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.

If GOD's promises in the bible don't seem to work, you may be missing 

something vital in the operational systems of GOD's Kingdom. 

SEE THIS PAGE FOR MORE!

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]

This Keeps the Church Deceived Big Time

You know what's really messing up church today? It's this idea that there's no perfect church, so don't look for one. It says, though the church is not perfect, it has a perfect GOD. And most people agree. But would a perfect GOD settle for an imperfect church? HE has already laid out in Scripture what HIS true church is. Through HIS love and Word, HE is preparing "a radiant church, without spot or wrinkle or any other blemish but holy and pure," [Ephesians 5.25-27]

Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Photo above by Ravi Pinisetti on Unsplash. 

The Direction GOD Points us to 

This is the direction for the church and all of us should be on this path from GOD. If we look anything different because we're taking a different path, we're running off course and should double back. We should get out of the devil's race track. At least, it should be in the church's heart to pursue the glorious-church course, though the church may miss the mark now and then. The imporant thing is we're on the right path--pursuing to be a glorious church of Jesus Christ--and not insisting that there's no perfect church. There is. It's the church Jesus died for and sanctifies. 

Jesus also stressed that true believers should "be perfect" as their heavenly Father is perfect. A lot in church are mocking this passage, denying its truth and short of saying that Jesus wasn't really serious about perfection but merely alluding to it as some sort of figure of speech. At best, it's merely about perfecting our love. Agreed. And it should be what we look for in a church. If the church we attend doesn't have it--and worse, is not serious about it one bit--then we better start looking for another. 

If GOD's promises in the bible doesn't seem to work, you may be missing 

something vital in the operational systems of GOD's Kingdom. 

SEE THIS PAGE FOR MORE!

Then Anything Goes

Maintaining that there is no perfect church makes us water down or even disregard the standards GOD has put for HIS church, and this helps Satan's deception a lot in these last days. Anything goes in church as long as it is effective, packs in more people and makes lots of money. The devil makes sneezing at GOD's standards look okay and normal, at the same time making us feel approved by grace even with substandard spirituality. The Lord's warning should give us a good idea about what HIS standard is. If it's not enough that we prophecy and drive out demons, how much more if we trash GOD's standards? 

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ [Matthew 7]

And insisting that there's no perfect church so don't look for one will put our guards down and make us part of the evil doers Jesus never knew, and this without us noticing it. Jesus told us to leave blind guides who are like plants the Father has not planted. When they're pulled out by the roots, we can be pulled out with them. The yeast of wrong churches (imperfect churches or those not in the path of perfection) can easily leaven up the whole dough, and Jesus told his disciples to beware of this yeast. 

Leave Them!

Jesus saying we should leave blind guides is a powerful sign urging us to look for the perfect church and leave whatever does not take GOD's maxims and exemplars seriously. And it's a command, not a suggestion or wish. We have to watch what or who is blind and leave them. Peter and the apostles were far from being perfect as GOD wanted them to be, and the church they headed was far from being the glorious church at the time. But their path was right. They seriously pursued after the glorious church and determined to be that church, all by GOD's grace and mercy, solely by faith. They never said there was no perfect church and we should stop looking for one. They saw to it that no Pharisaical yeast was being mixed with their bread. 

Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.

[Hebrews 12.15]

No doubt, the church should welcome sinners, for instance, but no one should be serving at the altar who still wallows in sin or is not totally surrendered to the Lord. Serving the Lord is a priesthood function and entrusted only to those who are well aware of their priestly covenant and commitment with the Lord. Any trace of pride or arrogance, for example, makes you unfit to serve at the altar. If carnal people or calloused sinners are allowed to serve in your church, leave it. Go look for the church that pursues Jesus' glorious church. We are called to be part of GOD's very own godly nature.

"...that by these (exceedingly great and precious promises) ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

[2 Peter 1.4]

SEE MORE UNSEEN GOSPEL EBOOKS HERE!

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

When God's Promises Don't Seem to Work for You

We have medicines, hospitals and doctors today. They help a lot. They're also part of God's solutions to our health problems. I use them when God tells me to. But nothing beats HIS powerful miraculous promises in the bible. I won't exchange them for anything in this modern world, not even for modern medical science. And God still wants us to use them today.

