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*DAILY DEW 16/APRIL/2023*
*RECEIVING THE TEACHINGS OF YOUR PASTOR - (VII)*
_Key Bible Text:_
*"It was he who gave gifts to people; he appointed some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers. He did this to prepare all God's people for the work of Christian service, in order to build up the body of Christ."* (Ephesians 4:11-12 (GNB))
_Bible Insight:_
Your spiritual growth is tied to your Pastor. The one responsible for your growth in Christ is your Pastor. You cannot read yourself to growth without a Pastor over you (Eph 4:11-12).
You grow by proper feeding, the one responsible for feeding you is your Pastor (and those serving under him), so without a Pastor you can't grow properly. If we could feed ourselves to proper growth God wouldn't have given us Pastors to feed us.
Your Pastor is called and commissioned to feed the lambs (Jn 21:15-17), feed the Church of God (Acts 20:28), the result is that we the congregation (lambs or sheep) will grow (1Pet 2:2).
The writer of Hebrews had so much to teach but his audience couldn't contain it. He couldn't really pour out the much he had received from the Lord for the congregation. This resulted in stunted or no-growth for the Hebrew Christians.
Hebrews 5:11-14
[11]Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
[12]For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
[13]For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
[14]But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
What this congregation did affects us today also. If they were receptive the author would have taught some things that we would have learnt today. But he didn't because his hearers couldn't receive it.
_MEDITATION:_
*"Your inability to receive from your Pastor does not only affect you, it affects what the Pastor can let out and other people in the audience could suffer it too."*
*#Kevin_Ashwe**
*#Daily_Wisdom_for_living*
*#Becoming_More_Like_Jesus*
*#The_Rise_of_An_Army*
*#Daily_Dew_Devotional*
*#Hello_APRIL,2023* â¤
*#Guest_Message*
Links To Visit:
*FB Pages*
https://www.facebook.com/DavidJoshuaEgbochuo/
https://www.facebook.com/thedavidgen/
https://www.facebook.com/THEREVIVALCORPS/
*Telegram Group:*
https://t.me/joinchat/NzXQlVc9Hx7LfaRSnh9fHg
Feel Free to Share with Friends. God bless you...
*DAILY DEW 15/APRIL/2023*
*DISCIPLESHIP LED GROWTH* (V)
_Key Bible Text:_
*"But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet."* Acts 5:1-2 (KJV))
_Bible Insight:_
The story of Ananias and Sapphira's untimely, avoidable and unfortunate tragic death is one we must not forget in a hurry. We must actually take time to gather every lesson we can think of, each time we pore over that story.
But rather than see death of a couple, there is one death we always need to see but fail to see if care is not taken.
The challenge of discipleship as we have pointed out in this series is lack of ability to do away with Self or selfishness. Inability to bear with being vulnerable. However, while we hold on tightly and unwisely to this, we lose something else, which is the blessedness of the being accountable, responsible and discipleship ready!
Christ himself was very accountable. First to His parents and later to His closest disciples. They ask questions and he answers. He was not un-questionable. Not once. That is the challenge. We don't like to be like that either for the disciple or the discipler.
Discipleship is the death of lack of accountability and irresponsibility. When you brace up for the challenge of discipleship, you find out that you yield to being accountable. When you become accountable, you attract the blessing of being consistent in your growth strides in this journey of faith.
Ananias and his wife died unnecessarily not because they lied. Actually they lied because they had not embraced accountability. Their lack of being accountable led to their lying. Actually, all they needed to say was, "we sold the land for so and so but please we kept back so and so to ourselves." Nobody would have faulted and even if in the unlikely event they were to be faulted, they would never have died unnecessarily because they had passed the test of accountability.
If you are not ready to become accountable as a believer, you are not ready. Really. You cannot be a follower of Jesus, and not relinquish your right to being your own Lord and Master to yourself. Once you truly receive Jesus as Lord, you must learn to become submissive and accountable to spiritual oversight.
_MEDITATION:_
*"If you struggle to yield to accountability checks, remember that Jesus who was equal with God, relinquished his right temporarily and became accountable to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit and even to his disciples. If Jesus can, why can't you?"*
*#David_Joshua_Egbochuo*
*#Daily_Wisdom_for_living*
*#Becoming_More_Like_Jesus*
*#The_Rise_of_An_Army*
*#Daily_Dew_Devotional*
*#Hello_APRIL,2023* â¤
Links To Visit:
*FB Pages*
https://www.facebook.com/DavidJoshuaEgbochuo/
https://www.facebook.com/thedavidgen/
https://www.facebook.com/THEREVIVALCORPS/
*Telegram Group:*
https://t.me/joinchat/NzXQlVc9Hx7LfaRSnh9fHg
Feel Free to Share with Friends. God bless you...
*DAILY DEW 14/APRIL/2023*
*DISCIPLESHIP LED GROWTH* (IV)
_Key Bible Text:_
"Jesus drew near and said to them, *I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age."* Mark 28:18-20
_Bible Insight:_
*Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples*
This is not a suggestion made by Jesus. It is the command for everyone who claims to follow Jesus.
Making disciples is the whole essence and fabric of Christianity. Understanding this is very key. To truly follow the example of Christ is to embrace this command and work towards it.
This was a pattern and example laid down by Christ. You will see how easily the first church continued almost like one big family, even as they were increasing in number.
Acts 2:44-46 (KJV) captures the picture:-
*"And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart"*
This was the way the church started. Everyone was there for others. The idea of SELF was dealt with so badly, along with all that comes with selfishness.
Discipleship means vulnerability, selflessness, oneness, and obviously, love and compassion.
