Bearing Fruit As His Disciples

Bearing Fruit As His Disciples

Jesus said that we are to bear fruit so that we proved to be His disciples (John 15:8).

The context of bearing fruit is to love one another (John 15:9-10). In other words, we are to bear the 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞. The word 'to love' in Greek is 'agapao', which has its root in agape.

'Agapao' means '𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭; 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐇𝐢𝐦 (𝐛𝐲 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧)." 'Agape' means the same ------ 'divine love = what God prefers'.

Since God is agape (1 John 4:8) and Jesus is God (Heb 1:3; Jn 1:1-3; Col 1:15), the clearest representation of Love (agape) is Jesus.

Jesus bore the perfect fruit of love, which we are to imitate and walk in. His love is not some kind of feeling and emotional thingy. His love is filled with compassion. Every time when He moved with compassion (read the Bible), 𝐇𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

His agape healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, fed the hungry, provided financially to pay for taxes, etc. 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 (𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: '𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐨'), it is impossible to bear fruit of love.

If you don't have the capacity (or power) to help someone, your love is limited and is not the complete representation of agape. If your child is sick and you say, "I love you, baby! But I cannot make you well or bring you to the doctor. It's a warped kind of love."

God wants us to bear fruit of love (agape). And this kind of divine love MUST include seeing every sickness healed, because Jesus showed us what agape is. 

We have to keep growing and bearing fruit of love, without watering down the Scriptures to meet our comfort level.

USA Prophecies

It’s okay to take risks and make mistakes. That’s boldness and faith.

Personal prophecy requires personal apology. Public prophecy requires public apology. It is the test of humility.

However, there will be many who insist that they are right and continue to release more future dates about how things will suddenly shift. This is why prophecy is abused and mocked by many when it is meant for edification, encouragement and comfort. God has apparently become men’s machine to release any pathetic, I mean, prophetic words to suit their own desires.

Eventually, even if things change, it is NOT because of any prophetic word. But men on earth decided to take dominion and authority that Christ has already given.

Make no mistake. Jesus is King. Man is not. The Kingdom of God does not come into the political realm. It comes to take over. Beware of the leaven of the Sadducees (Read: Seduce you into politics such that you cannot see the Kingdom).

If our God is only as big as one man, then perhaps we worship a different one.

God uses the least to shame the wise. I suspect He can use any donkey (submitted to Him) to change anything.

Prophecies are great but unfortunately they can never be as accurate as the Word of God that stands forever.

P.S: If prophecies don’t point you to Christ but men, it’s close to witchcraft.

P.P.S: Confusion is not of God but the enemy. Well-played by him to confuse the Body of Christ and get them distracted from the King and His reign. There have been so many hatred, maligning and accusations going on among the ones who are called to love. It’s demonic in nature and it’s the works of the enemy. Time to get back into our primary commission.

Meme credits: Shalom Gata

Divine Wealth

Many misunderstood divine wealth as prosperity gospel. It is not.

Divine wealth is the ability to have the resources to do everything that God has assigned you to do, including the ability to bless others because you have abundance. It’s not for you to live in a mansion.

P.S: I’m not there yet but believing for it. I have experienced God the Provider (Jehovah Jireh) for countless times. It’s time to experience the God of More Than Enough (El Shaddai).

The Wrong View

The Wrong View

There are 7-8 covenants (depending on how you divide them) in the Bible.

If we don’t understand the covenants in which God relates to men, we will misunderstand the nature and the heart of God.

The God who is loving and just has never changed (Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8). Yet our view and interpretation of Him keeps changing because we are viewing Him through the world and our personal circumstances. Sometimes we are also viewing Him through the wrong covenant.

My wife’s conversation with her friend reveals how important it is to understand the various covenants in the Bible.

One of the best ways to know the covenants is to read through the whole 66 books of the Bible chronologically because the Bible is the unfolding of one main story, instead of bits and pieces.

P.S: If you haven’t read through all 66 books chronologically, don’t talk about how much you know who God is. Chances are... it’s bits and pieces.

