Wednesday, January 30, 2013

let's go and make disciples

"For I am yearning to see you, that I may impart and share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen and establish you; That is, that we may be mutually strengthened and encouraged and comforted by each other’s faith, both yours and mine." Romans 1:11-12
The theme of discipling seems to be coming up again lately. For me personally it is something I am passionate about, it can be very fulfilling but involves investment. One thing that I have found in my discipleship experience, as Paul mentions in Romans above, is that as I take what I have learned and been given and share that with others in that sharing and teaching that it builds both of us up and increases our faith. I came across this quote from George Fox's journal this morning (thanks Derek Brown), it shows how important it is to do the Father's will, but in order to do that we need to know how to hear His voice, to recognize it for ourselves. As a discipler it is my responsibility to not only hear and be obedient to what Abba is telling me, setting the example, but to teach others  how to hear themselves, for themselves. When we understand our identities in Christ and can discern His voice in our lives then we truly can fulfill our destiny. It also makes us the people that when we get up in the morning the enemy says "oh no here they come again."
So let's go make disciples, don't limit your view of who to disciple to those that stumble through a church door or Bible study. Let's start building these relationships at our work places, our favorite coffee shops, wherever it is that Abba leads us and to whoever He leads us.
"Jesus never said you could be saved if you say the sinners' prayer, or be baptized with water, or eat bread and drink grape juice; this is just heathenish ritual, the wide and broad way that leads to destruction. The deficit sects of Christendom have totally lost the narrow, true way that few will find; there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12,16:25,21:2.
 Jesus clearly tells us the only way: only he who does the will of the Father shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Mat 7:21. To do the Father's will is to stop making decisions for yourself, your will; and only do what the Father tells you to do, his will. This is exactly what Jesus told us that he did, and he only did; many, many times":~Quote from George Fox's Journal
Matthew 28:18-20 "Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age.  Amen (so let it be)."

1 comment:

  1. What is interesting it that disciple in the Greek is the word, Mathēteúō, and it means not only to learn, but to become attached to one's teacher and to become his follower in doctrine and conduct of life. It is really not sufficient to translate this verb as "learn" but as "making a disciple," in the NT sense of mathētḗs.

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