Smallest Seed

In Christ is no darkness at all, but that's after he takes you to his darkness.  Before light, he makes you spend time in God's darkness, like what he did with Paul. Paul was blinded by God so that he remained seeing God's darkness for three days. In the same way, the Israelites spent days in the desert facing Sinai so they could see the dark clouds on top of the mountain before they could proceed deeper into the wilderness and cross the Jordan. There's something about God's darkness that makes you see light more, and something about it to dispel the darkness in this world. After meeting God's darkness, you experience no darkness in Him at all. No wonder most men of God go through a dark phase in their lives---not the darkness of wickedness and sin but the darkness of uncertainty and hard trials---to break the earthen vessel they are in and come out shining as bright as Jesus the Light of the world. Jesus himself entered that darkness before being promote...

www.atzmut.com A lot of church people take this for granted---that true ministry is really talking about Jesus Christ, from beginning to end, nothing more nothing less. How engrossed are you in Christ? Do you love him so much that you can spend hours just talking about Him? It's like this---when talking of their ministries and ministry plans, most pastors can say a lot. But when talking of Jesus, most of them can't say much. Yes, they can preach about Jesus at length, but during private moments, they seem to know nothing else except how He died for us. Even pagans and idol worshipers and cults know about that. They can't say much. Some of them even feel awkward talking of Jesus. Others feel they're wasting time if the conversation isn't about how to grow their ministries. Worse, there are those who cannot share anything about Jesus but their denominational doctrines about Him. Talking of Jesus Like a Real Jesus Lover I often watch and observe what past...

ourdailybread.org They're everywhere---church people who actively "serve God" in their churches yet continue to live in sin. Somehow, they feel that serving God covers up for their sins. Or probably, this is the result of the famous lines in preaching today---that God accepts you as you are and nobody is perfect. But what happens when you actively serve God but continue to enjoy sin? When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. [Romans 7.5] Let's look at it from another version: For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. First, when you still enjoy sin and study the bible, God's Word (the Law) merely "aroused evil desires" in you. The law (or Word of God) triggers sinful passions if you're still in sin. Im...

Left out in the cold. If anyone hears his voice and opens the door... www.elkharttruth.com It always happens when I talk  to church people, leaders or pastors--they're always apt to talk about church--their church or my church. "How's your church? How are your members? How many members do you have?" Things like that. And then they go on talking about their churches, ministries, members, activities, etc. Anything except Jesus Christ. Or, they talk about their ministry strategies, new churches planted, formulas for church growth, their ministry goals, the number of people that came in that Sunday,  "what God tells them" about ministry, how to grow more churches, and the like. Recently, I attended a church denominational conference and all they talked about was themselves and their churches. During the worship, the speaker tried his best to appear excited talking about how to grow local churches. They're all in this mad scramble to win the rat ...

centerod.com When we say "God's plan on growing your church effectively," we mean church growth that pleases God because it goes according to his Word. There are 101 ways to grow a church and even turn it into a mega church. Question is, is it done the same way Jesus and the apostles in Acts did church in Scriptures? If not, then it cannot please God, no matter if it has millions of members and income. Only Jesus and his ways can please God. For on (Jesus) God the Father has placed his seal of approval. [John 6.27] So, here are tips on how to make your church pleasing to God so He'd grow it: 1. Be a church deep and rooted in God's Word. And I don't mean do a lot of bible studies or that members should go to seminary or bible school. Be deep and rooted in the spoken Word of God in the bible. Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes out from the mouth (spoken) of God. [Matthew 4] 2. Trash church activities that are p...

In these end times, God will do a great church revival before Jesus comes back. He will do this to restore all things in these last days: Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. [Acts 3.21] And the whole idea is that God will cause the glorious church of Jesus Christ to appear on earth, not as another religion or church denomination, but in the lives of true believers, regardless of church affiliation. They will experience a supernatural touch from God and begin to seriously live out the LIFE of Jesus Christ in the Word of God.  The glorious church of Jesus Christ will have no physical address or headquarters but will powerfully and radiantly reside in the lives of radical Jesus believers.  Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. [Isaiah 60]. Failed Church Revivals Churches have been trying to come up with the right revival fo...

runluaurun.com It seems we recognize the wooden cross more than what it symbolizes. The wooden church is more acceptable in church (it's placed on church buildings and inside altars) than the sufferings of Christ which we are called to: To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. [1 Peter 2.21] Of course, we're not to have ourselves crucified literally on the cross. Christ already did that to pay for our sins. We don't need to repeat it. But we have to embrace the life of suffering persecution for His Name and for living out his Word daily. The Jesus cross is also about staying meek and simple, "poor in spirit" and abandoning all forms of worldliness while being in the world. It's about living the holy life of Jesus and stopping feeding the flesh or ego. This Jesus cross is still foolishness to many church people and still serves as a stumbling block.  The meaning of th...