Now, do every church have to reflect the name of Jesus? In some form, it should! We have the examples from our fore brothers in Christ. The Jews reluctantly refer to YHWH with G_D (God) because it is too limited in its description of His omnipotence and immutability. They respectfully and dare not offend He who by His wrath can destroy and in fear revere Him who as stated; “Has power over the body and spirit in hell” - Matt. 10:28. They always bring together His supreme title and a description of His character. Names like Jehovah Rapha; meaning "My Lord who heals" or El Shaddai; meaning "God Almighty". Certainly and undoubtedly Jesus has earned His acclamations such as Yeshua Hamashiach; meaning "Jesus the Messiah" or Logos YHWH; meaning "The Word of God". What matters is the Body’s acknowledgment and adoration of Jesus Christ on every platform possible otherwise face the consequences as stated; “Every branch in me that bears not fruit He takes (cuts) away” - Jn. 15:2. Christians are called from the highest to the lowest levels of the Body to reveal Jesus to the world and it ought to start with the places we honor Him. Even those unidentifiable from wars are given honor and title with “Unknown Soldier”. How much more our Lord and Savior who is known, died and lives for us. His name and authority is Jesus Christ!
For who is our Lord and Savior? And whose name has been given the place above all other names. Jesus Christ! Is it so difficult for the Body of Christ to take a Righteous pride and joy in the name of Jesus that we cry out to in our trials and tribulations? How can the world and other religions take notice of us if we ourselves don't take notice of our person of Salvation? Ignorance is bliss for the unsaved, but for the saved it is to our shame that we hide Jesus’ name under our breathe and only shout it out in safety and secrecy. Without first having a clear identity of our banner we sit in the pews of mediocrity rather than bearing His Cross of Glory to those outside it.
What have the founders and leaders of these churches done! By watering down or completely ignoring our Blood sacrifice for Salvation to the world; we have marginalized the Cross and weaken the work of the Apostles and especially that of Jesus Christ; who ironically will be our judge for this as stated; “But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in Heaven” - Matt. 10:33. We can’t expect the world to acknowledge our Faith and the Truth with fear and reverence if we are more concerned in compromising it for the sake of filling the pews to build bigger churches. When will we learn it is not quantity but the quality that sustains the Faith and the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. That the more we keep to the purity of the Gospel and the message of Jesus; that His Father must honor His Son’s work and manifest His Glory in practical ways; as we have been encouraged as stated; “By their fruits, you shall know them” - Matt. 7:16.
The garment is the metaphor for God's Glory and Holiness that is representative of the new birth by Grace through Christ Jesus. God never stops, does He? God is complete being of the past, present, and the future. Jesus was whole representing God, the Spirit, and man. And it all comes full circle as stated; “For if the casting away of them (Jews) be the reconciling of the world (Gentiles), what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead” - Rm. 11:15. When Jesus took the Cross; it was to reconcile the world (Jews and Gentiles) back to God; the Father; not because He disowned us but our father Adam did through the denial of the Tree of Life as stated; “and now, unless he put forth his hand, and take also of the Tree of Life, and eat, and (therefore will) live forever” - Gen. 2:15. God is giving us a Word of Knowledge; a clue to our future Salvation who would be burdened with our fault of disobedience from the eating of the Tree of Knowledge as stated; “My Righteous servant (shall) justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities”. - Is. 53:11.
Despite being made whole by His Garment; we have allowed the world’s thinking to separate the Body of Christ with random and often wishful efforts affirming as stated; “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” - Ps. 118:22. Jesus Christ; our cornerstone of stability and Faith is ignored, cast off and rejected rather than being sustained, held up and boldly proclaimed for the world to acknowledge. It's all about projection; not subjection! Of course; Thank God for the few, thankful and committed that shines Jesus’ light in the overwhelming places of darkness. Yet; this is not how it was intended to be as stated; “No man, when he has lighted a candle, covers it with a pot (enclosure), or puts it under a bed; but sets it on a candlestick (high place), that they which enter in may see the light” - Lk. 8:16. Only by setting a lit candle at the highest point in a room will all things become illuminated. In other words; the Word must not only be above but visually seen by all who seek Life being burdened by the weight of the world.
