When Does Discipleship Begin? No

 When Does Discipleship Begin?

"And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him." (Matthew 4:18-22, NKJV)

"And seeing the multitudes,He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:1-3)

Jesus called Simon Peter and his brother Andrew to follow Him and they immediately left their nets and followed. They were not going on sightseeing with Jesus; they decided to follow Jesus for as long as He remained on earth. They gave up their livelihood and strove to become fishers of men. Could they have followed Jesus and remained fishermen? No way. When did they become disciples of Jesus? One thing is clear: except for Judas Iscariot, they were still disciples at the crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. In other words, from the moment they decided to follow Jesus, they were involved in a life apprenticeship program with Him. Judging from the words of Jesus in Matthew 4:19, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”, there was a process between the commencement of following Jesus and Jesus making them fishers of men. The 'making' process was not a sprint but rather a marathon. 

With regards to Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, it is important to note that they had a prior encounter with Jesus in John 1. The Bible says: "One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone)." (vs. 41-42)

Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist and after he met Jesus, he told his brother Simon about Him. The interesting thing here is that both of them (Simon and Andrew) seemed to be anticipating the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Later on in Matthew 4, Jesus called them to follow Him after fasting and praying for 40 days and 40 nights. 

The narratives in Matthew 4:19 and Matthew 5:1-3, indicate that by the time Jesus began preaching the Sermon on the Mount, Simon Peter, his brother Andrew and others were already disciples, presumably at the early stage of their discipleship. Does it make any difference when one becomes a disciple? 

There are many individuals who claim to be Christians and who say they have accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour. Most of them are sincere but their lives portray a lack of total surrender to Jesus, a lackadaiscal approach to spiritual matters, a blaise attitude towards Bible Study, Prayer, and Evangelism. They embrace easy believism (a belief that they are saved because they said a prayer with no real conviction of sin or repentance). Many nations that are experiencing a proliferation of churches are experiencing harsh economic situations, corruption, nepotism, tribalism, etc. The question is: why are these nations experiencing such economic woes, political turmoils, corruption in high and low places when the rise in the number of churches should indicate a rise in righteousness? The truth of the matter is that true discipleship is not measured by an increase in church attendance or a proliferation of churches. People atttend churches for a variety of reasons including spiritual growth, fellowship with the brethren, and unfortunately false doctrine. Many churches and ministries perpetrate compromised teachings in order to attract members. 

Peter and his brother Andrew may not have understood everything but they followed Jesus, not just physically but with all their heart, all their soul, all their mind and all their strength. They let go and let God. The one who really desires to follow God will grow in leaps and bounds ireespective of challenges. Discipleship begins at the point of total surrender to Jesus. It is unprofitable to hold anything back from Jesus. Have you surrendered 100% to Jesus? Is He your Master? Are you following Him obediently, unreservedly and unwaveringly? Do you realise that you can do nothing without Jesus? If you can answer the above questions in te affirmative, then you are a disciple of Jesus. Remember, a disciple is a perpetual learner and grows exponentially in the Christian faith.

May God bless you as you internalise this message and enable you to be a true disciple of Jesus. God is ggood and Jesus is Lord.

Jesus ~ The Fulfilment of The Law

Jesus ~ The Fulfilment of the Law

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

(‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬, NKJV‬‬)

According to Isaiah 9:6, prophesied 700 years before Jesus was born, He was going to be called:

• Wonderful ~ Beyond human comprehension; His life, wisdom, and works are astonishing and divine.
• Counselor ~ Perfect wisdom and guidance; Not human advice, but divine direction.
• Mighty God ~ The Messiah is God Himself; not just a prophet or teacher; Christ’s divinity is indisputable. 
• Everlasting Father ~ He is the source of eternal life; He cares for His people with a fatherly, eternal love. 
• Prince of Peace ~ He brings peace with God (salvation), inner peace (spiritual rest) and future global peace (His kingdom)

and of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end. Even now, God is at work and His Kingdom is being established. Hallelujah. The situation of things may look grim but God is working out His perfect plans and purposes.

