THE CHRISTIAN LIFE: Education, a priority

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

10. The Navigators Materials –Books and Discipleship Magazine    Website: www.discipleshiplibrary.com.

11. Materials from Disciple the Nations:    www.disciplenations.org

12. David C Cook  - Bible-in-Life materials

13. For personal study: http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html

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.

lifegate1975@gmail.com

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

ONLINE EDITORIAL

Greetings in the name of the LORD Jesus Christ.

This blog was primarily set up to meet the needs of growing believers through means of lifelong discipleship.

To serve in reaching others so they would come to know Jesus Christ and be saved from their sins.

Thirdly, to link with others with similar vision and mission to exchange ideas

Since discipleship life is holistic I want to find and locate resource materials that are beneficial to Christians in their chosen professions or careers. Where possible train and equip such people.

And subsequently after this first introductory notes, I will use this ONLINE EDITORIAL page to write and comment on issues that are pertinent for this blogging.

Individuals interested in any of the areas in TABS can click and dialogue with me.

More importantly, I am very interested on issues affecting the lives of children, (every aspects of their development) -spiritual upbringing in the knowledge of God, early childhood education, keeping them posted about events and training them on some areas of activities -art, designs, use of computers and asking for what others can offer them.

Since the tabs will reveal all areas of my interest in LIFEGATE PROJECT, I hope to meet people with similar interests.

CLMN - Christian Literature Mission of Nigeria has been included in this project. I am a member of this team and would like to keep brethren posted.

This is a group of Christian brethren moved to serve the body of Christ by producing visual and non-visual materials for Evangelism, Discipleship and Mission work, brethren numbering about Forty (40) from different Fellowships and Churches have organised ourselves into a formidable Association for the promotion and advancement of Christian publications and educational Books/Materials in Nigeria.

We met on October 5th, 1991 and subsequently on January 11th 1992, a five year project proposal of the activities in the  first instance and the name “Christian Literature Mission of Nigeria” was adopted for this Association, which is a Non-denominational, Non-Profit making Christian service Mission. Hopefully CLMN will be online not long.You can read from its tab what we set out to do and have done so far.

Before the next posting, greetings.

And the gospel must first be published among all nations. -Mar 13:10


For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. Galatians 5:13

JESUS IS LORD