Thoroughly Equipped in Christ

They can't believe they're now fully equipped and empowered. This is the sorry condition of the church today--it wields the powerful Scripture but cannot believe it. Bible usage is just to legitimize their claim of being Christian. But church is a far cry from what Jesus was in the Gospel. [Image above by Todd Quackenbush @toddquackenbush].

So here's the ridiculous situation--pastors and church leaders believe they are not fully equipped for ministry so they attend all sorts of seminars. Seminars for this and that. Some seminars have become scams, charging people exorbitant fees in the guise of helping them succeed in ministry. But all these seminars do is enrich the organizers. I heard one leadership seminar charge P10K a participant. I hope I heard wrong.

God's supernatural equipping of saints. Click here.

The Unseen Gospel is unseen to the perishing. They can't see what Jesus did. He did the things he did so we can have all we need. Complete. Nothing missing--if we claim it and believe. For instance, just see what power this passage holds:

"...if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." [Matthew 17.20]

Let me cut that short: "If you believe...nothing will be impossible for you." You see the word NOTHING? Do you believe it? So where does "unequipped" fit in there? Nowhere. The words, "nothing will be impossible for you" give us everything we need and make us everything we need to be. It doesn't say, nothing is impossible for you if you attend this and that seminar. You don't need seminars. It's all in you if you're IN CHRIST.

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. [2 Peter 1.3]

Everything we need. See that? It's not just fantasy or just my idea. It's God's Word. All we need to do is believe and operate in it. We are fully equipped to face anyone or anything because of the Spirit of Jesus in us. Here's what Jesus said about His Spirit:

"He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” [John 16]

Jesus is glorified when the Holy Spirit declares or makes known to us what He received from Jesus. And what did he receive from Jesus? All that belongs to the Father! The Spirit will reveal to us "all that belongs to the Father." If that's not powerful, I don't know what is. You mean seminars are more powerful than this?

Pastors and church leaders attend all sorts of seminars. How to do this and that. How to evangelize, How to disciple. How to do missions. How to worship. How to manage church finances. How to do counseling. How to be a better parent. How to deliver the demon-possessed. I guess even how to scratch your head or tie your shoes.

But it's all in God's Word. Just meditate it day and night and Joshua says you will prosper and be successful. Look how Paul sees it:

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. [2 Timothy 3]

God promises that you are already "thoroughly equipped" through the God-breathed Word. Just believe it and live it. But you have a ton of problems if you don't and instead seek refuge in man's seminars, seminaries and bible schools. The church has been inventing a lot of seminars for this and that, and yet the church remains the same--always craving the attention of the world. If it does not advertise, promote, lure, do gimmicks or force (or pester) people in, no one's going to pay attention to it. Powerless.

Even today, the church keeps rejecting the Stone that has become the Capstone.

“‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 11 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” [Mark 12]

Jesus never attended seminars or required his disciples to attend them. Neither did he teach them how to do this or that in seminars. What he taught was how to move in the Holy Spirit (John 16 is an example) and trained his disciples how to do ministry hands on. He did it through his discipleship, not seminars.

That's what the church needs today--a Jesus type discipleship that demos Jesus' supernatural ministry and teaches about how to move in the Holy Spirit.

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

"People Went Out to Him": A Powerful Church-Planting Principle of the Kingdom

govindagallery.com

"People went out to him." [Matthew 3.5]

Two features of John's ministry was "Preparing the way for the Lord," and making "straight paths for him."

It's all for the Lord and paths for him.

When you work for the Kingdom (when everything is done only for the King), among things that will happen to you is, people come to you to hear something they don't really want to hear.

Look at some of the things John told them:

1. When he saw religious leaders of the time: "You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.

2, To those confident with their religion: "Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones."

3. To everyone else: "Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire."

“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’”

What a lot of churches prepare these days is not the way for the Lord but the way for their denominations.

Anyway, notwithstanding such judgmental preaching by John, people still went out to him.  

