He Didn't Invite People to His Bible Studies

No one outside the discipleship was invited. 
Outsiders had to make effort to pursue him.

His Sermon on the Mount was well attended by "multitudes," says the KJV, numbering some 5,000 men, probably 20K if we include the women and children. Yet none of them were invited to this famous "bible study." These multitudes went after Jesus on their own. The Beatitudes and his other "bible studies" were intended only for his disciples.

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That element of pursuit is vital in a real Jesus ministry. People should pursue Jesus and His Word, not be invited to bible studies, especially if they're obviously reluctant. You never see Jesus doing that--asking or inviting people to attend his "church" or come back next Sunday. Why? It will break a Kingdom principle:

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them. [John 6.44]

Drawn Not Invited

Here's the principle: people should be drawn to you by the Father. The words "no one can come to me," means it will not work any other way. The Father should draw people to you. It's useless to think of clever things to lure or encourage people to attend your church or bible study because in the passage, Jesus said the LIFE will be given only to those the Father Himself draws. 

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up (give them life) at the last day. "

Yes, you can do gimmicks and nice programs to fill up your church and up your membership, but they will all be carnal church attenders if they're not the people the Father is drawing to you. They'll never really grow and mature spiritually because only those with life can grow. They may become so active in ministry, "faithful" tithers and supporters, doing grand works for the Lord, saying nice testimonies and all, but still immature in the spiritual realms. 

They remain carnal, not understanding the things of the Holy Spirit.

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Zacchaeus was Invited to Dinner

When Jesus fed the 5,000 and the 4,000, Jesus did not invite anybody to them. The disciples didn't need invitation because they were personally chosen by Jesus to follow him and they desperately pursued him everyday. The rest were just curious audience. Everybody was welcome but they were mere attenders. There were no "members" in Jesus' ministry. To be inside the Jesus discipleship circle, they had to radically give up all and follow him. 

Many are called but few are chosen.

When Jesus healed the paralytic lowered from the roof, there were no ads or promotions or door-to-door invitations for people to come. A big crowd gathered the moment they heard that Jesus was around. No gimmicks, lures, giveaways, dole outs, or free this and that just to make people come. People were excited to go and see. Here's what happened.

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. [Mark 2]

One day, while passing by Jericho, Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus' house, not for bible study, but for a place to stay. That is clear in Scriptures. And I can imagine how Jesus and Zacchaeus and company were in the house talking lightly and informally (not really a bible study) with Jesus inserting the Gospel casually now and then. That's when the topic on giving up possessions to follow Jesus came up, and Zacchaeus did not just say Amen. He was radically transformed. Why? Because he was drawn to Jesus by the Father. Here's the hint:

He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him.

Can you imagine a rich guy climbing up a tree just to see Jesus? And then giving up half of his possessions and paying back 4 times what he owed anyone? That cannot happen unless the guy was touched by the Father and drawn to Jesus. What we see in church today are active members, most of whom want to be seen performing on stage and being applauded.

But no radical transformation and giving up possessions. If ever they give money, they expect something in return--like influence over the pastor or expecting the pastor to fulfill their expectations. Why? Because they were lured to the church as members. The Father never drew them there. This is why a lot of churches are carnal.

Rat Race

Nobody will follow Jesus' example today because of the rat race the church is in. The mad scramble to get as many people in. They invite, visit and follow up--things Jesus never did. Neither did the apostles. Because truth is, even ministry should be done by faith, not by works. We should believe what Jesus taught about doing ministry. Otherwise, we will be growing plants the Father has not planted.

“Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots." [Matthew 15.13]

Surrendering to Jesus 

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord. Then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do (not your good deeds or religion or church), but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. In Jesus alone is salvation. 

Jesus is: 

“‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” [Acts 4]

Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.

He Wasn't Happy with Mere Amen

 Amen is good but HE wants obedience.

Amen is how we get our agreement to a prayer counted or validated or transmitted to the heavenly realms, because it's also one of Jesus' other names [Rev.3.14]. Jesus alone, the Amen, is the Way to the Father, so we say "Amen" to a prayer we make or agree with. 

But to Jesus, that's not enough.

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Because a lot of people can easily agree on anything spiritual or biblical that sounds good to their ears. We agree on prayers that ask for more blessings or on bible passages that promise solutions to our problems, and that's really good. Question is, are we willing to have a radically changed life? Because "Amen" means total submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

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Jesus' Truth Expects Radical Transformation

Can we give up totally our man-made religions and man-invented "biblical" doctrines and be radically transformed by His Word? Nope we don't. We just say amen to everything nice but stick to our man-authored religious beliefs right after. This can't work with Jesus. Watch this passage.

27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”

28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” [Luke 11]

In effect, the woman was saying "Amen!" to all that Jesus was teaching. The context shows he was teaching the crowd about the Kingdom, demon possession, impure spirits and Satan. But his intent was to show people the difference between him and their religious leaders--because their leaders accused him of performing miracles with demonic power.

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And he wanted them to decide radically, not just watch and be blessed and say Amen. Would they continue following their leaders or would they go all out for him?

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters."

In effect, Jesus was telling them: 

Your religious leaders think they know better, but look at how they are lost in their understanding about the spiritual realms. All they know are their rotten human theology and philosophies but know nothing about what's really happening spiritually. 

But look. I drive out demons with God's finger! Can they do that? And why am I able to do that? Because God's Kingdom is backing me up. Exactly why God's Kingdom has come upon you.

At least that's how I read what he said.

Jesus further explained that spiritual power is all that mattered in his ministry. It's useless to be doing a lot of "effective" and popular ministries if you cannot defeat the strong man Satan and confiscate his armor. And how on earth do you confiscate the devil's armor? Human theology can't teach you that. Systematic theology can't give you that. It's through the "finger of God" alone. Obviously, only the Holy Spirit can teach you that supernaturally.

Now, how many in church knows the Kingdom principles on using "the finger of God" to drive out demons? Why aren't they teaching this to believers in church? They just say "amen" to sermons about this passage, but forget all about it right after. It's like the woman mentioned above saying, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”

But Jesus wants total obedience.