[Photo above by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash]. 

God talked with Moses face-to-face as a man speaks to a friend. And God promised him that “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” God's promises worked for Moses in powerful ways. Moses didn't just talk or preach about God's promises or taught them in Sunday school to the Israelites. He demonstrated GOD's supernatural powers. When Moses asked God for anything, God literally moved in awesome signs and wonders. What more to us who are co-heirs with Christ?

God's awesome promises also worked easily for Joshua, Elijah, Elisha, David and the New Testament apostles, prophets and evangelists. Even in the ministries of Isaiah and Jeremiah, God did awesome wonders. As well as the minor prophets. The fact that they received God's prophecies supernaturally was an awesome sign and wonder. God's promise worked for them. But why won't the promises work as easily today? 

Tell me honestly--when was the last time a paralytic was miraculously healed in your church service or a few loaves of bread and fish multiplied to feed 5,000 with just a short thank you prayer in your church ministry? And when was the last time God's miracle promises worked powerfully for you? The few "miracles" that are reportedly happening today are often nothing but scams to make big money. This is why bible "experts" and teachers decide that miracles and signs and wonders are over. They're no longer of this "dispensation."

But they are not. As sure as God exists, miracles remain possible. Jesus promised that anyone who believes will be able to do what he did and greater works shall they do [John 14.12]. This promise has no expiration date. Jesus didn't put any. The only barrier to God's awesome miracles is the quality of faith---if we seriously believe with all our hearts. We have to have Jesus' own radical faith, no less. Does the church teach us how? NO. But  we all have to pursue this today! The church has got to go back to God's powerful ways through Jesus Christ.

THAT POWER CAN BE YOURS TODAY! 

Jesus promised that he himself will do "anything" we ask of him [John 14.14] and if we believe that anything we say or declare will happen without a shadow of a doubt, it surely will [Mark 11.22-23]. 

"...and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them."

Just imagine that! Nonetheless, many today still miss this opportunity to do ministry in God's awesome miraculous power. Why? Because of teachings and doctrines in church that insist miracles and signs and wonders are a thing of the past. It's their doctrine to trash GOD's miracles as a thing of the past. But we can make them a powerful reality again today by believing with all our hearts the bible principles behind signs and wonders and miracles. Do you know them?

If miracles worked in the ministries of the Old Testament prophets, it will work for us today because Jesus Christ is 100 percent in our bodies. HE is really alive and present in us. That's a sure fact. He is actually living in us (Christ in you the hope of glory), as the Apostle Paul testified that he no longer lived but Christ lived in him. Thus, the powerful miracles in his ministry. 

Unlike in the Old Testament when the Holy Spirit of Jesus didn't yet indwell believers. They were merely used by the Holy Spirit. Today, HE indwells us. GOD LIVES IN OUR BODIES! These are ideal times to replicate what Jesus, the apostles and prophets did in the bible. All we need to do is believe the bible principles on signs and wonders which is part of Jesus' apostolic teachings (lots of church and seminary people, titled and degreed, do not know Jesus' apostolic teachings. Apostolic teachings were what the Acts church focused on in their worship, fellowship and daily lives:

Acts 2:42: "And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers"

Today, you can do the same works Jesus did if you know what makes God's promises work for you and what makes them cease to work aside from unbelief. Aside from sin, what other reasons hinder God's promises in the bible to take awesome effect in your life? Find them all out in this e-book, "When God's Promises Doesn't Seem to Work for You."

Know the powerful Kingdom principles as the Holy Spirit reveals them to you in God's Word. This includes radical and even "extreme" truths in the bible but which are often overlooked or simply ignored (or belittled or mocked)---or labeled cultic---by many today. 

The e-book topics and discussions are as follows: 

• Unreasonable Faith

• Why Jesus Had to Walk on Water

• The Need to Be Radical

• Start with Simple

• Ignore Discouragements and Negatives

• Getting used to the Kingdom

• Church mindsets that prevent you from connecting to God's power.

Plus More! 