Spiritual Awakening
For thousands of years; only the chosen Jews searched for Christ intently, being the builders of His Word only to reject Him when He presented Himself allowing God to extend their birthright onto the Gentiles who then became charged with Christ to not only indict the world but also save it through the Righteousness and Grace of God. Christians by proxy are now the cornerstone of Christ and holds Salvation in their hands. Unfortunately; it is still being held and retarded by politically circumventions; the trappings of worldly benefits and Earthly minds. Yet; if there was a time to boldly stand for and as Christ; it is now as this age comes to its end taking with it the Grace, God has allowed for His stewards of Salvation to as stated; “Set the captives free” - Lk. 4:18.
Some say; isn’t it God’s goal to fill churches? Not buildings! Christians are not governed by the practices of the chosen Jews, especially with the Old Testament Covenant and the Tabernacle. God foreseeing their rejection of the Messiah put in place the New Testament Covenant which is really a return to the Eden Covenant as Jesus stated; “I did not come to abolish (the law) but to fulfill it” - Matt. 5:17. The law was and is meant to train up the believers in the pure relationship established by God in the Garden. This is the Eternal Covenant between the Faithful and the Father. Jesus walked on the Earth in this Eternal Covenant just as Adam would have before the fall and as stated; “You are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you” - 1 Cor. 3:16. This why making the bold statement to the world with names on the church facades; promoting and reflecting Jesus is crucial and critical; because these churches are for the unsaved and newly saved and not for the saved who are to go out into the world as candles of the Word. Jesus Christ’s life is the only Righteous example of a man completely pleasing God as stated; “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” - Mk. 1:11. So shouldn’t we look to Jesus in how to reveal God rather than man as it is stated, “Jesus; the Way, the Truth and the Life” - Jn. 14:6; and “Jesus; the Author and Finisher of our Faith” - Heb. 12:2. Consider the following examples.
Where is Jesus? He is hidden in the very churches that have been commissioned to reveal Him. How is He hidden? Just as a magician would with his sleight of hand showing only aspects of the reality to keep his audience fascinated and allured but never revealing the hidden Truth. The candlesticks of the church are kept in obedience and order under many elaborate facades, enclosures, and coverings. Why is this done? Because many of the Body operate by the fear of the world; its laws, condemnations and not by the Faith of God and Jesus. Consider the following:
Who is our ultimate shepherd? - Jesus Christ. When did God or for that matter Jesus and even Paul instruct the Body to relinquish the counsellor; the Holy Spirit; for a man’s appointed leadership. A pastor or the authority of a church is not the Good Shepherd but a part of the same flock and just as a shepherd overlooks the flock; Jesus our True Shepherd has never abandoned his flock.
What example did Jesus demonstrate? - To be unapologetic, uncompromising and fearful of God. Many churches demonstrate and teach their church to be conformist. First to the church’s doctrine and secondly; to the unrighteous authority that has besieged their cities and nations. Jesus told us to render to Caesar and to God their respective due. Yet, Jesus never compromised His obedience to God’s will even when being accused of sedition and faced with His death.
How did Jesus do this? - Jesus remained for the most part in the public spaces of commerce, authority, and townships. Jesus was and is the ultimate candle. He did this by being exposed not sheltered in places of safety like the church building. Jesus agitated those around Him to either receive the Truth, deny it or even mock it. He knew ultimately He would be the final judge on mankind and the individual’s choice.
Why did He do what He did? - Jesus was ordinary as Adam was with the Anointing of God’s Spirit. He chose Life over death by being obedient to God’s will and word. And with Faith, He trusted God to deliver Him from all evil and the agents of death. He knew and practiced Faith which is the only thing that pleases God thereby making God obligated to fulfill His promise of peace, prosperity; not of evil and for an assured end. That end is Salvation.
When did Jesus do the Father’s work? - As prompted by God through the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not act from His own will but by spending time in prayer and in a relationship with the Father; He accomplished more in the time given than any man who oversees the largest church in the world. He knew with God; nothing is impossible. He became the seed that produced thousands of harvest still today even in the midst of a darkening world.