What does this all mean? First and foremost, we must acknowledge that this prophecy has been fulfilled. Jesus was born by the virgin Mary who was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Jesus lived on this earth for thirty-three and a half years, without spot or blemish, was crucified, died and was buried. On the third day, He rose from the dead according to the Scriptures (Psalm 16:9-11; Isaiah 53:10; Matthew 12:39-40; Luke 24:4-7, 26; Acts 2:25)

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 states:

“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” (NKJV)

The birth, death and resurrection of Jesus were prophesied and fulfilled. Is there anything too hard for God? NOTHING!

My brethren, I announce to you today that God is fully in control. Do not despair; do not fret; do not panic; do not lose hope; walk by faith and not by sight. Jesus is coming soon, be prepared. God has your back. God bless you.

The Sacrifice of Love

The Sacrifice of Love

“And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭18‬, ‭21‬-‭25‬, NKJV‬‬)

God created a helper for Adam. God created Eve for Adam. In other words, Eve was created to help Adam fulfil God’s calling upon his life. In verses 19 and 20 of Genesis 2, the Bible says:

“Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.” (NKJV‬‬)

Adam had responsibilities before Eve was created. Eve was not created into a world of her own; she was created from Adam’s rib (being part and parcel of him) to enhance his relationship with God and to enable him fulfil God’s purpose for his existence. Conversely, Adam was incomplete without Eve. The implication here is that God never intended for the husband and wife to go separate ways or for them to be on their own. It was not and never will be about him or her; it will always be about both of them together. The husband and the wife have challenging responsibilities. Being part of God's plan for the fulfillment of His plan for your spouse is what love is all about. Of course, there are mutual benefits but those benefits would pale into insignificance if the greater responsibilities are ignored. Sacrificial love is the key.  

Now, in Ephesians 5, we read 

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.” (Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭25‬-‭29‬, NKJV‬‬)

This is some powerful stuff. The ministry of the husband is to love his wife, just as Christ loves the Church. What does that mean? This love is far above and beyond emotions (although emotions are good and necessary); it is unconditional and sacrificial love. It is a command for the husband to think less of himself and more of his wife. 

In fact, marriage was intended primarily for dual ministration (physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally and otherwise), more for holiness than happiness ~ husband to wife and wife to husband. Think about it. If the primary concern of the husband in the marital relationship was his wife and not himself and vice versa, what sort of marriages would we have? Show me a woman who would not die for a man who really loves her. Men, do you get the point? 

Show me a man who would not die for a woman who honours and respects him who does not nag but supports and gently points him in the right direction if he is going all over the place? Can you imagine how that man would feel if his wife knows about his vulnerabilities but delights in him? Show me a woman who knows that her husband loves her despite her flaws, does not scream at her when she gets it wrong but understands; does not always try to be the teacher but basks in the privilege and opportunity to be a quiet supporter; does not always speak but allows his acts of compassion and love to shout ‘Hallelujah’ and I will show you a woman who would follow her husband to the ends of the earth. 

The big question is ~ how do we get there? Let me start by saying that any marriage that does not incorporate sacrifice in a literal sense is doomed. Marriage is not about us; it is about God and the one that He has brought to us. And believe me, if Christian men and women had this mindset, the engagement and courtship process would be shorter, easier and sweeter. Very often, the question asked is: 'what can he or she do for me?' instead of 'what can I do for him or her?'. Think about it ~ if the man approached marriage with the mindset of sowing into the life of his bride, how much more rewarding, fulfilling and liberating marriage would be?  If the bride approached marriage knowing that her primary responsibility in the marriage was the uplifting of her husband, how peaceful and exhilarating the marital relationship would be.

So, we are confronted with a serious problem and that is that the focus of many marital relationships is self-benefit as opposed to sacrificial enhancement of the other. Of course there are benefits/blessings in getting married but that should not be the emphasis.