Disclaimer: I’m not saying that one has full knowledge of who God is even after reading all the 66 books.

Known For Overpowering Hell

Known For Overpowering Hell

On this Rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. - Matt 16:18

The word 'church' is 'ekklésia' in Greek, which means the 'called out' ones. We are called out from the world into the Kingdom of God, not into religion.

Since the 'ekklesia' is the governing body from God's Kingdom where hell cannot prevail against it, as a church, we are not to be known for the size of weekly attendance or membership. We are to be known for overpowering hell and shutting the works of the devil on earth.

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. - Matt 16:19

The 'ekklesia' has been given His delegated authority to bind the devil on earth and set people free (loose). Yet religion is still pleading, hoping and asking God to do the job.

Try asking your boss to do the job that he has already delegated to you at your workplace and see if he calls that humility. 

Oh and try shifting the outcome and responsibility to your boss when the job is not done properly by you, and see if he says, "Don't worry, I am responsible for the outcome".

If we do not use His delegated authority to overpower hell, perhaps we are not 'ekklesia', but a religious party.

The Four-Fold Ministry

The Four-Fold Ministry

While the church in general talks about five-fold ministry, the Bible only talks about four-fold. If we separate the 'fourth' and the 'fifth', we are in trouble.

And He Himself gave some, on the one hand, as apostles, and, on the other hand, as prophets, and still again some as bringers of good news, and finally, 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬. - Eph 4:11 (WUEST NT)

In the Greek, shepherds (pastors) AND teachers are placed together as one office. In fact, the word 'shepherd' in Eph 4:11 is '𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐦𝐞́𝐧'. It is 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 in the New Covenant under this context. The other two times in Hebrews & 1 Peter point to Jesus Himself.

The word 'teachers' in Greek is '𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐬', which is used several times in the New Covenant. It is usually mentioned in the church setting (Acts 13:1; 1 Cor 12:28-29; 1 Tim 2:7; 2 Tim 4:3; Heb 5:12; James 3:1).

And God has appointed 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 first apostles, second prophets, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬, then miracles... - 1 Cor 12:28

In the church setting, the list does not include evangelists because they are outside the church. Comparing Eph 4:11 and 1 Cor 12:28, we see that the third-fold office is that of a teacher (cum pastor/shepherd). There is no separation.

The shepherd is the role, while teaching is the function. A shepherd/pastor must be able to teach. There is no such thing as a shepherd who is only pastoral but unable to teach.

In John 10, Jesus said that He is the Good Shepherd. It was in the context of false teachers that had come to destroy the sheep. For Jesus was the 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 the sheep truths.

Some, however, argued that the role of a pastor is written as 'overseer' in the Bible. They said that when the Bible uses 'teachers', it refers specifically to teachers.

Well, the word 'overseer' is 'episkopos' in Greek and it is used in 1 Tim 3:2 and Titus 1:7.

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡... - 1 Tim 3:1-2

He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 and also to rebuke those who contradict it. - Titus 1:9

The Scriptures are clear. The pastor/overseer/shepherd (interchangeable) must be g̵̴̵r̵̴̵a̵̴̵d̵̴̵u̵̴̵a̵̴̵t̵̴̵e̵̴̵d̵̴̵ ̵̴̵f̵̴̵r̵̴̵o̵̴̵m̵̴̵ ̵̴̵o̵̴̵f̵̴̵f̵̴̵i̵̴̵c̵̴̵i̵̴̵a̵̴̵l̵̴̵ ̵̴̵s̵̴̵e̵̴̵m̵̴̵i̵̴̵n̵̴̵a̵̴̵r̵̴̵y̵̴̵  𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡. For a '𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐦𝐞́𝐧' (shepherd) must also be a '𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐬' (teacher). It's role is to tend the flocks and it's function is to teach in order to fulfill it's role.

To separate this one-fold office into two is to produce sheep that have all kinds of doctrines.

Freedom And Discipleship Are In One Package

Freedom And Discipleship Are In One Package

One main characteristic of a disciple is to abide in His word. The word 'abide' also means 'remain, continue, stay'. It speaks of someone cleaving to a thing, in this case, the Word.