“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder."

Divides Up the Plunder 

What did Jesus mean by "divides up his plunder"? First, you confiscate the demon's armor (demons have so much confidence on their armors) and then you divide up the plunder. How do you do this? Are Christians familiar with this Kingdom warfare principle? Jesus won't be talking about this if this was optional or unimportant or if it doesn't concern us much. No Word of Jesus is optional. It's not something we can do without.

Problem is, we're introduced to church ministry without understanding that everything is spiritual and we need to understand the spirit world and our spiritual weapons. They just make us teach kids' Sunday school or join the choir and worship team or lead bible studies or join outreach ministries. Or have fellowship. We don't understand that there's an invisible enemy out there who aims to overpower us and take our armor away.

So we end up like the 7 sons of Sceva, though we never see this due to spiritual blindness. What we appreciate are the "achievements" in the physical realms.

Spiritual Armors

Taking away the enemy's armor was what Caleb mentioned about to convince the Israelites to attack Canaan. He knew that the enemy had protection, but that protection (shield, defense or armor) was now gone due solely to God's go signal. When you operate in the NOW WORD of God (you have God's go signal), you have protection and God (Jesus in you) confiscates the armor of the enemy, leaving him vulnerable. Once God says "go" it means the enemy's protection is gone.

But the Israelites belittled this spiritual knowledge. They stuck to their own understanding and refused to enter Canaan. So God punished those who didn't believe with a plague. But early the next morning, the Israelites decided to enter Canaan because the way they saw it, it was what God wanted. It was. Yesterday, yes, but today was different. God's Word this day was "don't go." God's decision didn't change though. He still wanted Canaan conquered, but not at that time when doubt was still fresh in their hearts and their minds understood nothing about what was happening. But they went anyway, and this was what Moses said.

41 But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the Lord’s command? This will not succeed! 42 Do not go up, because the Lord is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies, 43 for the Amalekites and the Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the Lord, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword.”

44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah. [Numbers 14]

We plunge headlong to ministry often out of "presumption" not realizing we have no protection. If the Lord's not with us (though we're doing his will, but at the wrong time and with the wrong heart), we lose our spiritual protection. The strong man has become the devil and he takes away the armor in which we trusted and divides up the plunder he took from us.

How do we turn the table against the enemy? How do we keep our armors secure and confiscate that of the enemy's? Moses said obedience was the answer in verse 41. Jesus said it's being solidly all out for him, a radical decision 100 percent for Christ. 

It's useless to agree or say Amen without a changed life, a radical transformation following it, a radical decision to leave the rotting Pharisaical religion and its doctrines and join Jesus all the way, embracing only his radical teachings in the bible as his Holy Spirit reveals them to you. This was how Jesus put it:

43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.” [Matthew 12]

Simply put, he said that being swept clean and in order is nothing if you remain empty or unoccupied. You have zero gains even if you've been blessed by a sermon, felt good and inspired and said "Amen" a lot of times, if you just go back to your old religion afterwards and never leave man's religion and radically change. You can be fully agreeing with what Jesus says and still be fully against him, too.

“Whoever is not with me is against me."

Dividing the Plunder

Then we divide the plunder we get from the enemy. Yup, there's such thing as spiritual plunder, and we have to know how to get it. Remember David when God enabled him to recover everything the Amalekites stole--his wives, the women and children, and huge plunder? It happened after God told him the NOW WORD: 

7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 8 And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” GOD answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.” [1 Samuel 30]

Plundering the enemy starts with desperately seeking the Word from God. A wholehearted quiet time with HIM seeking for a sign or go signal. 

David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.

When God reveals the go signal, we have to apply whatever he says to us. Here is where binding and releasing comes. What we bind or release on earth will be so in heaven. We got heaven's backing. But many do not believe this. They say it's out of context to see the passage this way. So no plundering the enemy happens. But the bible says:

3 God, your God, will restore everything you lost; he'll have compassion on you; he'll come back and pick up the pieces from all the places where you were scattered.
4 No matter how far away you end up, God, your God, will get you out of there
5 and bring you back to the land your ancestors once possessed. It will be yours again. He will give you a good life and make you more numerous than your ancestors.

6 God, your God, will cut away the thick calluses on your heart and your children's hearts, freeing you to love God, your God, with your whole heart and soul and live, really live. [Deuteronomy 30]

If you want to be with Jesus 100 percent and be radically changed into his image, the first step is to surrender your life to Jesus Christ right now. 

Surrendering to Jesus 

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord. Then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do (not your good deeds or religion or church), but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. 

In Jesus alone is salvation. Jesus is: 

“‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” [Acts 4] 

Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.

It was Still Dark When He Went Out

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. [Mark 1.35]

I wonder why he had to go out of the house and go to a remote place. "Solitary place," says the NIV, which means secluded or unfrequented. No people there except Jesus. Waking up early and praying while it's still dark is understandable. A lot of us do that. But why go out? What's wrong with praying in the house?

Photo by Carolina Pimenta on Unsplash.

And why did the Holy Spirit move Mark, the Gospel writer, to record that in his Gospel? Why have it written for generations to read? Everything that happens--or God does or allows--is for a purpose, and this scenario is no exception. I believe it's important to note--and to see--how Jesus went out and looked for a solitary place to pray. He could've just stayed in the house to pray but he didn't. 

He Went Out

Jesus literally went out. We don't have to literally do so, too. But we need to "go out" in the spirit and leave behind all concerns "at home," getting away from it all. We have to be lost to the world and escape headlong to the throne room of God, into His darkness, deep into His quiet presence. We need to learn how to turn off everything in the earthly realm (without having to really leave our house at dawn, especially not in this pandemic) and be in His hiding place all at once.

“The LORD has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;" [1 Kings 8.12]

My beloved calls to me, “Arise, my darling. Come away with me, my beautiful one." [Song of Solomon 2.10]

Solitary Place 

The Father loves to watch everything done for him in secret. Exclusively for his eyes. He is jealous when you parade it in public for everyone to see. And he wants you all to himself without interruption. I once failed to pay attention to what God was telling me. So he sent me a "thorn in the flesh" to keep me glued to my bed, unable to move a single inch without getting dizzy, weak and gasping for air. It was a mysterious illness that puzzled even doctors because all my test results came out normal.