Jesus was forthcoming whenever someone asked Him questions regarding God and His Kingdom as stated; “Jesus answered them; "Seek you first the Kingdom of God, and His Righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you". - Matt. 6:33.
Jesus acknowledged the Father who dwelled in Him and did the work of healing and miracles as stated; “the Father that dwells in Me, He doeth the works” - Jn. 14:10.
Jesus only spoke what God and the Word revealed for edification, admonition and prophesy as stated; “Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself” - Jn. 5:19.
Jesus did not preach behind closed doors but in public spaces in front of the Faithful, critics and non-believers as stated; “speaking to the multitudes; woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” - Matt. 23:13.
Jesus often displayed God’s protection from those who sought to harm and arrest Him as stated; “that they might cast Him down headlong. But He passing through the midst of them went His way” - Lk. 4:29-30.
Jesus affirmed the intent of the Old Covenant laws with a New Testament practical application as stated; “Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath Day?” - Lk. 14:5.
Jesus remained in reverence to His Father’s will regardless of personal losses as stated; “nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” - Lk. 22:42.
There is wisdom in the saying; “Everything rises or falls on leadership”. With Jesus, everything rose but often with men a lot falls by the wayside and even into the deep abysses of ignorance and irretrievable failure. This is because we as individuals and the Body have parceled Christ to our subjections and not taken Him whole as it was designed to be from Genesis. We accept Adam’s fall more readily than Jesus’ bold statement of Faith on the Cross of not only redeemed Salvation but also authority over this world. The price paid and benefit of the Cross have in many cases been reduced to chance and a lot of gambling as stated; “And parted His garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots”. - Matt. 27:35.
Feb. 18, 2019.
Searching for Jesus.
Whenever we interfere with God’s way of doing things we actually are denying His perfect will and methods; painting Him as imperfect. God did not send legions of Angels nor did He come to vanquish His enemies but as stated; “That whosoever believes in Him (Jesus) should not perish, but have everlasting life” - Jn. 3:16. Without this critical observance and practice is why so many of the Body sway whenever they face change because this is a natural and carnal reaction that men go through because of the uncertainty that changes bring. Yet, as stated; “Jesus Christ; (the foundation of God’s love for a lost and fallen world) is the same yesterday, today, and forever” - Heb. 13:8. Jesus can only be like that because of the Father dwelling in Him. This is the same for His Throne and Kingdom. By using non-Jesus names for places that honor Him; we tell the world we sway and submit to their demands rather than to God's Word, decrees and declarations. We have placed our candle under a bushel (bowl). We can be sure and assured that in the New Jerusalem; Jesus will be declared and everything Jesus ordained here will be consistent in that Divine Earthly Kingdom and Throne. There will be no denial where and who Jesus is and His representation; that is "The Father and all His Glory"!
Flush it Out - This is My beloved Son.
Now I am sure like me many in the Body are frustrated, restless and anxious as to the state of affairs regarding the various churches and denominations as seen across the world. And just like me; question the very man in the mirror as to what quality of stewardship will be judged by the highest candle of Righteous Standard. For whom else can we in the Body measure up to but Christ? As stated; “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad”. - 2 Cor. 5:10.
Searching for Jesus has become a facade just as the Truth has. The opposition to God’s will has steadily and by coercion, insidiously done this by vagueness and redirections appealing to the lost and blinded need for acceptance, conformity, and political correctness. We see and experience this daily across all means of communications and platforms of secularism and even satanic towers of babel. The world has made countries, cities, and communities focus on a man rather than the man; Jesus. We see this in the very buildings that are supposedly dedicated to God, Jesus, and Salvation. Here’s a challenge! Take the opportunity to identify places across your city that uses Jesus’ name as the statement of their places of worship, thanksgiving and praise. What you may find are all sorts of descriptions, metaphors, and innuendos of Christianity rather than stating the very foundation that Christianity stands on; the name above all; Jesus Christ. These buildings or churches shy away from the name of Jesus on their external building faces; propagating the name of their church with adjectives, adverbs, and nouns. Names such as lift, elevation, jordan, and others; often giving more credence to men and women with titles such as saint, brother, and even queen. This is done to appeal to men rather than to revere God as stated; "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son" - Jn. 3:16.
