UNSEEN GOSPEL


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Everybody reads the letter of the Gospel, and in fact even the devil has been enjoying it for centuries. But very few see the Spirit of the Gospel---or the Unseen Gospel. Paul said the Letter kills but the Spirit gives life [2 Corinthians 3]. He was talking of the old and new covenant here, but the same applies to the Gospel, for both the Covenants and the Gospel are the Word of God.
And even if our gospel is unseen, it is unseen to those who are perishing.
[CSGV 2 Corinthians 4.3]
Picture above from Pujiang Longsheng Crystal Art & Craft Co., Ltd.
 
Unless you are truly surrendered to Jesus (and you no longer live but HE lives in you), a spiritual veil covers your face to prevent you from seeing the unseen Gospel. If you remain unseeing, you perish spiritually. Again, Paul said it clearly to the Corinthians:
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. [2 Corin. 4.4]
The Letter of the Gospel

You see so many in churches---even pastors---see nothing but the letter of the Gospel. And the fruit they bear is this---they always look at what's trending in the world and do it in their churches. They try to see what other churches are doing and why they succeed---but they do not try to see what Jesus is doing in the bible. They can't appreciate what their Lord did in the Gospel and have no imagination to imitate him. They don't ask, "Why was he so successful?" Jesus said, "Anyone who has faith in me will do the same things I am doing."

And overall, they have no real appreciation for the Word of God. They also do not pay much attention to the Old Testament, and the rare times they do, all they get is the letter of the covenant (bible stories or history at best), not the Spirit. It's the Spirit that gives LIFE. The letter only kills.
But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. [2 Corinthians 3]
Seeing the unseen Gospel means Leaving the Land of Slavery. Click here.

If you think you're in Christ but do not see the unseen Gospel or Covenant, you still have a veil over your face. God doesn't want you to see his real glory. And that's bad news for you. You should be bothered. Can you rest in the thought that your mind "is made dull" intentionally?

Seeing the unseen Gospel is of topmost importance in the Kingdom. The only thing important in the Kingdom are unseen things which are useful both now and in eternity. Seen things are rotting and temporary---like your ministry accomplishments, possessions, titles, degrees, trophies, church programs and activities, and church building.
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. [2 Corinthians 4.18]
Buildings are More Powerful than God

I'm so disappointed when pastors are so bothered about church buildings. Their main problem is they have no building they call church. They can't worship without it. The last time I looked, the Book said what we need is to worship in Spirit and truth. God seeks for such worshipers. No mention about a building or an over-decorated altar. We once had worship at Luneta. Once in a mall. Several times in a park. It was okay. But nope. These pastors need to spend hundreds of thousands for a building.

One so-called "church planter" put it this way: "You have to show people something that looks like church to them." Nope, you don't have to show people anything except Christ in you, the hope of glory. That's all they need to see. Buildings are a lie. I'm sure of it---all you need is God and faith in worship. God is more powerful than buildings.

Buildings are good. They're blessings. But to spend a lot of money on them or be unable to worship or think ministry is impossible without them is absurd. House churches are the best. In fact, if you see the unseen Gospel, you'd know that God's present move in these last days is going back to house churches. Mega buildings are outmoded and even Babylon-inspired.

Why do some pastors see it's impossible to please God without buildings? Because they fail to see the unseen Gospel. All they see is the letter that kills. Make no mistake about it---there's nothing important but Jesus. That's the unseen Gospel, simply put. But to many church people, there are other things more important. Jesus put it this way:
You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. [John 4]
In a way, there are many spiritual Samaritans even in our times, despite the fact that Jesus had already explained this plainly in John 4 centuries ago. But their minds are still veiled. Seeing the unseen Gospel frees us from earthly (imagined) limitations. "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

Stress Addicts

The story of Mary and Martha should be plain enough. Yet it's still unseen to many today. Martha stressed herself out in ministry but Jesus was not impressed. He said Martha was just "worried and upset about many things." On the other hand, Mary just sat at his feet listening and relishing, and he commended her---she opted for the only thing that mattered in the Kingdom---listening and "eating" the spoken Word of God from Jesus' mouth. In short, the Spirit of the Gospel. Jesus once said:
The words I have spoken to you--they are full of the Spirit and life. [John 6.63]
Still keeping busy and stressing out in ministry? Jesus has this word for you: "Come to me all you who are tired and heavy laden. I will give you rest." And yet, so few really get it. You still see church workers plunging headlong to the ocean of distress from carrying heavy loads---dead works of religion. "Anyone who enters God's rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his," [Hebrews 4].

They are not content with what is given them for the moment. They want more. So they look for more people to pack into their church like sardines. But the Kingdom principle is, be faithful with small things and you're also found faithful in big things. It's not the size of your church---it's how faithful you are to God. God determines the size, not you. Just be faithful in what he gives you for now.

By all means, I share the Gospel with people. I urge my disciples the same. But we don't decide people's decision. We don't decide what church they go to. We don't decide church growth. God (the Holy Spirit) decides that. "And God added to their number daily those who were being saved," [Acts 2]. Don't worry or bother about your size or looks or smallness. Just do your work. Be faithful. Share the Gospel and disciple. This is your attitude if you see the unseen Gospel. If not, you worry like a mad hen. You treat ministry as a business franchise or corporation.

Nope, God designed the church as a family. When his mother and brothers went to get him, Jesus looked around his disciples and said: "Who is my mother and who are my brothers and sisters? Those who do God's will is my mother and brother and sister." You see that? He didn't say, "they are my directors and superintendents and presidents and vice presidents and chairmen and vice chairmen. And the rest are my members."

He said, "they are my mother and brother and sister." Do you see this? Do you really, really see this? Or do you see only the letter of the Gospel. You read this passage but you see church as a business franchise or corporation, not God's family? To a lot of people, the Gospel is unseen.

Unseen Gospel in GOD's Flesh

So, I decided to have a special portion for this on God's Flesh. I want more people to see the unseen Gospel and see the real Jesus in the Gospel and the real Kingdom he owns. Our church ministries should be seriously patterned after the unseen Gospel of Jesus Christ---based on what is unseen, which is eternal. Paul said we fix our eyes on what is unseen, not on what is seen. Hebrews also said we fix our eyes on Jesus.

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