When finally the Lord had me all to himself (imprisoned in my bed and room), he pointed to an old book gathering dust in my bookshelf. He'd been wanting me to read it. So I had ample time reading the book slowly but surely, seeing things he'd been wanting me to see, sealed words and "inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell." I lay in my bed "sick" for some 6 months, and all I could do was read the book and hear him speak.

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Where He Prayed

In another scene, we see Jesus excited to send the disciples ahead to the other side by boat and went up a mountain by himself. Again, in a solitary place. He had just performed an astounding miracle of feeding 5,000 men out of a few small bread and fish--which no doubt was super exciting to see. But Jesus appeared more excited in what was about to take place--he'd take a break with his Father.

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. [Matthew 14]

There's tremendous power when you pray in private, doing it in secret with the Father, as Jesus taught his disciples to "go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." He made it so private that he had to get rid of all the people and his disciples and climb up a mountainside and there pray.

How He Prayed

And there, he just relaxed and talked with the Father casually. Orderly, patterned and programmed prayer is for the religious (especially one that is read from a paper), designed for ritualistic worship and pleasing people--because you're being watched in public. It is impressive but zero in spiritual power. "They love to pray standing in the synagogues and on street corners to be seen by people." It's also what they teach about prayer following the acronym ACTS--Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. Religion is fond of doing that. 

When Jesus needed a miracle to feed the 5,000, all he did was look up and say "Thanks!" No ACTS prayer. And so with his other prayers for miracles. Publicly, he simply gave the Father short "signal" prayers, cues that motioned the timing  or commencement of a miracle. But in his quiet times with HIM, Jesus spent hours and even whole nights just enjoying talking with his Father. And he made sure that it was without interruption.

In the Spirit

Today, we can even do more than what Jesus did, "because I go to the Father," he said once. Moreover, true worshipers (and prayerful individuals) worship God in spirit and in truth (place is irrelevant, Jesus added). So, anywhere you are, you can enjoy "solitary places" you can go out to and talk with the Father at length--even if you're stuck in traffic, busy at the office, talking with someone, cooking, doing laundry or doing anything. While busy in the earthly realm, you can "come away" with the King to his Kingdom orchards and gardens, and then in his throne room, spending grand times with HIM in eternity.

You want to experience this? First, you need to surrender your life totally to HIM.

Surrendering to Jesus 

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord. Then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do (not your good deeds or religion or church), but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. In Jesus alone is salvation. 

Jesus is: “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” [Acts 4] 

Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.

What is God Doing While Covid Variants Mutate?

The mu variant started in Colombia but WHO says it's now in 39 other countries. While variants keep spreading around the world, what has God been doing so far? 

Photo by Benjamin Thomas on Unsplash.

It's probably everybody's secret inquiry--what's God doing in all this? What does he plan to do about it? Honestly, sometimes it looks like God isn't up to anything about it because it just keeps getting worse. It seems the more we pray the more nothing happens. Worse, even Christian ministers are affected and some have even died of Covid. 

Why GOD seems Silent

Even in Scriptures, God sometimes seems too silent while evil or hopelessness reigns, until just before the end comes when he starts judgment and rescue. In fact, even amid his "silence," God has surely been doing things--particularly preparing people for his next move. Some are being prepared for judgment, others for rescue.

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In another sense, he allows commitment of sins to reach its peak. Or, until the total number of repented people is completed. Why? To give us all a chance to repent. 

16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” [Genesis 15]

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, [Romans 11.25]

During the "lull" is when he actively (though quietly) convicts the world of sin through the Holy Spirit and through messages he sends via angels as believers preach the Gospel or pray for the situation, as in the case of Daniel the prophet. When the right time comes, he judges the unrepentant and unsurrendered and rescues believers.

Raising Up Servants

Basing on what God did in the bible, he always has something in store in his plan. Always. Often, it has to do with extending his grace and mercy to everyone. It also has to do with preparing his remnant for action. During times when God seems too quiet, he equips saints and helps them go deep into His Word and in the Spirit. I liken it to how army special forces are trained secretly and then released for powerful action at the right moment. In the case of believers, they're trained for God's Next supernatural move.

At present, Covid variants cause havoc in unmitigated persistence around the world, more speedily spreading the infection. It seems unstoppable. Medical science merely watches the development helplessly. Vaccines help a lot, but talks go around about the mu variant being resistant to any vaccine, but which still needs confirmation. Churches pray but nothing seems to be happening. Even church people suffer deadly infection.

It seems God is not planning to do anything.

But don't let the seeming "silence" mislead you. He is presently at work, though his work has all been done and perfected since the 7th day when he rested after creation. The work he finished then has been activated to implementation through history according to his "time table." And this pandemic is no exception. He has his plans set in position at each phase, ready to "go off" at the right moment. All we have to do is trust him and wait.

The Real Question Is..

Yes, God is doing something powerful now though we see nothing (but which becomes visibly obvious in the spirit realm), and he's up to something grand and dramatic, both for judgment and rescue. No question about it--GOD is active today. Don't worry. Rescue is coming soon. Just wait, trust and obey. In the meantime, the real question is, what actions are you doing while waiting for God's next move? Are you for him or against him? If you are for him, then you must totally surrendered to him. How? Read below.

Surrendering to Jesus 

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord. Then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do (not your good deeds or religion or church), but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. In Jesus alone is salvation. 

Jesus is: “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” [Acts 4] 

Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.

"Nothing Will be Impossible for You"

The disciples saw how Jesus simply rebuked the demon to get rid of it, because they could not. Then he said every believer should easily do this even with seed-size faith. And do more. 

"Nothing will be impossible for you."

Photo by Jill Heyer on Unsplash. 

Nothing will be impossible for you! Do you understand what this means? Because no less than the Lord Jesus Christ declared it, it's permanently established in the spiritual realm. And nothing--not even demons, principalities or church smart Alecks--can change it. It's one thing to say that nothing is impossible to God, but quite another thing to say, nothing is impossible for you.