Jesus demonstrated such sacrificial love. He came so that ~ “…He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” It is clear that the greater responsibility is our contribution towards the establishment of the other individual in the relationship. That is something to think about. 

Understanding God’s purpose in marriage breeds patience, humility, sacrificial ministration and accountability to God. We will give account of our spouses to God (how we treated them, whether we understood what God created them for, whether we prayed for them, whether we loved them,…)

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”

‭‭(John‬ ‭15‬:‭7‬-‭10‬, NKJV‬‬)

Jesus was willing to let Judas Iscariot go, not because He wanted to but because Judas made the choice. That is sacrifice in love. Love without sacrifice is meaningless. Sometimes, one’s love for someone may mean losing the person because of respect for their choices. That’s a hard place to be but possible through the love of God shed abroad in our hearts (Romans 5:5). It is possible for one to love another without being loved in return. Jesus washed the feet of Judas Iscariot as lovingly as He did with the feet of the other disciples, knowing that he would betray Him. We cannot force people to love us and one of the most challenging and difficult aspects of love is respecting their choices especially when they do not reciprocate your love for them. It's tough but with God all things are possible. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (NKJV)

True love is selfless. Jesus died on the cross hated, ostracised, humiliated, tortured, forsaken, mocked, disrespected and enduring such indescribable pain and suffering. Yet He loved His persecutors saying, “… Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭34‬, NKJV). 

No wonder Jesus said, "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you." (Luke 6:27-28,NKJV)

Loving someone who despises you or does not have the same thoughts for you is tough and impossible without the Holy Spirit. Sacrificial love ~ agape love (unconditional love) is what true love is all about. It always seeking the best of everyone. 

"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8, NKJV)

May God enable us to love unconditionally and sacrificially. God bless you.

The New Year 2026

 The New Year 2026

What will 2026 bring? Has it got the power to create or produce anything? Are numbers responsible for what has happened in the preceding years? Did events that occurred in 2025 take place simply because the year was 2025 or were the events planned and orchestrated by people? This brings us to an important question: What are we really expecting in 2026, individually and collectively? Did we achieve by December 31st, 2025 what we resolved to achieve on January, 1st, 2025? If we were succesful in achieving our goals, did they just happen or did they require effort and good thinking from us?

I ask these questions because year after year, people desire for changes in the new year. They are hopeful that things would change for the better, spiritually, emotionally, materially, physically or otherwise. And there is nothing wrong with hoping for the best. They are usually enthusiastic about the new year and are happy to be part of the transition from one year to another (new) year. Some succeed in their plans, others fail miserably and by this time next year may be preparing to go through the motions again. There are other questions that need to be answered such as what plans are made? and for what purpose? are these short-term, medium-term or long-term plans? You will agree that perspective is a key factor. What does that mean?

Well, are our plans designed for life on earth or life after death or both? What is the ultimate goal? Is it to please ourselves or to please God? Are the plans designed for the short time we have on earth or are the plans for the after-life?

The Bible says: "... it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, " (Hebrews 9:27)

So, there are many plans, many perspectives, many experiences, many results but ultimately one inescapable fact. We shall all die and then face judgement. While we hope for success in 2026, each of us is getting older by the day and one day whether in 2026 or many years down the line, we shall depart from this earth. We must remember that we all have one life. Those of us alive are planning and hopefully executing plans for existence on earth. Many people want to initiate changes to their 2025 experience; whatever the case may have been, they need a better situation in 2026.

Is there anything wrong with planning? No. In fact, it has been said failure to plan is planning to fail. The bigger question is: Are we planning for eternity or are we planning for brevity or vanity? My friends, life is short and while it is important to live responsibly, planning must, of necessity, take into consideration our inevitable end here of earth. This is not a trip into morbidity, rather is a confrontation with reality. None of us knows how long we have; and we are not in a position to determine that. God has put in place the unavoidable certainty of life ~ all will die irrespective of status, height, weight, heritage, possessions, influence, ethnicity, etc.