Hospitals, medicines and doctors are God's blessings to us today. Avail of them when you can. I believe God uses them, too. But saying there are no more instant, on-the-spot miraculous healing today (and on a regular basis. In fact, this should be the ministry norm). They insist that God now uses medical science alone. Doctors, hospitals and medicines are good, but His supernatural promises and miracles still work! GOD's design for HIS church is to display HIS awesome supernatural power. Leave medical science and medicines to the doctors and hospitals. 

For only Php 800.00 get a PDF copy of the e-book now and support my house-church ministry doing so! I don't believe in begging money or soliciting to support ministry. I believe in what Paul said about God's servants "receiving their living from the Gospel," [1 Corinthians 9.14]. So I sell e-books instead. The P400 will help support the house-church ministry God gave me. Use the link below!

GO HERE TO BUY!

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."

Here's a special offer. I sell this at Php 800. But you can get a PDF copy of my e-book, "GOD's Flesh" for only P400.00 if you email me at godsfleshblog@gmail.com and place your order. I will send you a Paypal link for the payment and a link for the e-book download after you pay.

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

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]

Common Feature of True Kingdom Ministries

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Praying in private with his disciples one day, Jesus suddenly asked, "Who do people say that I am?" The disciples' answers were quite revealing---John the baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets. Jesus' ministry looked like the ministries of the prophets, and vice versa. They all looked alike to people. They all had the common feature of true Kingdom ministries.

The common feature is God's DNA. The present move of God.



Among God's Kingdom dynamics on earth was the prophet, priest and king threesome teamwork. These are all features of God's DNA. Jesus embodies all three of them. The king and priests worked together in nation building and governance while the prophet provided them direction. Since Paul said that the dominant work of an apostle is laying down the foundation "as an expert builder," the king and priests in the Old Testament functioned somewhat in the apostolic.

Make Kingdom power work for you. Click here.

So the triad operated in the apostolic-prophetic. Then God did a new move in David. David operated on all three anointings. One person carried all three. He was king, priest and prophet. He was a harbinger of things to come, which was the ministry of Jesus. From the family line of David came Jesus Christ, but Jesus carried all three anointings in unprecedented Kingdom power.

This is why we need to receive Jesus Christ into our bodies---to have the three-prong anointing fully operational in us. Receiving Jesus is primarily for salvation, but it's also for Kingdom ministry---for Kingdom Come purposes and to build the glorious church of Jesus Christ. This Kingdom church cannot be built up except through God's DNA using the apostolic-prophetic anointing in Christ. It's all supernatural, nothing of human effort or brilliance.

We don't have to go along with the world and attract people to our churches using worldly ways and standards. No need for any gimmick. No need to lure people with our nice buildings, facilities, elaborate programs, instruments and comfy seats. We have the full backing of the Holy Spirit power in the three-prong anointing and that's all we need, really. We need to genuinely hear from the Spirit. We have to go back to having God's imagination.

The true church can only be built by Christ himself. He said, "On this rock I will build my church." It cannot be built by human ways, desire, effort, and intellect. It cannot be built in the ways and standards of this world. It can only be built by God's ways---through the apostolic-prophetic anointing in Christ.

It's Christ in us the hope of glory. It's all spiritual and supernatural. Anything you build outside this realm is NOT Jesus' church. Impressive and successful, yes. Peopled and moneyed, yes. But it's not what Jesus is coming back for.

It should be Christ in us (led solely by the Holy Spirit) doing the church ministry and building the Kingdom on earth.

This explains why Jesus' ministry had striking similarities with John the baptist's ministry, and with Elijah's and the prophets'. One look and the people saw how they were identical. They mistook one for the other. They had the same DNA. These ministries didn't look anything like the ministries of the high priest, law teachers, and Pharisees---leaders of men's "bible-based" religion. Judaism was bible-based but human led nonetheless. It didn't have the common feature of true Kingdom ministries.

After you do a ministry, ask yourself: who do people say that Jesus is? Often, we do ministries so we can have an impact on people. And in our subconscious, we wonder what the people think about us or our church. But Kingdom ministries think about what people think about Jesus. Do they see Jesus as the Christ when they look at our ministry? Do they get a supernatural revelation of Jesus? Or do they see nothing but man's church or religion?



