REFLECTIONS
A Chinese proverb says:
“When planning for a year, plant corn,
When planning for a decade, plant trees,
When planning for life, train and educate
people.”
For one generation to adequately take over
from the other, education is needful and compulsory.
The LORD Jesus Christ gave very clear
instructions to His disciples regarding the education of those who would believe in
Him. This would help them about the new life. He commanded them and us to
receive the same education and training – discipleship. Jesus Christ commanded
His disciples:
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.". Mat 28:18-19
And they did. “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and
fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Act 2:42
My Early Christian Life
Several years after becoming a Christian, because of lack of follow-up
and education (discipleship), I ended up in a wrong place. There were many unscriptural
activities being taught. The LORD delivered me from the place and finally became
member of a Bible believing Church.
My Questions after Several Years in the Faith
After several years of attending regular church services, and other
weekly programmes and my own personal time of prayers and Bible study, I had
some questions concerning Jesus Christ’s instructions in Matthew 28:19. He
commanded the disciples to teach the new believers to “observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you:” What were those things that they were to observe (do). This
made me to read and study my Bible the more. It was my desire to know those things. By
then I had read my Bible through not once. Like the Eunuch who travelled
to Jerusalem to worship who said to evangelist Philip, “How can I, except some
man should guide me?” Act 8:31.
I also needed mature believers to teach me those things.
Another question that was coming to my mind about my Church life is that were all these church activities all that the christian life was all about. To find an answer to this question I asked the Pastor in charge of my
church. He was a friendly man and a committed believer. He said to me that I
should go to a particular church which he mentioned by name (he did not mean
it). This particular assembly is known for being strict in matters of dressing, outward comportment, their aggressive evangelism, follow-up of enquirers, new believers and visitors.
Opportunity to Be
Discipled
Many years later, opportunity
to be discipled finally came. I accompanied the Missions and Evangelism team of
my church to one of the outreaches. The outreach subsequently resulted in the
establishment of a Mission Church. Two sisters came from the main church and
discipled few of us that were willing. Then, some of my questions about what
the Christian life was all about were well addressed. It was my first serious
education about some essentials of the Christian life.
Five major things
that we were taught had remained ingrained into my mind and have instructed my
passion to see all men who are saved to be well educated at the onset of their
Christian life – even though discipleship life is a lifelong process and should
be holistic.
THE DISCIPLE’S
CROSS
The four principal
things upon which a believer,s life rest upon were
outlined as these:
They are:
1. Living in God’s
Word – John 8:31-32
2. Praying in faith –
John 15:7
3. Fellowshipping with
believers – John 13:34-35
4. Witnessing to the
world (Evangelism) – John !5:8
These implies the taking up our cross daily to follow the LORD (Luke 9:23).
Prayer and Word in
the vertical dimension while Fellowship and Witness in the horizontal position.
The horizontal bar has as the outcome of Fellowship and Witness – that we serve
our fellow brethren in the Church community and non Christians alike in love.
It was also quite informing that we must love, obey and serve God.
The Disciplers' Lifestyle
I want to place on
record that my disciplers, two sisters, I was older than them in age. The LORD
used them to let me know the basic demands of the LORD Jesus Christ from anyone
who is ready to follow Him. The two sisters were highly responsible, their
relationship very commendable and were modest even in their dressing. They were
role models. We saw through the two sisters that the saving power of Jesus
Christ touches every areas of believers' lives. Our entire life belongs to Him. We learnt also learnt that the sinful lifestyles must be discarded as we come to know Jesus Christ
–serving Him in love, growing in grace, and in obedience. (2 Cor. 5:15)
The DISCIPLESHIP TAB
In the absence of an immediate
mentor/discipler, the Bible is sufficient with its message to prevent us from
errors and sin. The Holy Spirit will also watch over us.
To
be discipled is God’s Plan
Those who are mature in faith should share with
new believers their insights about the demands of the LORD upon our lives. Your
Bible is your first and most important source about your faith. As in the word
of Dr. Alan Martin, Dean, College of Biblical
Studies, Oklahoma Christian University SALLT III 2012 quoting Rod Thompson
(2004) made the following comment: “The most important single factor in the
formation of Christian worldview is our immersion in the Scriptures.”1
Till I
come around again, God’s blessing abide with you always.
*1. My
source of information - www.disciplenations.org
*Some useful
resource materials
For Navigator's resource materials, click on NAVPRESS tab
Others
1. Essentials of
New Life by FRANCIS M. COSGROVE
2. Follow the
Master - Published Sunday School Board
of the Southern Baptist Convention
3. MasterLife -
Published by Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention
4. Serve the Master
- Published by Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention
5. Discipling
Nations -Darrow L. Miller Website: www.disciplenations.org
6. On Mission with
God by Avery T. Willis, Jr. & Henry T. Blackaby
7. Living By The
Book by Howard G. Hendricks & William D. Hendricks
8. For Children:
CEF books and materials. Website: www.cef.online.com
9. Abide in Christ by Andrew Murray and his other
books. Website:
www.tlchrist.info
Side notes:
My request, to the
authors/publishers of these books and materials is that they should consider for the purpose
of “Education,” make available for free use of these materials in PDF format
especially where you cannot find them to buy or as a result of the high
exchange rate, those who would use them cannot afford the cost.
Should any of these people,
publishers/representatives would like to discuss with me, I will be very glad.
I am not unmindful of what are involved to get books published.
My thinking is that if there are
good and very useful books that can help new/old believers to understand their
new life – instead of adapting or writing a similar one, why don’t we work with
authors/publishers if the book cannot be free but to be affordable in the
locality where it is to be used and since there is no monetary rewards to us.
Over the years I have written to some
individuals and publishers. I contacted the publishers of the book titled
“Essentials of New Life” by FRANCIS M. COSGROVE (USA) and Why I became A Christian by an Indian publishers.
They permitted me to use their materials in LifeGate Magazine. The magazine was
not for sale.
CLMN
For those who are interested in Christian
Literature Development in and around Nigeria and Africa in general, you can
click CLMN tab, read about our aims and objectives. Our hopes and aspirations
is to backup the Church in the area of Christian Education.
CLMN trains Christian writers and Editors. We are
interested in Education that promotes biblical worldviews. CLMN work group
provides avenues for God’s people to use their talents, gifts and resources to
the glory of God. None of our facilitators is on the payroll of the mission.
CLMN would open its own blogspot when that is possible but for the
meantime and in the future, I shall maintain this link for the Mission.
We want to update our writers’ and Editors curriculum.
Hopefully also we want to develop the IT curriculum and to keep abreast the technological
developments in the print media world. We would also in turn make such
information available to those who would need them. We are looking forward to link up with producers and marketers of publishing equipments.
By the next posting the LORD enabling, more
information will be posted about our future activities. If you have any relevant information on any area of our interests, contact
me through the e-mail address.
http://lifegateproject2013.blogspot.com
We are ready to cooperate with other Christian
bodies and individuals that share our vision.
LIFEGATE PROJECT, is a work in progress. If you
have suggestions or insights to share that would help strengthen this tool or
encourage others for holistic discipleship life, please pass them on to me.
JESUS IS LORD