On the first day of the New Year 2026, it seems reasonable to reflect on the issues of life. It seems absolutely necessary to ponder on what we are here on earth for; our pursuits; our desires; our expectations; the fundamental realities we are confronted with day after day. It makes a lot of sense to put things in context. If we live to see 2027, 2026 would be a memory by then just as 2025 is a memory today. Changes are inevitable in life but there is one thing that will never change, that is the Word of God. Jesus said:

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away" (Matthew 24:35).

The Word of God will never pass away and death and judgement will come after all the earthly planning. By all means, lets plan for eventualities but let us remember to plan for eternity. This brings us to another important question. How do we plan for eternity. Let me start by quoting three Scriptural passages:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)

"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

Jesus is the Way to eternal life and He is the only Saviour. Jesus came to earth to die so that we might live. Beyond the considerations and preparations for 2026, we must plan for our departure from this earth. Many who hoped to see 2026 passed away before the end of 2025; many are in hospitals for unforeseen accidents and illnesses; many have no clue how to navigate 2026 because of dire circumstances; many are lost in the complications of life and the horizon looks dark for them. Yes, we must thank God for bringing us to a new year but we must also ask ourselves the important question ~ where shall I spend eternity?

I have written the above lines in the hope that you would pause and think about eternity. Ironically, many plan for temporary situations but ignore the need for reflections on eternity.

The basic choice we all have is either to accept and receive Jesus or reject Him. Have you received Jesus? If He your Saviour and Lord? OR have you rejected Him? I am appealing to you to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour so that you will be saved from the bondage of sin and the devil and will eventually spend eternity in Heaven. Alternatively (and the choice is yours) if you reject Him, you will spend eternity in hell. Come to Jesus today.

Those of you who have already received Jesus, resolve to love Him more with all your heart, with all your soul, with allyour mind and with all your strength.

God bless you and have a happy, blessed and prosperous New Year in 2026.

Works of the Flesh versus the Fruit of the Spirit

 The Works of the Flesh versus the Fruit of the Spirit 

"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:19-24, NKJV)

The works of the flesh are the manifestation of the sinful nature whereas the fruit of the Spirit is evidence of the character of Jesus. The works of the flesh are opposed to the fruit of the Spirit. It is impossible to walk in the flesh and in the Spirit at the same time. The two paths are diametrically opposed to each other. 

Jesus displayed the fruit of the Spirit throughout His ministry on earth. Anyone who is not totally surrendered to God cannot manifest the fruit of the Spirit. If the Holy Spirit is not fully in control, the fruit of the Spirit cannot be evident. The fruit of the Spirit does not belong to anyone but the Holy Spirit who testifies of Jesus here on earth. To bear fruit, the believer must abide in Jesus. In John 15:1-5, the Bible says, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (NKJV)

No one can bear fruit without abiding in Jesus. The attributes of the fruit of the Spirit cannot be experienced by wishful thinking or by might. They will manifest only when the believer loses himself or herself in Jesus. Jesus is the Vine, believers are the branches and just as the branches must be completely rooted in the vine, so believers must be totally rooted in Jesus to manifest the fruit of the Spirit. The one who demonstrates the fruit of the Spirit has crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. The Bible says that in Romans 8:6-8, "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God." (NKJV)

Wow. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. The Amplified Version of the Bible renders Romans 8:7-8 this way:

"the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile to God. It does not submit itself to God’s law, since it cannot, and those who are in the flesh [living a life that caters to sinful appetites and impulses] cannot please God."

Hostility to God is a fulltime activity of the mind of the flesh ~ the carnal mind. No wonder the mind of the flesh (the carnal mind) cannot please God. It is just impossible. Works of the flesh tell a story of carnality whereas the fruit of the Spirit indicates true spirituality rooted in Jesus, manifestewd by the power of the Holy Spirit and glorifying God 24/7.