Two Things About Spiritual Warfare

Fresh from an awesome supernatural experience on the Mount of Transfiguration, the disciples Peter, James and John, along with Jesus, were greeted by a crowd around a demon-possessed boy with the rest of the disciples who failed to drive the demon out. I saw the look of disappointment on the disciples' faces. Yup, I was "there" as I meditated that portion of the Gospel. I saw the scene like I was in it.

I know the disciples tried their best to "heal" the kid (demon possession sometimes takes the form of an illness), to no avail. I can imagine how they tried to rebuke it with heavy, high-sounding spiritual words you usually hear in spiritual warfare. Or spoke words with an authoritative, majestic voice. But nothing happened. With disappointment, the boy's dad told Jesus: "I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

The thing is, it's not enough to "try." Jesus never "tried" to do miracles, see if they would work. He performed them. Demonstrated. He showed them how the power of the Kingdom worked. The wrong attitude is to "consider" miracles among other solutions to remedy a situation. If trying miracles doesn't work, then we have Plan B and C ready. This is why miracles never work today--we're never dead serious about them. Miracles are just one of our options, often our last. Then we conclude that miracles are already obsolete because they don't happen anymore.

Another worse thing we do is hear God's Word but do things our own way. This is far from being faith. It was how the disciples probably did it, so Jesus said they were "unbelieving." Believing without putting it to work is unbelief.

Why couldn't the disciples drive the demon out?

“'You unbelieving and perverse generation,' Jesus replied."

 

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Unbelieving

Driving out demons is not through some formula or steps or procedures or words uttered. Or voice tone. Or prayer warriors. Definitely not through denominational titles or degrees. A lot of spiritual warfare seminars teach you methods and formulas as if demons are scared of them. Jesus said it plainly in the Matthew 17 passage--nothing but your faith will make it work. And faith comes only by "hearing" the Word, said Romans 10--not reading or being learned in Sunday school or sermons. 

Real faith comes by hearing God Himself speak his Word in the bible to you. Specifically to you. I heard Jesus say it like this:

"Man does not live by bread alone but by every Word that comes out of the mouth of God." [Matthew 4.4] and...

“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. [Matthew16]

About his Word and healing, the bible says:

He sent out his word and healed them. [Psalm 107.21]

God sends out his rhema healing Word from his own mouth. We have to believe it and really do it. And there are dozens of promises in the bible released for our use. We have to meditate them, put them to heart, and really apply them. It's no use learning about miracles just to know how Jesus healed people in the bible. Jesus demonstrated them so we can do them correctly. It all starts with serious meditation.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. [Joshua 1.8]

As you meditate the Word, the experience is that you hear it straight from God's mouth and hear it in your heart. Bible studies, Sunday schools and sermons are good, but they are mere "snacks" compared to the grand, filling "feast" you get from meditating God's rhema (spoken) Word in your quiet times with HIM. This is what feeds your faith to believe God's signs and wonders and miracles. This has been my experience, enabling me to operate in signs and wonders (though the consistency is not yet enough).

Perverse

It's quite clear. If your faith cannot command demons, you are "perverse" or wayward or unyielding (insubmissive), even "villainous" said one dictionary. That's how God sees you, no matter if you're a bible school or seminary graduate or super active in church or in the ministry. Remember, the disciples were with Jesus in person, no less, learning straight from him and active in his ministry. But they were "perverse" because their faith couldn't drive out demons or move mountains.

Yes, they heard Jesus' Word straight from his mouth but failed to combine it with genuine faith--faith that actually applies, demonstrates and performs God's signs and wonders to actual situations. Doing it precisely according to His Word. Faith without doing is dead. It's one thing to know that a medicine works and you can even buy it and have it in your possession. But unless you actually take it, it won't work for you either.

Or if the meds should be taken orally but you use it topically. It won't work. You have to do it as prescribed, not in your own ways or how you see it fit.

Perverse Generation

Yup, the church mostly still belongs to the perverse generation. Most church folks don't know about rebuking demons, much less commanding them out. Most of us cannot even command headaches, colds, cough and fever--or toothache--to leave. Church does not prioritize the supernatural things God has given it, although Jesus has given the hint that God's supernatural is the key to prevent the church from being "perverse."

If you are perverse, then everything about the supernatural becomes impossible to you. But if you're not perverse, Jesus promises that "nothing will be impossible for you." Everything in the supernatural will work for you, 100 percent. Your imagination will be your limit. If you have God's imagination, then "nothing will be impossible for you." It's important, then, for faith to radically grow. And it does not grow except by hearing the Word of God, straight from HIS mouth, and believing and doing it.

It All Starts with Surrendering

All this may sound overwhelming to you. Well, don't let it. God's Word and promises are really very simple. They're about faith, the same as Jesus had. No rituals, membership, sacrifices, hardships, self-punishment or anything like that. No pledge or vow to go to church on Sundays from now on. Just genuinely believe. And part of it is surrendering your life to Jesus Christ. It all starts there.

Surrendering to Jesus 

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord. Then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do (not your good deeds or religion or church), but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. In Jesus alone is salvation. 

Jesus is: “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” [Acts 4]

Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.

Will GOD Stop Covid?

Last year (2020) in February, when Covid was just starting, some folks anticipated the virus to simply disappear in March or April due to the hot summer temperature. We were told to hung on till then. It didn't happen. Then they said that come 2021, it would be a new, hopeful new year minus the virus. So we excitedly waited for 2021. New beginning. But that too didn't materialize.

Photo above by Emin BAYCAN on Unsplash.

And even if everybody's been praying for a year or so now that God would stop Covid by his mercy (I imagine every church is doing this), Covid is still here, even with deadlier variants at that, effecting faster transmission and increased deaths. What happened to our prayers? Does God plan to stop Covid 19 at all?

Click here for more on "Leaving the Land of Slavery." Before we operate in God's signs and wonders and expect God to back up our prayers for miracles, the church needs to leave the land of slavery first.

