Matthew 28:16-20 (NKJV): Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

disciple (as found on Meriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary)

noun

dis·​ci·​ple | \ di-ˈsī-pəl \

Definition of disciple

1 : one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another: such as
a Christianity : one of the twelve in the inner circle of Christ’s followers according to the Gospel accounts
b : a convinced adherent of a school or individual a disciple of Freud
2 capitalized, Christianity : a member of the Disciples of Christ founded in the U.S. in 1809 that holds the Bible alone to be the rule of faith and practice, usually baptizes by immersion, and has a congregational (see congregational sense 3) polity

What is Christian discipleship? (As found on gotquestions.org)

Question: “What is Christian discipleship?”

Answer: By definition, a disciple is a follower, one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another. A Christian disciple is a person who accepts and assists in the spreading of the good news of Jesus Christ. Christian discipleship is the process by which disciples grow in the Lord Jesus Christ and are equipped by the Holy Spirit, who resides in our hearts, to overcome the pressures and trials of this present life and become more and more Christlike. This process requires believers to respond to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to examine their thoughts, words and actions and compare them with the Word of God. This requires that we be in the Word daily—studying it, praying over it, and obeying it. In addition, we should always be ready to give testimony of the reason for the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15) and to disciple others to walk in His way. According to Scripture, being a Christian disciple involves personal growth characterized by the following:

1. Putting Jesus first in all things (Mark 8:34-38). The disciple of Christ needs to be set apart from the world. Our focus should be on our Lord and pleasing Him in every area of our lives. We must put off self-centeredness and put on Christ-centeredness.

2. Following Jesus’ teachings (John 8:31-32). We must be obedient children and doers of the Word. Obedience is the supreme test of faith in God (1 Samuel 28:18), and Jesus is the perfect example of obedience as He lived a life on earth of complete obedience to the Father even to the point of death (Philippians 2:6-8).

3. Fruitfulness (John 15:5-8). Our job is not producing fruit. Our job is to abide in Christ, and if we do, the Holy Spirit will produce the fruit, and this fruit is the result of our obedience. As we become more obedient to the Lord and learn to walk in His ways, our lives will change. The biggest change will take place in our hearts, and the overflow of this will be new conduct (thoughts, words and actions) representative of that change. The change we seek is done from the inside out, through the power of the Holy Spirit. It isn’t something we can conjure up on our own.

4. Love for other disciples (John 13:34-35). We are told that love of other believers is the evidence of our being a member of God’s family (1 John 3:10). Love is defined and elaborated on in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. These verses show us that love is not an emotion; it is action. We must be doing something and involved in the process. Furthermore, we are told to think more highly of others than of ourselves and to look out for their interests (Philippians 2:3-4). The next verse in Philippians (verse 5) really sums up what we are to do when it comes to everything in life: “our attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” What a perfect example He is to us for everything we are to do in our Christian walk.

5. Evangelism – Making disciples of others (Matthew 28:18-20). We are to share our faith and tell nonbelievers about the wonderful changes Jesus Christ has made in our lives. No matter what our maturity level in the Christian life, we have something to offer. Too often, we believe the lie from Satan that we don’t really know enough or haven’t been a Christian long enough to make a difference. Not true! Some of the most enthusiastic representatives of the Christian life are new believers who have just discovered the awesome love of God. They may not know a lot of Bible verses or the “accepted” way of saying things, but they have experienced the love of the living God, and that is exactly what we are to share.

We look at these 2 definitions and need to ask ourselves, “What has happened to True Discipleship?” In today’s church, we are seeing more and more people being afraid to invest in others. Many, to include leaders, are not seeking others to build up and lead them in seeking Christ, reading/studying The Bible, Prayer, dealing with real life problems, servanthood, etc. We have been seeing a decline in The Body of Christ which has resulted in a decline in the world around us.
It’s time for change. It’s time for God’s People to Repent! 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV):  if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. It’s time for us to take action and stop pointing fingers.
If we study the prophets, we find that aside from them talking about end times, they were also telling God’s People, of the time, that they needed to change. God used these men to remind His People that if they didn’t repent, they were going to have to suffer consequences. If we study what happened during these times, we will notice, He waited before judgement was brought. It is a reminder that He is Long-Suffering and Patient with His People.
Numbers 14:18 (NKJV):  ‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’
Psalm 86:15 (NKJV): But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,
Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
This doesn’t mean we have time to waste. It should be an encouragement to us to get to work. We need to be about what He has called us to do. We need to keep each other accountable to help each other to grow. This is where True Love is going to reflect True Discipleship. If we don’t we will see even more of a falling away of those who are Believers.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NKJV): Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken
Hebrews 3:7-15 (NKJV): Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’  So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’” Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
Maybe it’s time to start looking within our fellowships. Are they focused on building disciples? Are they focused on building others to make disciples? If not, why not?
There are many resources available to us to help build disciples. Of course, we start with The Bible.
What are you doing to create Disciples today?
If you need help in getting something started in your fellowship or group, feel free to reach out and we will see what we can do to help you.
If we are to please God, we need to allow The Holy Spirit to set us apart. We need to pursue a sinless life. We are to seek Righteousness. How do we do it? Through prayer, study, fellowship, being willing to be corrected/accountability, discipleship, and service.
 

It starts with Our Relationship with Jesus. If you don’t have a Relationship with Him or you need to rekindle that Relationship, do it now. Call out to Him and seek his Love and Forgiveness. It really is as hard or easy as you make it.

We should look to Him daily to seek a relationship with Him. I want to encourage you to seek Him today, if you haven’t already. If you need help, have questions or need direction in this regard, please, feel free to let me know.

Maybe today you are struggling with something. Maybe you may have found yourself not as close to The Lord as you thought. We would like to help you in this through prayer and guidance. If you find yourself in need of prayer and/or encouragement, please, feel free to call or text +1 (505) 600-1027 or email cross66info@gmail.com

Or, you can download our app at:  www.pray.com/Cross66.

If you are seeking to grow in your Faith, please check out CCF College at: www.ccfcollege.com/15.html

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