How do you know you're really working for the Kingdom of God (and not just for men's church)? How do you know you're really part of building Jesus' glorious church, which is without spot or wrinkle or any other blemish? Here are hints from John's ministry:

1. People pursue you. You don't pursue them. It doesn't matter how many, as long as the principle is there, which is, you don't pursue people. Jesus never did that. It's not how many but how faithful. Remember, we are preparing the way for the Lord and making straight paths for him--because he's after a glorious church. Not just any kind of church. 

2. Your ministry prepares a way for the Lord. The Lord won't walk on wretched and worldly ways. The Lord won't walk on paths built by worldly standards. 

3. You preach hard about holiness and yet people pursue you. You don't preach tame sermons that are carefully tailored never to offend people. You don't preach to be liked (so people would attend your services). You preach to please God and prepare a way for him and make straight paths for him.

We should share the Gospel with everyone--as many as possible--while at the same time, we never pursue them. That's genuine building God's Kingdom on earth.

In my case, no one pursued me for 2 years. It was getting so frustrating, but I needed to stick to Jesus' Kingdom principles. After prayers and faithfulness to God's Word, God finally sent me people who went out to me and continues to do so--because they want the Jesus Christ they see in me.

It Should be the Father Drawing People

smallbiztrends.com

Have you ever seen a ministry or minister operating like that today? They simply go out of the house and at once big crowds go after them desperately!

But it's actually the other way around.

The pastor desperately pursues after people just to have them come to his church. He would even be willing to offer concessions just to have them attend his services, giving them importance and special attention. Some pastors are even willing to share power with the church board or congregation.

You never saw Jesus do that in Scriptures. He never ran after or tried to please anyone. Instead, people came to him. Nicodemus came to him. Zacchaeus had to climb a tree just to see him. The disciples left everything to follow him. The rich young ruler went to see him. 

People should seek truth, not the other way around. God wants everyone to be saved, but you have to workout your own salvation with fear and trembling. You have to "come" to Jesus before he can give you rest.

For one thing, it's curious how Jesus "met with" the Samaritan woman at the well. It was like the whole thing was pre-arranged by heaven so that at the exact time the Samaritan woman went to the well and there "happened to meet" Jesus--and Jesus seemed to have waited for her there.

But what transpired between him and the woman was a simple short talk. After that, Jesus never pursued or followed her up. Jesus never visited her in her house. Why can't the church be like that?

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day." [John 6.44]

To Jesus, it was useless to pursue after people if they weren't drawn by the Father to him. It was useless to convince or follow them up. If it's God's will that a person should follow you in faith, that person will be drawn to you. He will pursue you. If God doesn't draw him to you, it only means that the person is meant for another ministry.

Jesus showed us, that's the way a church ministry should operate.

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]

Why Jesus Let the Devils Escape to the Pigs

seasimpact.com

In Luke 8, Jesus faced a demon-possessed man at Gadarenes with about 2,000 demons. When he rebuked them, the demons asked to be sent to the herd of pigs instead of being sent out of the area or to the Abyss. The amazing thing is that Jesus approved the request which resulted to the destruction of a major piggery industry in the locality.

Why did Jesus grant the demon's request? Does God answer demons' prayers? Do demons pray to God?

The demons requested a plea from the Lord which the Lord granted right there and then. In Matthew 8, NIV says "the demons begged Jesus." And Jesus did what they wanted. If that's not answer to "prayer," what is it then? What else can you call it? A demand? Certainly not. Demons cannot demand from God. A plain request which shouldn't be considered a prayer? But a request is a prayer as we see in Philippians 4.6: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Devils Pray to God?

You may find it repulsive and unacceptable, but that was what it was--a prayer. Devils pray to God and God sometimes answers them. In fact, in this instance, God answered it on the spot! It was a quick yes! This is how it happened:

"The demons begged Jesus, 'If you drive us out, 

send us into the herd of pigs.' He said to them, 'Go!'"

[Matthew 8.31 NIV]

How often do you get quick yes answers like that? And look at how God granted Satan's request in the Book of Job. Satan asked God to send terrible trouble on Job and God granted it right on the spot!

"'But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, 

and he will surely curse you to your face.'

The LORD said to Satan, 'Very well, then, everything he has 

is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.'"