Definitely, I believe God will stop this pandemic. The problem is with what we're doing and how we understand prayer. Prayer plus careless lifestyle will never amount to anything. It's like health. Even if we ask God for good health, nothing will happen if we keep living an unhealthy lifestyle. God cannot be mocked. What we sow we reap.

There was once a prayerful guy who kept eating fatty foods, praying that God would miraculously take away all the bad cholesterol. He also rebuked the bad effects of fats using the Name. He died of heart attack. Prayer is not for keeping ourselves safe while living the way we want. We cannot abuse God's promises.

Like proper wearing of face masks and shields. I often ask friends who go out to observe how people take health protocols. They say only 3 out of 20 people in the streets do. Some say 1 or 2 out of 10. I say 1/2 out of 10. Like when I was at the BIR office for processing land tax, there was this guy who wore his shield on the back of his head. He thought it was cool. 

And we expect God to take pity?

Blatant disregard for rules is arrogance and pride. Those who trash discipline do so out of rebelliousness, which closely connects with insubmission. And both are due to self-conceit--feeling smarter (or thinking that only their ideas or opinions matter), an overrated sense of self-worth. And God never sides with the arrogant and proud. He always seeks lowly hearts.

"...a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise." [Psalm 51.17]

We also should seriously consider the government's call for vaccination. I respect those who refuse to be vaccinated. It's their right. But believers who refuse should consider what the bible says about submitting to the governing authorities. 

Moreover, no one should think that their decision to vaccinate or not is the smart thing to do and opposing ideas are foolish. I've seen Christians make an issue of this and again divide the church into the pro and anti-vaccine. The pro-vaccine camp looks down on the unvaccinated, and the anti-vaccine camp does likewise. They even curse those not in their camp of suffering dire consequences. This is demonic pride and self-righteousness. This issue should not cause division. Instead, the church should pray for the safety of both the vaccinated and unvaccinated. We're one body in Christ. If one member suffers, we all do. 

Vaccines are good, so are other alternatives. But these are not the real solutions. The real solution is for the church to learn genuine humbleness and unity in the body. We should understand how the body is one--one member suffers, all suffer. One member triumphs, all have victory.

Then GOD takes pity and answers our prayers by his grace and mercy. This all takes total surrender to the will of God and his standards, total submission to his Word in the bible. And if you're not used to totally surrendering to God's will through his Word (and you still rather rely on your own strength and way of seeing things), now is the apt time to start. Because the bible says, this pandemic is one of the signs that we're now in the end-times as Jesus prophesied. 

This is the beginning of birth pains. In the natural, birth pains mean it's just a couple of minutes or hours.

Total surrender to Jesus as your Savior and Lord means a complete life change, turning away from sin as a daily lifestyle and depending solely on God's Word in the bible as your life and doctrine. This is all God's work through the Holy Spirit in Christ, but we need to surrender first. See more below.

Surrendering to Jesus 

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Then receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord, then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do (not your good deeds or religion of church), but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. In Jesus alone is salvation.

Jesus is:

“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other Name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.

Are You Jabbed with the Other Vaccine?

Yes, there's another "vaccine" you may not have heard of yet. It's actually a priority vaccine but often serve as a standby remedy in case our plans A and B fail. We have good plans to fight Covid and survive this pandemic, one of which is getting jabbed with vaccines offered freely by the government (I got my second dose of AstraZeneca two days ago). Or any other remedy other people are preferring if they don't subscribe to vaccination. 

Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash.

But there's another type of "vaccine" you should have because this is provided freely by the government of the Kingdom--God's Kingdom government--and which is made available to all. If you haven't got this vaccine yet, you better do so now, especially when variants are appearing and spreading like crazy. God's vaccine protects you from all variants and all kinds of diseases.

The best thing is, there are no side effects or risks. No allergic reactions. It's guaranteed safe. Has it been tested? Yup, even before the universe was created. It applies regardless of age and gender.

Get a review of my e-book, God's Flesh.

Click here!

The Vaccine

It's a spoken vaccine. The spiritual "vaccine" comes in the form of God's Spoken Word, pertinent promises freshly released from His own mouth. His spoken Word is ever reliable and applicable for all time. It never expires or gets obsolete. It's new every morning. It's his steadfast love. The vaccine is spoken thus:

"The Lord will keep you free from every disease."

That's spoken in Deuteronomy 7:15. It's a sure promise from God, and God never lies. He is ever reliable and true. The only thing we need is to really BELIEVE with all our hearts and minds. This means, we re-align our lives with his Word in the bible. It's like medicine. Doctors give us meds which must be taken according to their prescription, if it's taken once, two or three times a day. If we don't, the meds will not take effect. They may even prove fatal.

Get a review of my e-book, "Leaving the Land of Slavery." Click here.

The same with God's "vaccine." We need to get God's "prescription" on it and follow it to the letter. For instance, we need to worship God properly every day, not just on Sundays and not just in our church buildings. Here's the prescription on the vaccine found in Exodus 23:25,

"Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. 

I will take away sickness from among you.."

Now, we can expand that prescription to include other things, not just food and water, like our place of work, the routes we travel going to places when we need to, vehicles we ride on, the things we touch, the air we breathe when we have no choice but to be in crowded places like public transport. In the promise above, the "blessing" (God's "anti-Covid protection," as it were) is on our food and water. But those are just examples. God can expand that to other things, because nothing is impossible to Him if we believe. 

Thus, we feel more safe, secure and protected with God's supernatural "vaccine," aside from the protection we get from our medical vaccine--or whatever protection option we prefer (but I hope you decide to get jabbed). God's "vaccine" comes with this assurance in Jeremiah 33.6:

"Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; 

I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security."

This does not mean, however, that we go out there in the streets any time we want because we have become Covid resistant. Far from it. We still observe strict safety protocols like distancing, wearing double masks, face shields, hand-washing, disinfecting plus taking organic health supplements. Don't wallow in false pride. The Lord always favors the meek and lowly and obedient.

God's supernatural vaccine is also effective after you get positive with Covid. It's never too late with God's powerful spoken Word in the bible. HE promises in Psalm 41:3:

"The Lord sustains them on their sickbed

and restores them from their bed of illness."