So the question to be asked is simply this: Are you glorifying God? Is  love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control evident in your life. I watched someone on YouTube say something very profound. He asked what juice would come out of an orange when pressed, when presseure is applied to it? Noone in his or her right mind would expect coconut water from a sqeezed orange. Even without notice, the result of applying pressure to an orange or any other fruit would be the juice associated with it. Nothing more or less. 

The question we have to answer is what will come out of us when we are squeezed? when we face pressure? when things are not going well? when our expectations are not realized? You know Jesus said in Matthew 15:11

"It is not what goes into the mouth of a man that defiles and dishonors him, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles and dishonors him." (AMP)

So what comes out of you? What do people see or feel when they contact you? ~ the works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit. A thriving relationship with Jesus will put you on the right side - God's side and you will no longer be at enmity with God. I want to end this message by stating that the one who is at enmity with God cannot win. God can never be defeated. 

May the Word of God dwell in you richly and bring forth His blessings into your life as you heed His Word. God bless you. 

The Great Commission

 The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 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, 20 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. (Matthew 28:18-20, NKJV)

Commission is defined as "an instruction, command, or role given to a person or group." (Oxford Languages Dictionary). Jesus gave an instruction/command to His disciples before His ascension into Heaven. That instruction/command is called The Great Commission which focuses on making disciples in all the nations.

Considerations from The Great Commission:

1. All authority has been given to Jesus.
2. The Command is to GO for all disciples irrespective of position or status within Christendom. The disciple maker must of necessity be a disciple.
3. The tasks given are
• Making disciples
• Baptizing the disciples
• Teaching them all that Jesus taught
4. The continuous presence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit is with those who are obedient to The Great Commission.

Believers have a guarantee for fruitfulness in Jesus - “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me." (John 15:1-4, NKJV)

To be fruitful in what we have been commissioned to do, we must abide in Jesus. 

In John 8:31, the Bible says "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed"  (NKJV). Abiding in Jesus means abiding in God's Word. It follows that one who makes disciples must be a student of God's Word ~ reading, studying and meditating on the Word of God. This is a loose aspect of the life of the one commissioned to make disciples; it is of utmost importance and of topmost priority. 

What does it take to make a disciple of Jesus? It is important to remember that we cannot give what we do not have. In other words, it is only a disciple who can make another disciple. Jesus stipulated some conditions for discipleship that are as relevant today as they were 2000 years ago.

1. Denying Oneself: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it" (Luke 9:23-24). This implies giving up things that are  legitimately yours for the expansion of the Kingdom of God. It goes without saying that it will involve sacrifice.
2. Hating One's Life and Bearing One's Cross: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:26-27). This means loving Jesus more than anything or anyone to the extent of laying down one's life for Him. It is not possible to bear one's cross without surrendering one's life to Jesus. Finally there is a cross to bear because the Christian race is not a walk in the park. There are challenges and tests of faith that the disciple of Jesus will have to face.
3. Forsaking All:  "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:33). The disciple of Jesus cannot afford to be tied down by anything. Jesus said, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-20). In other words, nothing on this earth has the power to distract the disciple. It is impossible to lay treasures in Heaven if one's heart is on earth.

Discipleship requires a heart that is genuinely prepared to give up everything in a literal sense if Christ so requires. Stewardship not ownership is the underlying principle. This, my friends, is the challenge of the Great Commission. Many people talk about it but they are unable to obey the Great Commision because their hearts are not in the right place. Many are so earthly bound that they are unable to be functional in the Kingdom of God even though they know a lot of Christaneze. It is impossible to be a disciple of Jesus if sacrifice is not embraced. 

The Great Commission is not about saying, "Do as I say, don't do as I do". The disciplemaker must of necessity be a disciple of Jesus. So the Great Commission speaks to us individually in the first instance and invariably asks the question ~ Are you a disciple of Jesus?