[Job 1.12]

God answers requests (or prayers?) from devils when the requests go along with his will. But isn't that how he also deals with our prayers? Doesn't God answer our prayers only if they go along his plans? Does he deal with us in the same way he deals with devils? Aren't we sons and daughters and therefore should be treated differently?

If we examine Scriptures sharply with the eyes of the Spirit of God, we easily see spiritual details like this that allow us rare peeks into what really happens in the spiritual realms. Like how devils and demons also "pray" to God and sometimes get "yes" answers. Now, think how prayerless Christians would stand against demons who pray to God and get yes answers! No wonder Paul urged us to pray without ceasing because in the spiritual realms, prayerlessness will never stand a chance, especially against "praying" demons. 

Why God Would Say Yes to Devils?

It's unthinkable---why would a holy God with holy plans say yes to devils? God uses devils to bring about tests, revivals, and judgement. It's wrong to say that God needs devils to workout his plans, but since devils are there, he might as well make good use of them. Remember how God can workout everything for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose? 

God allows devils (or answers their requests) so that when they tempt someone, that person's heart is revealed or exposed and he or she sees how a hidden sin in him or her should be dealt with right away. Without temptation, that sin will remain a silent killer within him or her. Only temptations stir up and expose hidden sins lodged deep within you so that it rises up, manifests, identified and becomes easy to deal with. 

Get it?

Without temptation, you'll never know the sin hiding deep in your heart and you'll never realize what wickedness you're capable of until one day you get a major temptation and the full grown sin hiding in you explodes like crazy. Temptation is not from God but he allows it for a good purpose.

Once you see how you react to a temptation, you either:

1. Ask forgiveness from God and repent and be rid of the sin (Revival).
2. Or, go on with the sin and get God's wrath (Judgment).

If you choose number 2, God's judgment is given to give you more chances to repent. Judgment is God's love and his love is his judgment. If you go on still after given several chances (not just 7 times but probably up to 70 times 7), then he leaves or abandons you to it. 

"God gave them over to shameful lusts," [Romans 1.26 NIV]. Or, "God abandoned them to their shameful desires,"[NLT]. In other words, God just walks out the door and leaves you to your decision. 

So, my Jesus said yes to the demons' request and off they went to the almost 2,000 pigs and drowned them. He didn't send them outright to the Abyss--although he could do that--because the locality of Gadarenes was up for a test. And no group of demons knew the place and it's people more than the Gadarenes demons. They knew its greatest weakness--their piggery industry. 

The demons picked the pigs because they probably thought destroying them would destroy Jesus' image and God's plans as well. They didn't know what God was up to--that Jesus intentionally allowed them to destroy the piggery business so that the Gadarenes folks would be alarmed and decide on whether to accept or reject Jesus.

So, Gadarenes was up for a test. Would they repent of their uncaring attitude toward the demon-possessed man (they sent him to the cemetery and chained him there, naked, and without shelter for a long time). And, would they repent of their idolatry in loving their piggery industry too much?

They failed the test. They didn't like it when they saw the demon-possessed man healed, with decent clothes and in his right mind, and they asked Jesus to leave their place just because they lost their million-peso piggery industry. 

When you're up for a test, God allows trouble on the things, possessions, or people you treasure most. He watches what your reactions would be.

Since Gadarenes clearly showed their  preference for money than God and love for fellowmen, Jesus just left them. He didn't preach to them or correct them or explain the truth about what happened. He gave them over or abandoned them to their sins. Judgment had been made.

Zacchaeus: He Wanted Jesus and Got Saved [2]

gcn.com

In evangelism, there should be an element of God-coordination. Everything we do should be led by the Holy Spirit and coordinated with his actions, plan, and timing. We cannot just hit anywhere and anyone just to create an increase. Hence, I think, in sharing God's Word, everything ought to be well prayed for and done only by those who really know God--his ways and timing--those who have a genuine relationship with the Lord. The goal is to build God's Kingdom on earth, not man's church denominations.