But prevention is better than cure. It's always best to keep away from danger rather than carelessly letting it affect you before you start doing precautions. Some people brave going out needlessly despite the pandemic, thinking that anyway God will protect them from the virus. Some even refuse to wear face masks and shield. Faith does not work that way. God provides supernatural protection but we need to apply His wisdom, too:

"The prudent see danger and take refuge, 

but the simple keep going and pay the penalty." [Proverbs 22.3]

Why the Need for Medical Vaccination?

We may ask, what's a medical vaccine for if we get God's superior supernatural vaccine? First, God's Word says we need to submit to the governing authorities, and the government urges us to vaccinate. Second, it's the same thing with food. We need natural foods to be healthy or to heal. God can provide us with food supernaturally (or supernaturally eliminate hunger so we'd be nourished and feel full even without eating) but it's still God's will that we buy food, cook it, and eat. Third, we do take meds when we need them, right? So, it shouldn't be a big deal.

But if you opt not to vaccinate, that's your right. And I pray that we all become safe from Covid.

How to "Register" for God's "Vaccine"

To register for this vaccine, simply believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And "believe" means totally surrendering your life to him. I did this on September 05, 1980 at 8 pm when I "met" the Doctor personally, that is Jesus Christ, when I heard the Gospel of the Kingdom, and received Him into my life as Lord and Savior. Then I totally surrendered to Him. By receiving Jesus and surrendering to Him, you get all the Kingdom benefits, among which is God's "vaccine."

Surrendering to Jesus 

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Then receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord, then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do--not because of your religion, church or good deed--but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. 

Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.

Why the Kingdom is Powerful

Finally, Jesus appeared and introduced the Kingdom. For so long, there had been various speculations about it, especially its coming King and Messiah and the kind of power and authority he'd carry. When he did appear, however, he didn't seem much to reckon with, unlike the powers that be. He looked trivial and weak. He didn't look like a king or messiah.

Photo by Nighthawk Shoots on Unsplash.

But it's precisely why the Kingdom is powerful. Power is made perfect in weakness. You cannot change that. It's a perpetual Kingdom principle. So many go after clout and dominance, be it in politics or church (church mostly is mere politics today), and never see truth that the least is really the greatest. Thus, in his Sermon on the Mount, his first teaching was,

"Blessed are the poor in spirit; theirs is the Kingdom of heaven."

Beatitudes 

Jesus first laid out the heart of the Kingdom. If anyone would operate in Kingdom power and authority, he should first have its heart and character. It is imperative to be poor in spirit, mourning (sorrowful about the sorry state of the world), meek, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemaker and persecuted for him. Possessing this character (they should be treated as one) makes you salt and light and therefore manifesting the life of Jesus. And His life fulfills the law. 

Then Jesus emphasized the mindset of the Kingdom. After the heart comes the mind. 

1. Relationships
2. Covetousness and adultery
3. Marriage
4. Declarations
5. Treating enemies

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These five sensitive areas are often our pitfalls. If we do not have a clear Kingdom mindset about them, they easily become negative strongholds that spiritually hold us down, often without noticing it. The thing can easily escape our awareness and make us serve the enemy while believing to be "serving" the Lord. It's been happening in church. It's the great deception in these end times. Having the reputation of being alive but actually dead.

Operating in the Kingdom

After the heart and character of the Kingdom are placed firmly in us, we begin to operate in Kingdom power and authority. Because we've become among the least (Kingdom heart and character are designed to empty us of anything desirable to the world) we easily imbibe what it means to move in the Kingdom. Thus, we begin to operate in real power, something the world does not understand or appreciate.

1. Giving to the needy
2. Prayer
3. Fasting

Leave all worldliness behind and stay in the Kingdom. Click here.

Jesus especially instructed his disciples to make sure all three above are done in SECRET. This is how genuine Kingdom people operate for the Kingdom. Everything is done solely for the enjoyment of the Father. Then the Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. What kind of reward? Spiritual treasures. Untrained human eyes will not see or appreciate these rewards but the deeply spiritual will. The unspiritual will keep showing off their good deeds and accomplishments in exchange for earthly treasures that will rot and be destroyed and stolen by the enemy. 

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Only those with "good eyes" will see this truth and possess generous hearts that bless others incognito. Those with "unhealthy eyes" will not see anything in the Kingdom and possess stinginess that brag about every good deed they do and expect something in return.

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy (generous), your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy (stingy), your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 

Two Masters

If you are not disciplined to keep private or secret what you do for the Father but seek to be praised in public, then you serve two masters--God and your ego. Later, you will love one and hate the other, and God often ends up hated in the love triangle. But the Beatitudes are designed to starve the flesh or ego and let it die. It empties us of anything in this world, just as Jesus emptied himself and took the form of a servant. In these last days before Jesus comes back, only God should be glorified. The flesh or ego counts for nothing.

Don't Worry

Modern man's number one worry today is to be left out ignored or be unrecognized or become the least. This is why they all pursue more studies and seminars to secure all the titles they can grab. They want to be updated to please their benefactors and prove their usefulness to them. They all want a measure of success or greatness to be relevant. If they lose relevance or popularity, they fear losing their seats or positions. They fear losing their jobs. 

But only pagans run after these things. From the mouth of Jesus, Kingdom value system says, "Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’" Seek the King, the Kingdom and the King's righteousness, first and last. Don't worry--seek nothing more. 

If you want to be part of God's Kingdom, it all starts with surrendering your life totally to Jesus Christ. See below.

(To be continued)

Surrendering to Jesus 

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Then receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord, then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do, but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. 

Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.

Sharing the Gospel Online to 10 Persons a Day

Sharing the Gospel to 10 persons a day online--and discipleship--made so easy. 

Now, anybody can do personal evangelism and discipleship in much simpler ways, even without any training, hassle-free, and yet consistent with the evangelism principles used by Jesus in the Gospel. Watch the video below!

The e-book comes with another e-book on "Your Blueprint of Success from God," that helps you live every day life and the spiritual life successfully and prosperously even with a radically simple lifestyle. Get your PDF copies when you buy.

