apply them in our daily lives effectively.

Just visit this link to purchase the e-book using Paypal. After paying, Paypal will immediately take you to the page on Expert Builder Blog to download your PDF copy of the e-book.

ADAM AND JESUS: Clue to Redemption and Password to God's Present Move

Adam missed the point due to one fatal mistake, but a lot of valuable things in the spirit realms can be gleaned from what God did to him, especially on the coming of the Second Adam, Jesus Christ. This Jewish Christian, Steve Ben-Denoon, shares astonishing finds on the move of God in Eden which is directly linked to the Present Move of God in the end times--from Jesus' time to the present.

I was particularly impressed by how the supernatural work of God necessitated the need to put Adam to a deep sleep (or apply spiritual anesthetic) to perform an operation where Eve was taken out from the body of Adam, and in the same way put Jesus to deep sleep (death in Hebraic culture is "sleep" or "rest") to derive his glorious church from his own body--from his own DNA. 

In these last days, it is vital to focus on God's present move to Jesus' glorious church (which is without spot or wrinkle or any blemish) and how this church will build the Kingdom of God on earth according to God's blueprints. This last move of God before the Second Coming has nothing to do with church denominations. 

Men's churches never tell it like this.

Ben-Denoon did a lot more comparisons worth looking into, and here's the video:

Your Food is Your Medicine

103fm.net

Your food is your medicine and your medicine your food.

Sounds familiar? It was Hippocrates who said it, Greek physician and father of Western medicine. But actually, it was God's original. God just made Hippocrates see this truth which the latter declared and made him historically popular for it. It's really God's idea that our food is our medicine and our medicine is our food.

And when God speaks, it applies to both the spiritual and physical realms--but the natural comes first, and then the spiritual, said Paul [1 Corinthians 15.46]. Just as the first Adam was physical, the second Adam spiritual. So natural food, too is your medicine and your medicine natural food. The same is true with spiritual food--it's your only spiritual medicine.

God's Food: The Only True Spiritual Medicine

When someone is spiritually sick, his only true medicine is spiritual food--the WORD of GOD. Jesus never mentioned anything more about spiritual food except that it's His spoken Word.

• "Man does not live by bread only but by every Word from the mouth of God."
• "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. The Father's will was for him to give his life for many and proclaim it through His Word.
• "For my flesh is real food." Jesus is the Word of God. His flesh is the Word.

Hence, when someone is spiritually sick or dying, his only real medicine is the Word of God. Not anything else.

But churches today administer various cures for people who are sick spiritually:

• They make them join their choirs or worship team to "encourage them."
• They make them head church activities, again to "encourage them" in church.
• They do church sports and concerts.
• They visit them in their homes to try to please them.
• They try counseling the way psychologists do it.
• They urge them to keep attending church on Sundays and listen to sermons.
• They urge them to attend Sunday school.

All these sound good but they're far from being food taken as medicine for healing. God's healing is simply through this: "He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave," [Psalm 107.20]. It doesn't say he sent his "concerts" or "church programs" or Sunday worship services." I know, the Word seems to be preached in churches on Sundays, but the question is, is it the Word God sent out to heal? Or is it the word man sent out, designed to keep people in church?

Eaten Word

Food as medicine should be eaten, not watched, smelled, or displayed. In a lot of churches today, the Word is never eaten. It's just watched, smelled, delighted in, made fun of (bible quiz), displayed, or promoted. But not eaten. Eating is different--it changes you radically, and radical change is what churches DO NOT WANT. All they want are cosmetic changes so the world would love the church.

Eating is when you get really healed. You look different from how you looked when you were sick. Have you seen people who take their synthetic medicines and get a little well but look just as sick? That's because synthetic is not for the body. The same with church. People "eat" synthetic religious food and feel a bit well but never get really healed. Why? Because synthetic is not for the body.