Note: The word 'logos' and 'rhema' is interchangeable (compare Luke 22:61 and Matt 26:75; compare also Heb 4:12 and Eph 6:17 as well as 2 Peter 3:5 and Heb 11:3)

If you need a so-called "rhema" for God's word to be effective for your life, then John 8:31-32 and many passages will be useless for you. Let me submit to you that every logos is also rhema as long as you obey and act on the word.

“If you 𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐞 in My 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝, you are My disciples indeed. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 you shall 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 the 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡, and the truth shall make you 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞.” - John 8:31-32

What separates a disciple from a non-disciple is his perseverance and determination to cleave to the word regardless of his situation(s) and regardless of whether he sees the result of that word or not.

For the fruit (or result) of that word will come to pass if he first cleaves to the Word as a disciple. In other words, faith precedes manifestation.

The word '𝐀𝐧𝐝' in the following verse (Jn 8:32) proves that the former verse must be present first. The word '𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰' is an intimate knowing by personal experience while the word '𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡' refers to the Gospel of the Kingdom in this context. The word '𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞' refers to freedom from sin's dominion and bondage.

In a nutshell, in order for us to walk in freedom from sin's dominion and bondage, we must cleave to His word, proving that we are His disciples. And we shall have a personal, experiential knowing of the Gospel of the Kingdom that will free us from sin's dominion to reign in the King's dominion.

Attacking Is Your Defense

Attacking Is Your Defense

In a war, you defend your country by defending.

In the kingdom battle, you defend God's kingdom on earth by advancing. Attacking is your best defense.

...and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. - Eph 6:15

The armour of God includes putting on the shoes (readiness) to deliver the Gospel of peace. It's not a passive armour. It's an active, advancing armour.

In the Old Covenant, Psalm 91 is your protection.

In the New Covenant, Luke 10:19 is your protection. The rule of the game has changed. You put on your armour by advancing and crushing the enemy.

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. - Luke 10:19

If you want to stay protected from the enemy, you have to preach the Gospel with it's demonstration. To extinguish the fiery darts from the enemy, you need to take the shield of faith and start offending and tormenting the devil.

The greatest defense is to war and kill the demons, so that the enemy's influence is weakened on earth as it is in heaven.

Finding Breakthroughs On Your Own

Finding Breakthroughs On Your Own

It is easy to ask someone for help when you need. However, you will stay at that stage of needing help continually and won’t be able to know the True Helper who is present at all times.

Note: This is for believers who have Him.

And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. - 1 Sam 30:6

When the enemies and his own brethen were against him, David knew that God is His ever-present help. He found strength in the Lord.

David lived in the Old Covenant. We are in the New —— a more superior covenant than what David had.

If we can’t find strength on our own in the Lord, we will forever be dependent on people. There is a place of intimacy where it is only between you and Him. To get to that place, you will need to seek Him without seeking men.

Every breakthrough you need is already in you, since Christ in you is the Hope of glory. Each time when you struggle, you step out in faith to do the very thing that you struggle with.

To bless others when you are filled is pretty easy. It doesn’t take faith.

But to bless others when you are in need proves that you believe in His Word. It takes faith to trust that His Word is true regardless of your situation. That’s authentic faith.

If you are in need of healing, go and minister healing to others.

If you are in need of finances, find someone to bless.

If you are in need of help, go and help someone.

You sow your way out of your needs. You come out of your struggle by helping someone with theirs. Stop focusing on you and start focusing on Him who will meet your needs when you seek first His Kingdom & His righteousness.

Many don’t experience breakthroughs because they are only seeking and waiting for someone to help them. You will never grow up if you remain in pity-party.

We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. If we with God don’t know how to help ourselves, how are we going to represent Him to help those who do not know Him?

In 2021, it’s time to find breakthroughs on our own. It’s time to get into the Word (Bible alone) instead of the next sermon and Christian book. If we don’t know how to receive from Him directly, we will remain defeated by the enemy.