CLICK HERE TO BUY

He Got Straight to the Point 2

Here's Part 1

Photo by Cole Patrick on Unsplash.

Ever noticed how the centurion, who made Jesus happy with his faith, was straightforward? The advance party he sent ahead to Jesus, though, was different. They were roundabout, telling Jesus about the centurion's credentials and how he was "worthy" of Jesus' attention and all that, according to Luke. A lot of further ado. Out of his wealth of patience, Jesus just agreed to go. 

But Matthew focused on the centurion's direct approach. No formal introduction or litany of his achievements or credentials or proofs of his worthiness, he simply told Jesus directly what he needed. 

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” [Matthew 8]

The non-roundabout protocols of the Kingdom. This is where you start.

Imagine meeting someone the first time around and not even saying hello or hi. I would have said, "Umm, excuse me. Good morning!" and then introduce myself and ask for healing. You know, proper protocols. Some big-time preachers (even some "apostles" and "prophets" today) would probably insist on scheduling an appointment with their secretaries before you could talk to them. The centurion simply went straight to Jesus and got straight to the point. Jesus obviously liked it that way. The Father had probably already given Jesus pertinent backgrounds about the centurion's case, as genuine prophetic people should have, supernaturally.

And after all, Jesus did teach in his Beatitudes to simply, "Ask and it will be given." No need to circumvent or smooth-talk or give a well prepared intro. Flowery intros are earthly religion. You can go straight to the point because Kingdom protocol says, "Ask and it will be given, or ask and you shall receive." As simple as that. You don't need to have your approach following some winding worldly protocols. Or formula. Or program. Like what they say about ACTS; how prayer should include Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. The centurion simply approached and told Jesus what he needed. 

Nothing reeked of man's religion. Some ministries require you to attend all sorts of seminars and conferences to "get things done correctly" or get the "right" steps and procedures. Then they give you a certificate for learning to do things their way or according to the accepted norm, as if certificates matter in the spiritual realms. That's not Kingdom. That's earthly. That's man's empire. The Kingdom is simple, straight and direct to the point, but supernaturally POWERFUL.

Freed from man's religion. Click here.

Jesus answered immediately. He even gave the centurion a choice. "Shall I come and heal him?" You see that favor when you cut out the crap and ritual and formalities and just be simple and direct with Jesus and really believe him? It's not the words or approach or protocol but the boldness of simple faith. The bold belief in what Jesus can do. If you do it the Kingdom way, Jesus gives you a bonus favor--picking the means by which things happen. "Shall I come and heal him?"

You're given an option and your option becomes "God's will."

That's when the centurion explained himself a little bit. Because Jesus asked him something.

The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

That's a short thirty-second prayer. How long do you pray and how effective? Do your prayers get instant results?

But note here--he magnified how he was unworthy (opposed to what his advanced party told Jesus about his "worthiness") and his deep, authentic and simple yet radical faith in Jesus. These are two elements the Lord wants to see in us, not the grand sounding words or modulated voice we use or the drama in our prayer. The centurion really believed that a mere word was all it took to produce a miracle. Activating the supernatural with a "mere word" is what God's move in the last days is about. Click here.

A mere word!

"But just say the word..."

That's radically straight to the point! Yet, this is something most of us have difficulty learning and believing up to this day. We still believe long, roundabout prayer (or worship service) does the trick with lots of formal intros, rituals and niceties. Lots of this and that. We can't get it that the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 is not what we should pray but how we should pray--or "after this manner." It's not a formula of what prayer should contain but what faith prayers should have. It's faith based on a bold or daring relationship. It's why Jesus started with "Our Father." 

The whole prayer is predicated on our relationship with the Father. Without that, the rest of the prayer is null and void. Imagine calling God--the Creator of all things--your Father! This is why prayer is asking, not begging. We ask and everyone who asks receives. No need to beg. Beggars get often rejected because begging does not hinge on bold relationship.

And they say prayer should be specific. It's actually what makes prayers long and religious, this talk of being specific. You have to indicate what size, shape, color, make, and whatnot. I've even heard of meal prayers explaining to God what happens to food when it goes down the esophagus. But Jesus says the Father knows what we need before we ask him (or what happens to food after we swallow it). So, what's the use of specificity? Hence, Jesus taught his disciples a short prayer which I can do in about 10 seconds. I'm not saying prayers should be short, but they should be simple and direct to the point, full of bold and daring faith. 

The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone? [Ecclesiastes 6.11]

I don't know if the centurion was around when Jesus prayed for the loaves and fish that fed 5,000 folks, but he surely got the point. Jesus merely looked up to heaven and said "Thanks!" and the astounding miracle happened. No ACTS whatsoever. No religious niceties or protocols or programs. So when the centurion asked Jesus for a long-distance miracle, he did it in merely 9 words. "“Lord, my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” You see how short that prayer was?

How do we pray for the seriously ill? Sometimes we need prayer warriors who pray and worship non-stop. Sometimes we make sure our words sound very dignified (even stately), churchy and religious. With a lot of ado. And without the ado, we feel our prayers will not please God. Somehow we have made ourselves believe that this is prayer, and this is what we teach in church. 

So, I train myself to often cut out the crap in what I do and be direct and simple. Especially when I'm introduced as a church speaker. I don't need to be introduced. And I don't need to have an intro for the message when I speak. I don't need to open in prayer--things Jesus never did. When he taught or preached, he just went right on with it. But we see a hint of what he did to prepare for ministry. He prayed to the Father in his special quiet times and in each moment of the day through mental prayers. He prayed in secret--and the Father who sees things done in secret rewarded him.

We see this when he resurrected Lazarus.

Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

He said, "I thank you that you have heard me"? This means he had prayed beforehand. But when? In the context, there was no mention of Jesus praying. So it's safe to conclude that he did it mentally while on his way to the tomb. By the way, if we were to resurrect someone from the dead, I'm sure our prayers will not be as short and simple and direct as Jesus' prayer was. We may even think of having a program with scripture reading, opening prayer, special number and all that fuss--and still to no avail.