Do they see us as Jesus' church, or just another man's church or religious association or organization, no different from the Rotary Club or Kiwanis or other NGOs? Are they reminded of God's prophets and the prophetic move of God in the bible? Or are we just another relief organization operating in the earthly realms? It was imperative that Jesus asked, "Who do people say that I am?"

And it's imperative, too, that we possess the common feature of true Kingdom ministries in the bible to set us apart from earthly ones. We're called to be aliens and strangers in this world. We must represent the Kingdom, and thus we must possess its features as seen in the ministries of Jesus and the prophets. One look at us and people know that we are unmistakably from God (not of this world), coming straight from HIS Kingdom, and not just another man-made "Christian" religion, church or ministry.

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

Short Prayer that Caught Jesus' Full Attention

Christ Hold Fast photo.

Short is powerful. Jesus' prayers were short. I remember him multiplying loaves of bread and fish to feed 5,000. It was an astounding miracle. If we were to do it, we'd probably say a long, poetic and dramatic prayer. But not Jesus. All he did was look up and say thanks. Not surprisingly, he also seemed to favor short prayers from others. Here's a short prayer that caught Jesus' full attention.

After going down the Mount of Transfiguration Jesus and his core disciples saw a commotion. First, his disciples were arguing with some teachers of the law. Second, a boy was demon-possessed and his disciples failed to dislodge it. The boy's dad complained.

“Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.” [Luke 9]

Short is Often Led

It was a short prayer that caught Jesus' full attention. He reprimanded his disciples at once for bungling on the job. The concise 15-second prayer got immediate attention from heaven. Jesus had the boy brought to him and rebuked the demon. A few moments later, the boy was completely healed. Short and heartfelt prayer is powerful.

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I timed it. I said the man's words naturally and timed it. It took only 15 seconds. Matthew's record of the "prayer" took 10 seconds. If I were to pray for this boy, it'd probably take me a minute or two, and I'd probably choose poetic and noble-sounding words to produce some drama. Well, actually I quit saying long prayers like that decades ago when I saw how Jesus prayed, though I still tend to say wordy prayers now and then.

It's really how the Holy Spirit leads you to pray. It may be long or short. The point is, do not make any formula. Be led. And take note how effective prayers were made in the bible. You'd notice they were short. And always make Jesus your model. He is the WAY. And Jesus said short but heartfelt prayers. So I always opt for short and heartfelt (I guess that's how the Spirit leads me), like this short prayer that caught Jesus' full attention.

Was That a Prayer?

Not many preachers see the man's statement here as prayer. It's an unseen Gospel, seen only by those who see in the Spirit. To many, prayer should be preceded by, "Let us pray." And then we close our eyes and start our declamation. And we modulate our voices and make it sound like something exclusive to the 1930's or 1950's and put some drama to it. I don't know why some folks have to modulate their voices. Can't we use our natural tone in prayer?

Any request made to God is a prayer. As simple as that. Some insist that prayers should follow the ACTS formula---it must have adoration, confession, supplication and thanksgiving. Well, this man's prayer was not ACTS-formulated but it caught Jesus' attention pronto. The man simply came to Jesus and said his petition. I admire the natural way it was all done. I can imagine how he didn't have to modulate his voice or close his eyes or say, "Let us pray."

Two Types of Complaints

The man "complained" in his prayer, not in the sense of complaining against God, but complaining about the wrong done to his boy by the demon. He practically squealed on the devil. We see this type of prayer a lot in Psalms where the psalmist complained to God about the wrongs done to him by other people.

Well, one of Jeremiah's prayers was a complaint against God. He accused God of "deceiving" him by being a "deceptive brook," [15.18]. God corrected him and urged him to repent at once.

“If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman."

I often find comfort in prayer complaints as a form of seeking refuge in God, telling on the world, the devil and the cruelty of religious people who hate the present move of God and the unseen Gospel. I run to God and tell him everything. In person you often see me in good spirits, cool, patient, tolerant, broadminded and unaffected by adversity. And I usually am. You'd very seldom see me angry. But deep inside I always want to run to God and seek refuge. He's like a tower to me when I'm under attack. I fall on his laps and cry in my spirit.