There was a great crowd but I believe Jesus passed by Jericho just for Zacchaeus. There was this divine appointment, and when Jesus reached that exact "spot" where the appointment was, he looked up and told Zacchaeus, "I must stay at your house today!" Now, see the word must? Zacchaeus didn't know it but perhaps among them--the Son, the Father, and the Holy Spirit--there was a prior-plan to meet up with Zacchaeus and only with him. Well, there were others in the crowd waiting for Jesus, but they'd get nothing but "blessings." That's all they want and need anyway. They get that and they live happily ever after. 

That day was Zacchaeus' day, according to the timetable of the Kingdom. We must operate like that, not like politicians campaigning for themselves on election period, always eager to get a mammoth crowd, repeatedly inviting people, following them up, pestering and even forcing or "buying" their votes.

Of course, campaigns like that do produce instant churches, even mega churches, but the fruit is nothing of the Kingdom. I've seen it. There was this church, for instance, that was haphazardly organized and the membership was artificially produced. You know--like politicians making hollow promises just to secure people's votes. So the church was produced. But when it joined a musical contest among churches one day, it cheated. I laughed! You call that new creations in Christ, willing to cheat just to win a contest?

I even saw for myself how supposedly "Christian" churches and pastors fiercely fought each other as worldly people would just because they each thought the other was cheating in their sports fest.

Anyway, look at what God-coordinated evangelism produces. Zacchaeus volunteered: "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” What Jesus had stipulated was giving up everything, not just half of one's possessions. But probably, by God's grace, Jesus saw Zacchaeus' heart and saw that half his possessions was good enough, plus the bonus of paying those whom he had cheated, if any, fourfold. 

The point is, Zacchaeus volunteered to give up things not inline with the Kingdom. I haven't seen anything like this in real life. Have you seen a rich believer who thought of nothing but how to use his wealth for the Kingdom? I've seen those who donate for denominational causes, and they often do it to get special citations later and some clout to control the church and the pastor. Some rich guys I saw go to church just to have God protect their riches. Others give money so God can give them twice or 10 times more. Zacchaeus had no ulterior motives like that. No wonder Jesus excitedly announced salvation coming to his house. Genuine salvation.

Then Jesus said he came "to seek" and save the lost. And obviously, he literally sought Zacchaeus out! Intentionally! We should be like that. We should align our evangelism efforts with God's intention or motive, timing, and overall plan and not just desire to have more church members.

Here's Part 1

EVANGELISM JESUS STYLE: How Did Jesus Really Do It? [2]

www.todayifoundout.com

Jesus Never Pursued People

"So what if they don't come back?" It won't be hard for me to imagine Jesus saying this about the multitudes that followed him. He cannot make anyone follow him unless the Father does it. "The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does," [John 5.19]. Thus, he never pursued people--he pursued the Father. The Father is the one who appoints or "draws" people to your church. He appoints those who would be your disciples and who would be part of your crowd. You can never add people to His list. Doing so will drift the church you're managing away from His glorious church, which is without spot or wrinkle or any blemish. If you want your church to be a Jesus church, never pursue people.

Evangelism Jesus Style: How Did Jesus Really Do It?

Letting folks decide for themselves.

I've always been challenged by what Jesus said about evangelism and salvation: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them," [John 6.44]. To me this is a powerful principle and in fact the key to successful evangelism in the eyes of the Father. It changed the way I see ministry. Now I understand why Jesus never did what churches today do--especially church denominations that are hellbent on building their own empires and establishing franchises everywhere.

Zacchaeus: He Wanted Jesus and Got Saved

www.paris-walking-tours.com

My Jesus had declared how the rich would find it hard to enter God's Kingdom. But look at Zacchaeus. He was a wealthy chief tax collector. That made it doubly impossible for him to enter God's Kingdom, being rich and chief tax collector--and we know how tax collectors and sinners were synonymous in those days, and perhaps, to some people, even today.

But one thing about Zacchaeus--he wanted Jesus so badly. Can you imagine a wealthy guy climbing up a tree? Well, the so-called Black Nazarene statue paraded every January 9 in Quiapo district, Manila, do have lots of folks climbing up obstacles just to touch it. I'm not talking about something like that. I'm talking about a rich man climbing up a tree "to see who Jesus was" [Luke 19.3]. You see the word who? Multitudes in the Black Nazarene feast just want to touch the wooden idol for some worldly favors, but Zacchaeus wanted to see "who" Jesus was. 