Often, we need to also take off our grave clothes and be let loose as Lazarus. And here we need to start with the right way of surrendering to Jesus.

Surrendering to Jesus 

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Then receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord, then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do, but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ. 

Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.

He Got Straight to the Point

Remember how Nicodemus seemed uneasy breaking the ice when he first met Jesus? He seemed lost for words on how to start a cordial conversation with the Messiah. "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Umm, I don't think that was why he wanted to meet Jesus. Jesus went straight to the point. He knew that Nicodemus was there to ask about the Kingdom of God. Jesus said there was no other way to see or enter it than experiencing being born again. We know the story.

Photo above by Thibault Mokuenko on Unsplash.

Jesus wasn't one to beat around the bush or go through certain formalities or pleasantries or introductions or rituals--or go roundabout--before getting to the main thing. Meeting Nathaniel, for instance, Jesus abruptly prophesied about his present life even if they weren't introduced yet. Nathaniel was probably shocked by the Master's straightforwardness.

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” [John 1]

Developing Jesus' straightforwardness. Click here. 

Imagine meeting a stranger who suddenly tells you out of the blue who you are? Or you telling him who he is? That breaks all "normal protocols" or anything similarly termed by men supposedly for propriety's sake. It's the prophetic aspect of Jesus to be direct  (without much ado) which, I believe, should also be ours because we claim he lives in us. I cannot imagine Christ losing his prophetic character just because he is in our bodies. 

The last move of God.

Or remember the Samaritan woman? Jesus just asked straightaway for a drink of water, without even introducing or explaining himself. "Will you give me a drink?" he said. The woman was shocked. She was probably used to formalities, pleasantries or introductions, aside from feeling awkward talking to a male Jew. "He should've at least said 'excuse me' or 'good morning,'" she probably thought.

Most times, all these formalities, "meek" introductions, pleasantries and things like that just reek of man's religions. Anything to appear nice and decent to gain people's confidence (sometimes to sneak into their private lives and trap them into church membership). Or anything resembling the rigors and refinements of pretended royalty. Yes we're God's chosen people, endowed with royal priesthood (and it's royal protocols), says Peter. Moreover, being children of the KING of kings makes us royal in the spirit realms. But Jesus demonstrated with his life what kind of royalty this is. It's not the royalty we see in the world. It's completely something else. 

It's royalty that makes you lowly and the least. Royalty rejected by men.

Probably why Jesus avoided being formal or proper and decent (in the eyes of men) or observing men's propriety, and instead always getting straight to the point. No circumvention or detours or digressions. Always going straight smack to the point with a bullseye, except with his use of parables when he wanted people not to get the point outright so they'd pursue getting it straight later, but which most of them never did.

The first thing when having Jesus' character.

Again, we find him skipping formalities and intros in the Sermon on the Mount and getting straight to teaching the powerful fundamentals of the Kingdom. In fact, he did away with programs and opening and closing prayers and scripture reading and all that. He was walking with his disciples and saw the crowd coming to them on a mountain side. And then he made the disciples sit and started teaching them outright. No program. Not even an opening prayer. Do you realize that Jesus taught the Beatitudes without opening in prayer, which to us is a definite no-no because we've been taught that we should always start with prayer?

I mean, he was about to teach vital Kingdom principles and he didn't care to do it with a program? Even with a big crowd like that? We have the propensity to please crowds with our nice programs, but not Jesus, even if this was a major event. And if we were to do it, we'd surely embellish it with a well planned program, print out nice copies of it, use flowery titles and subtitles, open in poetic prayer, do a scripture reading and render special numbers we'd practiced for nights. And we'd make sure that everybody who had a part in it was well dressed and presentable.

Other church ministers would even wear ridiculous Pharisaical outfits or costumes.

We do this in our church anniversaries and concerts and spend lots of money, but what are they compared to the Sermon on the mount? The Beatitudes are tops in GOD's Kingdom and yet Jesus made everything so simple. Nothing fancy. So direct to the point. This clearly shows us that power or effectiveness does not come with our elaborate programs or ministries but by pure reliance on the Holy Spirit as Jesus did, without fanfare, sophistication or rituals. Without programs.

You remember Isaiah when he literally saw God in the temple? He saw God even if he didn't have any nice worship programs or poetic opening or closing prayers or scripture reading with a dignified, modulated voice tone. He didn't even had to sing choruses repeatedly or expressively. But he was given incredible visual access to God's very throne room, something our elaborate Sunday worship services never have. 

And see how it radically transformed him from a man of unclean lips to one who dared volunteer to be sent on a mission to hostile territory. The most our church revival services achieve are people willing to committment themsleves to active church participaltion, or be seen performing on stage.

And see how the angel simply took a burning coal directly from the altar (without any ritual) and touched the prophet's lips with it to cleanse his guilt. No programs or ceremonies or anything like that. Everything simple and direct. But it was powerfully effective.

Nice programs can attract people and fill churches with memberships and incomes, but they can never replace the fruit that God seeks--the fruit of relying solely, simply and directly on the power and leading of the Holy Spirit and God's spoken Word in the bible. Jesus was hated in the end and was killed on a cross. That's what he got for doing everything in God's simple and direct way---without ado or making things look attractive or giving sweet and colorful icing-intros---and I know how this radical simplicity won't look so exciting to churches because it doesn't translate to bigger church income. What they prefer is anything that always translates into big membership and income. Jesus had it differently. He was hated by the world but found by those specifically drawn by the Father to him. We get this same result ONLY IF we do away with religious convolutions and drama.

And it all starts with genuinely and totally surrendering ourselves to Jesus Christ.

Click here for Part 2

Surrendering to Jesus 

Ask forgiveness and repent of your sins. Believe God's forgiveness. It is promised in the bible. Then receive Jesus Christ into your heart as your sole Savior and Lord, then be assured of heaven, not because of anything you have or do, but because of God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ.

Surrender to Him by intently studying the bible daily (ask guidance from the Holy Spirit) and applying in life everything you learn. And then pray that God lead you to the right person who'd disciple you, one who is totally surrendered to Jesus and living His words in the bible.