Here are some synthetic religious foods (which can prove toxic and acidic):

• Denominational doctrines
• Human theology
• Sermons designed to keep people in church
• Revival services that never amount to anything except temporary relief 

In some cases, the Word of God is really there in church, but it's just for display. People are actively sharing it with non-believers, they study it seriously, and even pursue high education. But it's all for display--for increasing church membership to attain mega church status. To be popular. But worse, there's no real radical change inside. If you took the bible out, they'd all look like the World.

It's useless to have the best nutritious food at home in your ref if all you do with it is keep it there for display. No matter how much nutritious food you have, you won't get healed.

Eating the Word makes you the Word, because you eat Jesus' flesh. You don't become Jesus Christ but the Word takes over you. Even without bibles, your life becomes the bible. That's eating Jesus' flesh and drinking Jesus' blood. 

Being Changed Into HIS Likeness in Ever Increasing Glory

smallbusinessbigmarketing.com

It's amazing how the bible has a lot of wonderful, powerful things that believers just take for granted. It's more amazing how the bible has lots of wonderful, powerful things that are found nowhere in church today. Like 2 Corinthians 3.18: "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

Do you see that? Transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory. Where is that in church today? Have you seen a Christian who lives like that?

Being changed into his image in ever-increasing glory means you begin with glory and advance further in increasing glory as the days, weeks, months, and years go by. It means as you age, you become more glorious (I say more perfect) like Jesus Christ. You don't become more rotten or stubborn or become a difficult person. Yet, today, that's what happens. Most church people worsen as they grow old--sometimes hopelessly worse than people of the world.

For instance, when you get born again, you begin with meek and then become meeker as you mature in Christ. When you're old, you become like Moses--no one in all the earth was meeker than he was during his time (Numbers 12.3). He started with a simple shepherding job and rose to have a big ministry of about a million "membership" which involved an entire nation. And they were to have vasts "church" properties in the Promise Land. And yet we find Moses meeker before God took him away.

However, meek as he was, Paul said Moses' glory was nothing compared to the glory we have in Christ. "Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was," [2 Corinthians 3.18].

That is truth. I believe that. Yet, today, you don't see that ever-increasing phenomenon in church. Almost everyone grows rotten as they age. They don't mature--they just grow old. Worse, as their ministries grow big, their prides swell.

Perhaps you'd say, not all of them are like that. Yes, but that isn't acceptable, God's WORD applies to all. No one's exempt. God has no favoritism. Anyone (not just some) in Christ is a new creation. The old is gone and the new has come. Supposedly, anyone in Christ is being transformed into Jesus' image in ever-increasing glory. If that's not happening, then there's something TERRIBLY WRONG in believers.

You see a lot of believers around with rotten characters--self-centered, arrogant, proud, ambitious, easily hurt or offended, and thinking ill of others--yet very active in church and even holding key positions. They've been like that for years and don't change. And they claim it's normal because they're only humans, and no one should judge them. But the truth cannot be changed--believers should be changed into his likeness in ever increasing glory.

Before we start spreading the Gospel around to make our ministries big, it should first change us on the inside for real. And I mean for real, the real thing.

The Word and the Word Made Flesh

biblicaltreasuresfortoday.blogspot.com

Both are powerful, the WORD and the WORD made flesh. But the Word made flesh is powerful with LIFE. In the bible, the Word was given to Israel in the Old Testament, but the Word made flesh was given to the world to turn it upside down.

The Word is powerful to kill, and specifically to kill your spiritual life. The more you get the Word the more you are condemned to die spiritually. Many churches do not realize this. Look at what Paul said to the Romans:

“I found that the very commandment (the Word)

that was intended to bring life actually brought death,"

 [Romans 7.10]

If you're still living in sin and you read the bible, all you get is the Word. It is powerful, but powerful to bring you spiritual death, said Paul. Imagine if a lot of Christians study the bible while still enjoying sin and think they're being blessed spiritually! Yes, you get "blessed" by the Word. You get intellectual satisfaction. You can even go to the altar and weep because of it. But as long as you're not totally surrendered to God body, soul, and spirit, the Word brings you nothing but spiritual death. And the worse part is, you don't realize it because you feel blessed by it all. 