And just in case many of us think we can keep our heads down and quietly slip into God’s Kingdom; would be the worst risk one could make as stated; “You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. You knew that I (God) reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed. Then you should have deposited my money (gift) with the bankers (seed bed), and on my return, I would have received it back with interest. Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents (works). For everyone who has will be given more and he will have abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” - Matt. 25:26-28.
God is all about business! To think that this parable only deals with money such as tithes, offerings and alms is to gravely and fatally miss the heart of the Father and everything He has given us to fulfill the Great Commission. As it is said; “In the world but not of it”. The entire Bible written across centuries of history by different persons of different cultures, politics, and economics present three consistent themes from start to finish encompassed in God’s thought towards His image as stated; “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” - Jer. 29:11. The first theme to move from darkness into the light. The second is to take back what was stolen by the authority given and the third to account for every act of unrighteousness through and by the tabernacle of reconciliation. All three themes are in a symbiotic relationship because of the one denominator. Jesus Christ; the Messiah! The Word was sent to re-establish the light of Truth. The Word was and is to be used to govern and subdue the world by the Power of God. And the Word is the judge of all things, seen and unseen having been placed under His feet.
The wise men studied, looked and waited for the signs that a child would be born heralding the one who would redeem and save the world from themselves as stated; “they saw the star, and rejoiced with exceeding great joy” - Matt. 2:10. Today; it is difficult and hard to find any sign of this Messiah even when looking in the appropriate places. Searching for Jesus has become so elusive and disappointing that it's no wonder the world does not believe He came, died; was resurrected and dwells here by God and the Holy Spirit.
This is not surprising because in His early days before being born; it was the non-Jews that kept watching for the right alignment of signs in the Heavens to signify that the Messiah was ready to be born in the town of Bethlehem as stated; “For we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him” - Matt. 2:2. These eastern wise men probably came from the then land of Persia which had no birthright to the Messianic born child by the Spirit of God. They came to bear witness not only to the child’s birth but inadvertently the absence of any Pharisee or Scribe; and those of the Abrahamic lineage who religiously prayed for the Messiah to be born to deliver them from their oppressors. They ignored what God told them as stated; “Let them be for signs” - Gen. 1:14. These same holders of the Truth would betray their commission and deny the very Messianic miracles they were given and saw when Jesus walked among them. For hundreds of years even before the Exodus; God gave signs, clues, and prophecies of the Messiah’s appearance and how He would reveal Himself and fulfill His purpose. All would come to be in vain as Jesus speaking to the Jews stated; “That you also have seen Me, and believe not” - Jn. 6:36.
What happened then; has and is happening today! Many, especially within the Body see and experience Jesus but remain blinded by the prince of the air having not exercised their Faith of producing the unseen into their reality. Jesus’ words in the Parable of the sower is proved time and time again not only by those outside but by those charged with its Truth where some have claimed the Bible are only good stories. They have not built upon the foundation of Christ and often demonstrate as stated; “is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed (as a ship is)” - Eph. 4:14. We know this because most of us remain as children; being irresponsible when it comes to the benefits and responsibility of maturity and the price for claiming the Cross of Jesus as stated; “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul; or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul”? - Matt. 16:24-26. The road of Calvary is meant to be rugged, dangerous and uncertain. God has been telling the chosen Jews and now us Christians not with fiction but with real history that His Faithful must be prepared to pay for their reward in trails, tribulations, and even blood as stated; “To him that overcomes will I (Jesus) grant (with a crown) to sit with Me in My Throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His Throne (Kingdom). - Rev. 3:21.
Jesus Christ from birth exemplified God’s intention since Genesis and as the Word took on the form of man; a downgrade from His Heavenly place; suffered marginalization, the cross, hell; and received the first mankind resurrection as stated; “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also have highly exalted Him and given Him a (the) name which is above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in the Earth, and things under the Earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father” - Phil. 2:5-11. Jesus has earned His name on every place we as the Body use His banner for His name, work, and reward.