It can be said without a shadow of doubt and/or fear of contradiction that the reason many are not making disciples is that they are not disciples of Jesus. It is impossible to be a disciple-maker if you are not a disciple. This is something to think about. 

What we need to do is to examine ourselves to check whether we are disciples. From all indications, the disciples of Jesus as well as other members of early church made disciples. They did not expect people to flock to the assembly of believers without going out to minister to them. That is why discipleship and evangelism are connected; they go hand in glove. Evangelism is the first part in the process of discipleship. Discipleship is a lifelong process. To make a disciple, become one yourself.

May God minister to you as you ponder over this.

Leaving All To Follow Jesus

Leaving All To Follow Jesus

"So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him." (Luke 5:1-11, NKJV)

Simon lent Jesus his boat so that He could teach the people. We are not told how long Jesus spent teaching the multitude. We are told that they "pressed about Him to hear the word of God,". When Jesus stopped speaking, He instructed the fishermen including Simon to launch into the deep and cast their nets down for a catch. Remember Jesus was a carpenter by profession. These seasoned fishermen must have wondered what Jesus was really saying but Peter responded humbly recognising the Person and authority of Jesus, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” The command of Jesus was a seemingly senseless command but with God nothing is impossible. In other words, when God commands, no matter how odd it sounds, we should obey. The fishermen obeyed and they caught so much fish that they signaled to other fishermen for help to load the boats with the fish they had caught after a night of fruitless labour. Really amazing!

They caught so much fish that the boats began to sink. What a haul of fish; enough to compensate their disappointing and fruitless outing and more than sufficient to boost their depleting money accounts. Interestingly, the amount of fish they caught moved Peter to fall down on his knees before Jesus and acknowledge his sin. "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”, he said. 

Have you acknowledged your sin and repented of it before Jesus? Have you received Jesus as Lord and Saviour? The Bible says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:" (John 1:12, NKJV). Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6) and He can set you free from sin today. Only Jesus can deliver you from the bondage of sin and the lies and deception of Satan. Come to Jesus today!

One would have thought that Peter and his colleagues would have rejoiced after catching so much fish and that they would have sold them to make a lot of money. Instead, the Bible says that they forsook all and followed Jesus. Jesus was more important to them than all the fish and money in the world. Fish and money will come to an end but the Word of God will never pass away. Remember that Jesus is the Living Word of God. Peter and his partners were astonished at the amount of fish they caught; that brought Peter to his knees and consequently led to him following Jesus wholeheartedly. A close encounter with Jesus produces a radical transformation in an individual. 

Fulfilment does not come from material things. The very thing that Peter had toiled for all night unsuccesfully was presented to him miraculously but in the end he forsook all to follow Jesus. Jesus is worth more than all of us and our possessions put together. At the end of the day, the question to answer is ~ Whose side are you on? Jesus' or Satan's? Jesus will never lead you astray and that is why it is worthwhile following Him unreservedly just as Peter did. 

The English say, "You cannot eat your cake and have it". Seeking fulfulment in life and staying in your comfort zone is a contradiction in terms. Something has to give. Peter discovered that sustenance is derived from the Source (Jesus); the catch of fish was a miracle and rather than settle for the miracle, he went after the miracle-maker, Jesus Christ. It made a lot of sense. It is often said "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man To fish, and you feed him for a lifetime". The encounter Peter had with Jesus opened his eyes to God's high calling for his life ~ catching of men. It would be fair to say that Peter reasoned that if at the command of Jesus, fish could be caught in such abundance, then the higher calling would be a great possibility. Don't allow the devil to rob you of your destiny. Respond to the calling of God upon your life to the ministry of reconciliation. This is what the Bible says about that.

" Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:18-19, NKJV)

You have been given the ministry of reconciliation and the word of reconciliation. Go and preach the Gospel to all creatures (Mark 16:15) and go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). As you forsake all to follow Jesus (just as His disciples did), the blessings of God will be your portion in Jesus' Name. May God richly bless you today and always in Jesus' Name.