If you want to know who someone is, that's deep. For instance, this showbiz fellow happens to pass by your way, so you grow a bit curious and want to see how he looks like in person. But if you have to literally climb up a tree to do it, I don't think you'd take the trouble. But if you want to know who this guy really is, you'd risk a bit and probably set up a meeting, just like what Zacchaeus did. He was serious.

And he got saved later. "Today, salvation has come to this house," my Jesus declared. And he didn't just get saved. He committed himself--and his wealth. That's something not may wealthy people would do. Remember the rich young ruler?

Genuine Salvation Factors

A lot of people went with Jesus, multitudes of them--most of them getting so blessed, but only a few committed to Jesus. To genuinely get saved by grace through faith and go on being saved and growing in Christ, we need to see important points here. Watch these vital elements for genuine salvation:

• Hunger to see who Jesus is
• Commitment to surrender all
• In step with God's plan and time

We can keep inviting everyone in our evangelism crusades and meetings, but majority of those folks would end up shouting later, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" Yeah, they may become active church members and givers and quite "faithful" at that. But I notice that majority of "believers" forced into membership by human effort (even sincere efforts) end up just being part of the crowd, if not the order of the Pharisees. These are people "repeatedly invited, followed up, pestered or forced to join the church" prodded by the desire to up church membership and grow the denomination.

[Continued Here]...

OSAS Versus LOSE

www.kingjamesbibleonline.org

It's been a great debate for ages--OSAS versus LOSE, or Once Saved Always Saved versus Lose One's Salvation for Eternity. So they formed two groups, each branding the other of being in grave error. If you're not in the present move of God, you'd tend to take either side.

Truth is, both sides are clearly in the bible. If you'd be honest to look into it, casting aside any presumptions, you'd easily see that there is indeed eternal life in Christ but continuing to live in sin can put you in a dangerous spiritual condition, even lose your ability to repent.

Eternal Life in Christ

"That whoever believes in (Jesus Christ) should not perish but have eternal life." It's clear, isn't it? And when we say "eternal," it means without end. Eternal cannot be cut short. If it can be, then it's no longer eternal. It's conditional. Then John 3.16 should read: "Whoever believes in him should not perish but have conditional life." Meaning, as long as you're living within the terms of the agreement you have eternal life.

But eternal is eternal. God is eternal, and it means he has no end. He goes on. And the life we have in Jesus has the same quality--eternal. It begins now and goes on and on, without end. God's Flesh believes that if you're genuinely born again--you really surrendered your life to Christ and received him as Savior and Lord--then you are saved forever. And once genuinely saved, you're always saved. What if you sin? Then you simply genuinely repent of it and ask God's forgiveness.

There are those who believe in so-called extreme grace--saying they can live in sin after getting saved, anyway, God loves and understands them and their special relationship with him exempts them from the dire consequences of sin. It also says believers need not repent from sin anymore. God's Flesh does not believe these silly trash. We believe in eternal security and living the holy Jesus LIFE daily.

Lose One's Salvation for Eternity

You have read Hebrews 10, of course. Here's how it goes:

"If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God." [10.26]. That's crystal clear enough to me. This passage was written to Hebrew believers, not unbelievers. It talks about we as believers. If we keep on sinning deliberately "there is fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire." Now, I'm sure there is no "raging fire that will consume the enemies of God" in heaven, and there's no such thing as purgatory. So where is this "raging fire" going to be? If you're honest, you'd admit this is nowhere else but hell.

Well, those who "received Christ" yet go on sinning deliberately probably never got saved at all. They never got born again. Genuine born again is a new creation, "the old is past." Remember? Many in churches today are far from being new creations. Often, they are a mix of the old and new.

So, you see that both teachings--OSAS and LOSE--are in the bible. So why debate over them? Only shallow denominationalism will. If you are a man of truth, you easily accept the bible passages and embrace them as your doctrinal belief. Why? Simply because they're both God's Word. And God's Word is flawless. It is perfect. You don't have to theologize or figure it out (human theology is trash). Just believe and live it daily.