_MEDITATION:_
"Have you thought of discipleship as a subject seriously? Take a book on discipleship this month and read. Consider, Rediscovering Discipleship, by Robby Gallaty. Ask me for the PDF version if you need it.
*#David_Joshua_Egbochuo*
*#Daily_Wisdom_for_living*
*#Becoming_More_Like_Jesus*
*#The_Rise_of_An_Army*
*#Daily_Dew_Devotional*
*#Hello_APRIL,2023* â¤
Links To Visit:
*FB Pages*
https://www.facebook.com/DavidJoshuaEgbochuo/
https://www.facebook.com/thedavidgen/
https://www.facebook.com/THEREVIVALCORPS/
*Telegram Group:*
https://t.me/joinchat/NzXQlVc9Hx7LfaRSnh9fHg
Feel Free to Share with Friends. God bless you...
*DAILY DEW 13/APRIL/2023*
*DISCIPLESHIP LED GROWTH* (III)
_Key Bible Text:_
*"The two disciples heard him say this and went with Jesus. Jesus turned, saw them following him, and asked, "What are you looking for?" They answered, "Where do you live, Rabbi?" (This word means 'Teacher.') "Come and see," he answered. (It was then about four o'clock in the afternoon.) So they went with him and saw where he lived, and spent the rest of that day with him."* (John 1:37-39 (GNB))
_Bible Insight:_
Jesus model of discipleship is not as simple or convenient as we would desire it. It is focused,intensive, close, and one on one in pattern. Its modus risks what we sometimes call, "see finish"
This sort of openness hinders secrecy or some level of packaging. It is effective for godly modeling however, because of its much vulnerability.
In discipleship, the one administering the role of the discipler is supposed to show both strengths and how they cope with weakness.
This arrangement does not allow for hypocrisy. As a matter of fact, hypocrisy and unrepentant inconsistency of character is the source of many deviant and rebellious children of pastor kids. These parents who are supposed to be Christian standards or models fall short of what is expected without repenting but rather excuse their weakness and (mis)use scriptures to shamelessly justify them.
This also hinders effective discipleship. Effective discipleship only happens when men are so affected by the word of God, that they spare neither themselves or others around them, in living by God's standards.
1 Timothy 4:16, rightly says *"Watch yourself and watch your teaching. Keep on doing these things, because if you do, you will save both yourself and those who hear you"*
Do you have a discipler!? Are you a disciple? Are you prepared to take up the role of discipling some other believers for Christ? Are you even living conscious of the demands of Jesus model of discipleship?
_MEDITATION:_
"Jesus drew near and said to them, *I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age."* Mark 28:18-20
*#David_Joshua_Egbochuo*
*#Daily_Wisdom_for_living*
*#Becoming_More_Like_Jesus*
*#The_Rise_of_An_Army*
*#Daily_Dew_Devotional*
*#Hello_APRIL,2023* â¤
Links To Visit:
*FB Pages*
https://www.facebook.com/DavidJoshuaEgbochuo/
https://www.facebook.com/thedavidgen/
https://www.facebook.com/THEREVIVALCORPS/
*Telegram Group:*
https://t.me/joinchat/NzXQlVc9Hx7LfaRSnh9fHg
Feel Free to Share with Friends. God bless you...
*DAILY DEW 12/APRIL/2023*
*DISCIPLESHIP LED GROWTH* (II)
_Key Bible Text:_
*"And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,"* (Mark 3:14 (KJV))
_Bible Insight:_
Stadium full crusades and 100,000 capacity churches that get filled two to three times every Sunday, are really great feats to achieve. No amount of criticism can rubbish such great gatherings and efforts at preaching the Gospel or doing the great commission. I believe Jesus used such methods too, considering the feeding of the five thousand from five loaves and two fishes and the likes.
As wonderful as these mass evangelism and mass teaching of the word is, IT CANNOT REPLACE the NEED for one on one or small circle discipleship, like Jesus did.
We must never grow so big that we outgrow the examples and principles of Jesus. We must at all times strive to keep that structure and pattern of Jesus with little or no modification.
Thus, adopting both large scale, commercial size methods of doing the great commission as well as one on one, small circle discipleship must be the way forward.
Unfortunately, the present generation have leaned too heavily on the large scale, mass teaching of believers. This is, I believe, responsible for the present decline in the standard of believers and the standard of Christianity generally.
God wanted us all to become shining super stars, in our little corners, spreading all around the place (as we see in the book of Acts where mere table servers or ushers also doubled as miracle working evangelists) but instead we created a system that raises a few super stars and we gather crowds to come watch the super stars Sunday after sunday, especially.
We must return to more emphasis on one on one, small circle discipleship. When we do, then and only then, are we going to have the increase of churches and Christianity translate to increase of godliness, shining character and integrity in the nations of our generation.
_MEDITATION:_
*One small gathering of small committed believers who are properly discipled, is more to be desired than a mammoth crowd of mixed multitude who do not actually represent Christ, even though they love to identify themselves as Christians.*
*#David_Joshua_Egbochuo*
*#Daily_Wisdom_for_living*
*#Becoming_More_Like_Jesus*
*#The_Rise_of_An_Army*
*#Daily_Dew_Devotional*
*#Hello_APRIL,2023* â¤
Links To Visit:
*FB Pages*
https://www.facebook.com/DavidJoshuaEgbochuo/
https://www.facebook.com/thedavidgen/
https://www.facebook.com/THEREVIVALCORPS/
*Telegram Group:*
https://t.me/joinchat/NzXQlVc9Hx7LfaRSnh9fHg
Feel Free to Share with Friends. God bless you...