And often I don't say long and high-sounding prayers. I just cry and moan and whisper short telegraphic messages most times. In times when I'm okay, I often just sit with God by my side and we'd both look afar, quietly musing, aware that he knows. I may tell him some things in whispers or in mental conversations, sometimes in audible casual talks, too, always aware how this dad in the passage petitioned for his kid in a short prayer that caught Jesus' full attention.

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 GOD Increases Something

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How do you know an increase is directly from God? A lot of  increases or promotions are results of human effort. Yes, God permits them, but they aren't purely his action or will. It's mere permissive will. Always go for God's direct action, like an increase purely from him.

Remember when Saul became king? It was human effort and human will. The prophet Samuel knew it wasn't right, but God allowed it anyway, to teach the Israelites a lesson about choosing man's will over God's will. At first, Israel was blessed with King Saul. The rest is history.

Jesus fed 5,000 men. If we include the women and children, it probably numbered 10,000. Imagine feeding that many. The available resources were just few small loaves and few fish. He needed an increase. So what did he do? He didn't use human effort, wisdom, talent or skill. He just looked up to heaven and thanked the Father.

You see that? Few people have the spiritual eyes to see that. It's unseen gospel to many. Here was a situation needing huge urgent increase. From meager resources, Jesus' ministry needed exponential increase. We find ourselves faced with situations like that in ministry. We have little resources but are faced with gargantuan tasks. What do we do? Often, we solicit money. We beg. Church is so comfortable with that.

Or, we do a concert and sell tickets. Just like what the world does, especially show business. Some churches even go to politicians and ask for money, especially during election season. And these things work. They're effective. I know a church that built a huge building structure via solicitations. See how effective?

But Jesus NEVER did any of that.

When he needed an urgent increase, he simply looked up to heaven and thanked the Father. And somewhere, he said, "Anyone who has faith in me will do the same things I am doing." Well, so far, no church has ever done that. They all beg money or solicit when they need a huge increase. It only means one thing---they do not have faith in Christ. They serve him but do it with their own effort.

How do churches increase membership?

They usually exert desperate efforts to grab as many people as possible into their membership. I know churches that give dole outs and later collect back from their recipients. They give but later require people to attend their churches. Some offer "free" services but later collect the names and addresses of recipients for "follow up" later. These are all effective. They do increase membership. But problem is, Jesus and his apostles never did them.

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And we should take a hint from Jesus. To get God's increase, he merely looked up to heaven and thanked the Father. Ministry is designed by God to be simple, all by faith. Jesus proved it. Do you see it? Or is this an unseen gospel to you?

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.

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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.

When Real Kingdom Authority and Power Comes This is What Happens

Broken Believers

How do you know when genuine Kingdom authority and power had come on you? Kingdom standard says you'd know it when true meekness reigns. Have you seen in the Gospel how it happened to Jesus? It says Jesus "knew" that authority and power had come from the Father and that he knew who he really was.

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; [John 13]

Just imagine---the Father had put "all things" in his power. All things in the universe and on earth. And yet, how did he look? Did he look anything like it, like how the world understands power and authority? He looked weak and powerless, like a jobless street bam roaming the streets of Jerusalem and remote places in the wilds. 

Real Power and Authority

Pondering on this, you'd understand how real power and authority from the Kingdom looks like. It's power and authority made perfect in weakness. It is radically meek. In John 13, we see more aspects of it. When Jesus was to stress Kingdom power and authority to his disciples, he did this under these circumstances---he washed their feet while the devil had prompted Judas  to betray him. After this, he even announced how "one of you is going to betray me.”

Not a conducive scenario to show your power and authority. Washing their feet and announcing betrayal in his ministry is power and authority?

If we were to impress people with our power and authority today, we'd do it differently, even in church (or especially in church). We'd show off our capabilities, achievements, awards, titles, degrees, intellect and talents. Why? Because we need to prove who we are to people to get their respect.

Not Jesus.