Paul added when he wrote to the Corinthians:

"..the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." [2 Corinthians 3.6]

Don't get it wrong. The original intention of the Word was to bring life through the knowledge of God that leads to Christ. Christ is the end of the law [Romans 10.4]. But sin and the Word cannot mix. If you mix them, the Word brings you nothing but spiritual death. The letter (of the law) kills.

God often gives non-believers a special grace to understand the Word while yet in sin. This grace gives them a chance to repent and get saved. But if they go on sinning stubbornly and ignore God's day of salvation for them, the Word produces death in them as well. The grace for salvation is withdrawn by God. But this grace is only for non-believers, not Christians. Christians who study the Word while enjoying sin gets nothing but spiritual death, even if they get smarter with God's Word.

But the Spirit gives life. The Word becomes life once the Holy Spirit enables you to understand it in your spirit. The Spirit of God won't do that if you're living in sin. But if you're living in God's will, the Word becomes flesh in you through the Holy Spirit. The Word is made flesh in you as the Word was made flesh in Christ. In other words, Jesus is "formed" in you [Galatians 4.19] so that you no longer live but Christ lives in you [Galatians 2.20]! It is given a new powerful meaning in you so that it produces LIFE in you, the LIFE of Jesus. The Jesus DNA.

The Word is powerful for death. But the Word made flesh is powerful for life.

I'll give you some examples how it operates. You read in the bible, "But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you," [Galatians 4.9-10]. Reading that, you understand intellectually that the Galatians, after receiving Christ, went back to human traditions. Then you conclude that it's wrong to be enslaved again by human traditions and religious celebrations. 

You got the Word. But the Word kills. Why? Because if you continue to observe "special days and months and seasons and years" when you're already in Christ, you die spiritually. And a lot of churches today still observe Christmas, Valentines, Easter, and even Sundays, which are all human traditions. When it's Saturday or Sunday, for instance, they think it's the Sabbath day for God. I've even seen some church people observe the year of the rabbit or snake or sheep--and things like that. They even put pompous Christmas trees in their churches and homes. If you think like this, you get the Word and it's powerful to kill you spiritually.

Now, when you get the Word and God turns it as Word made flesh in you, you get the LIFE of Jesus. What happens is something like this: You no longer observe special days or months or seasons or years. What's important to you is, everyday is the Lord's day, the Lord's Sabbath. You don't think that 6 days of the week are yours and God owns Sunday. You live daily as the Lord's Day! You don't celebrate the Lord's Day, as the world sees the word "celebrate." You live it. And no more Christmas, Easter, Valentines (some church folks change the name to Day of the Heart and think they've fooled God into believing they no longer celebrate Valentine's), church anniversaries, etc. 

No more birthdays either. If you want to thank God for your church or the day of your birth, just do it simply. Thank him. Worship him and offer him lavish thanksgiving. Don't make a big deal of it. You don't need a special program and presentations for it. You may eat a special meal with your family. If nobody remembers your birthday or greets you, fine. If you don't have money to do any of the above, don't do it. There's no need to celebrate any man-invented traditions. Actually, these traditions were the idea of businesses so people would buy stuff on those special occasions. 

You know what's the best way to thank God? A holy daily life in Christ. Offer your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship. Remember?

Word made flesh is when the Word of God radically transforms you to have the Jesus DNA in you. You begin to to think, live, and move like Jesus. No, the more accurate way of saying it is, Jesus begins to really live in your body! The Word made flesh! It turns the world upside down!

Another example is reading Luke 4.18, for instance: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

A lot of church people read that and see it as Jesus' call to ministry and a summary of what he was to do. That's all. They don't see themselves in it. If that's what you get, that's the Word. But Word made flesh will turn you and your ministry into that passage, and vice versa, no matter if you're not a pastor or church worker. When you see that, because you have received Jesus 100 percent in you, you see how the Spirit of the Lord has also anointed you with the same ministry, and you live it daily.