Smallest Seed

Image from Pinterest. Lots of times we forget that we're engaged in a spiritual, cosmic war, not a battle against flesh and blood. Often we think ministry is about competing with other churches for being the most numerous church of all. Thus, our actions are confined to the earthly realm, though we try to garnish what we do with prayers and worship to make it look spiritual in nature. Stuck to the Earthly A lot of churches can't go beyond the physical because that's all the realm they know. They grope in the dark once they try to venture even at the threshold of the supernatural. They can't tell between spirits and often mistake the devil's schemes as the will of God. How would we react, for instance, if someone is all praises to us? Paul met a girl with a demon who praised him and company as "servants of the Most High God who are telling you the way to be saved." Sounds good to the ego. We'd probably take the compliment all ears, es...

Image from TripAdvisor. One day, Nehemiah asked Hanani and company about the exiles that had returned to Judah. They had been to Jerusalem and witnessed the situation for themselves. They told him: "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” How the Problem is Seen Hanani and company understood the problem to be physical. The wall structure had been broken down, and because of that the Jews there were in big trouble and disgrace. Even today, many people cannot see beyond the natural. They see their need for a church building (or repair of the same), low attendance or church income, lack of musical instruments, or lack of good church programs. But Nehemiah saw the real problem at once. He prayed: Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return...

Image from iStock. GOD is powerful and he unleashes his power at will. Just one word or thought from him and things happen. But sometimes he relegates that power to some people, those with faith that impresses him. Jesus said, "Nothing will be impossible for you ," [Matthew 17.20]. Notice the words "for you." We often hear how nothing is impossible to God . But this is different---nothing will be impossible for you . God is impressed with faith that releases God's power at will, and I mean your will . When God's faith becomes your faith, his will becomes your will. He becomes comfortable with you and let's you function like him---like God. Oops! Your eyes may have widened when you read what I just wrote here. Like "God's faith." Does God have faith? Have the Faith of God Literally, Mark 11.22 reads "Have the faith of God." An interlinear rendition has it, "Have faith from God." It's faith from God...

Image from Shutterstock. Faith---the simpler it is the more impressive to God. Often we want to do great things that require what we think is "great faith." No wonder worship is sometimes like a circus with lots of death-defying stunts---flying trapeze, eating fire or swallowing swords. Martha thought faith was like that. So she couldn't believe when her sister Mary simply sat at Jesus' feet listening and got his approval. The woman with issue of blood for 12 years was even more radical. She didn't pray or say a word. She just "thought to herself." It literally released power from Jesus at her will that Jesus didn't notice it. God will answer you on the spot even if you don't pray or say anything. Even if you just talk to yourself---as long as the faith involved impresses him. The centurion also got it right. It's not indicated how this Italian army officer knew the secret to God's heart, but he did exactly what God was after in a...

Image from OneClipArt. It's good chow when you're a dinner guest of a rich man who's turned genuinely generous. You get to be served the best meats and wines in town, not to mention the dessert. It's probably why Jesus preferred to stay at Zacchaeus' house---well, among other reasons, that is. After calling Matthew (another tax collector), Jesus was also found in his house eating (again) with tax collectors and sinners. Tax collectors must have been really good dinner hosts or sponsors, choosing only the best cuisines and drinks for their guests. Jesus loved food (like I do) so a lot of his stories are on food. In fact, some people thought he was a glutton [Matthew 11.19]. Thus, he may have anticipated a swell dinner at Zacchaeus' place, so he invited himself to it. I would, too. But Jesus saw in Zacchaeus something more. I've always admired Zacchaeus for what he did just to see Jesus. It's a very rare scene seeing a rich man climb up a tree ju...

Jesus and John the baptizer led radically simple lifestyles to get across a powerful message. Unfortunately, though, the church seems never to get the point. We still want to attract the world on its terms. So we give it what it wants just to have the world come inside our churches and stay. Jesus could have come to earth as a materially impressive Messiah with strong connections and influence with the higher-ups in government. He could have built impressive religious buildings with state-of-the-art facilities. He could've displayed costly camels or chariots or started a big church with immense church membership to get a lot of church income from it---and further enlarge his ministry empire and make it more impressive to the world. He could've come as Ceasar's or Pilate's or Herod's son. But he didn't. Neither did John. John was the son of a priest, and priests were a privileged class in those times. They were amply provided quality provisions. ...

Image from Reliable Plant. They always see it this way---a church that remains without a "daughter church" is on "maintenance mode" and in danger of extinction. Yeah? Says who? I don't know where they get concepts like this and treat it as bible-truth. Just because some popular guy (or a guy with a super mega church) said it, they think it's infallible word. So they collect all what he said and make a big deal about it. They base everything they do on his words. Church Idols They're all prone to worship popular ministers and theologians. What about the WORD? They've grown tired of searching the WORD and started pursuing man's words and precepts. I even heard it said that people in church have had too much of God's Word. They need to look at something else. What? Too much of God's Word? Really? They look for strategies and systems for church growth devised by some so-called church planters who have "proved" themselves...