He didn't need to prove who he was. He knew "he had come from God and was returning to God." Deep inside him, he was confident of this. "He knew." That was all that mattered. It didn't bother him what other people may think of him. If you have to keep telling people about your capabilities, credentials and accomplishments, it means you need their approval so much. And it means your power and authority emanates from such approval. Your power and authority are nothing but earthly.

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In fact, genuine Kingdom persons really don't need to prove themselves. And because Jesus knew about these things, he had no trouble humbling himself to perform a menial task for the disciples---washing their feet. 

Well, of course today it's so easy to "wash one another's feet." They have even made it a spectacular and glamorous Sunday church ritual and have people watching how humble they are, washing someone else's feet. It's mostly nothing but a publicity stunt. 

NO Power Tripping

It was different when Jesus did it. There was no audience or cameras (it's amazing how cameras can make people do a lot of silly things these days). And Jesus had proven to the disciples through unmistakable signs and wonders and powerful miracles that he really was the Messiah, God's own Son. Imagine the very Son of God, the King of Kings, bowing in front of you to wash your feet! Even John the baptizer didn't feel worthy to untie Jesus' sandals. What more have the Master wash your feet? Can you see this?

The message was clear---wash one another's feet. Be humble with one another and serve one another. God's Kingdom is not about positions and titles and showing off authority but about meek servitude. Jesus didn't really become their servant or household help in such a way that he obeyed their commands and every whim or cleaned their houses, did their laundry, washed their plates and cooked for them. But he took their place at the cross, dying for them instead of they themselves being nailed to it.

Here's the lesson here---the moment you really realize and have full knowledge of your position in Christ and your place in the Kingdom, that's the same time you begin to know your low position and humble yourself and become meek. If power and authority makes you arrogant and proud and self-centered, it's not from the Kingdom. It's worldly and devilish. 

Ministry Problem

Jesus' display of the nature of his power and authority was also the same time Judas, his own handpicked disciple, decided to betray him. How could this happen? Wasn't this a sign that Jesus had poor leadership? How could he be sure he had power and authority when he could not even control or rebuke someone like Judas?

Remember that Jesus knew about it all---Judas' real heart and what he was up to---and yet never confronted him about it. We would have confronted him if we were Jesus because we don't want ministry bad image wrecking our show of power and authority. But again, this only confirms the insecurity we hide in us, like the way we parade out titles and degrees and position to people to get their respect.

Jesus showed that genuine Kingdom power and authority is not control but faith and trust in God. If you really believe all is in God's hands, you need not control or fix problems yourself. You only have to pray and believe. What more if God was your Father?

I've always pondered on this---why didn't Jesus do anything to discipline Judas? Even while knowing how Judas stole money from the ministry money bag, Jesus still assigned him the task of keeping it. There's a powerful Kingdom principle behind this we should see. 

There were times Jesus rebuked and disciplined the disciples, like when he told Peter, "Get thee behind me, Satan!" But why didn't he do it to Judas who seemed guilty of a worse sin?

Genuine Authority and Power that Comes from God

Here's what I see---the more you hold real Kingdom power and authority, the more you are gracious to worse sinners and the more you allow God leeway to move in your ministry, especially where disciplining rebels and offenders is concerned.

I have seen leaders who became cruel the more they were given authority. You wouldn't believe it how formerly simple people like Hazael [2 Kings 8.11-12] can become a tyrant the moment they get just even a taste of power. I note how they also tend to shame people publicly and seem to enjoy it. There is a strong tendency for mere men to abuse power and flaunt it around. 

Jesus here demonstrated what true Kingdom leadership is. It is not harsh, strict, exacting or cruel. Yet, it is never compromising, especially to men's wishes. It is gracious especially to the worst offenders, And yet, what's scary is how it leaves judgment and punishment in the hands of God. Just see how Judas, in the end (after given so many chances) was unable to repent from his sin though he was so sorry about what he did. Losing the grace for repentance is scary. And see how Paul can simply hand over to Satan an unrepentant offender [1 Corinthians 5.5]. See how Peter left Sapphira's and Ananias' fate to God.

This is the kind of power and authority the church needs today---not arrogant and showing off but gracious, yet deadly in the end. And this can only come if you understand the Kingdom standard of meekness and knowing who you really are in Christ.

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.