Thank God is Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, my God, how seconds get into minutes and minutes get into hour, here come the day running and a week is gone. We thank God all the same for His faithfulness, protections and provisions, may His Name be adorn now and forever.
Taking our Fridays’ this month to talk about “fishing in the Kingdom”. Kingdom business is everybody business. How ready are you? Sometimes the people you meet might be the argumentative type or very difficult individual. Is good to go prepared, by praying and having you message ready.
Sometime, your message must change because of the person you are reaching out to. Is good you have an open mind and let the Holy Spirit lead you so that you minister to need not just reaching out. May God help us Amen.
The kingdom business is a mean business, not for weakling but those who are determined to work in it. God is there to strengthen when the person involved is willing to let Him. If you are the excused type, sorry you may not function effectively in this business.
I suggest you come along with me to have a look at the type of qualification needed to engage in the business. No capital, but profit guaranteed:
Are You Caleb’s Caliber?
Recently I took several friends of mine to visit a 76 year old stalwart of the faith who has influenced scores of men and women for Christ around the world for over a half a century.
During our visit, I was arrested by the love of Christ that radiated from this rugged individual, as he graciously took a few minutes’ leave from the around-the-clock care of his dying wife… his life partner of over 50 years.
As we visited, one of my companions asked, “Bob, what are your aspirations in these latter years of your life, especially as you face the departure of your beloved wife?”
Without hesitation he replied, “To take another mountain for God, as did Caleb.”
You may recall the story of Caleb: After Israel’s trek across the desert from Egypt to Jordan, God commissioned Moses to send 12 spies into the Promised Land, only to have 10 return in fear, and disbelief. The two exceptions of course were Caleb and Joshua, who urged Moses to take the land. (Joshua 13:30)
Forty-five years later Israel had still failed to acquire portions of the land promised to them by God. Caleb, who by now was eighty years of age, rises to the challenge:
“I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I‘m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day… “(Joshua 14:10-12)
SO THE QUESTION IS: “Are you ‘CALEB’S CALIBER’ — like my friend Bob, who, in his old age, still chooses to believe God for new mountains to conquer?”
Or do you resemble the other 10 who shrank back in fear of the giants in the land?
“But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him… “(Hebrews 10:38)
Can you answer the question now? Are you Caleb’s Caliber having gone through the message? It requires tenacity and perseverance to engage in kingdom business. Receive grace to go all the way in Jesus Name!
Below is another handbook to study when you want to engage successfully in the kingdom business. Go through it carefully, study it for effective fishing experience.
Discipling Someone? Consider These Areas Of Concentration
One: Engage him in the Scriptures to discover Christ and apply His truth.
Teaching him to meditate upon and apply God’s Word is generic to knowing Christ.
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him.“(John 14:21)
Two: Disciple him life-on-life.
Both Jesus and Paul believed in the worth of the individual, and so should we:
Jesus: “The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, ‘Follow me‘.“(John 1:43)
Paul: “We dealt with you one by one, as a father deals with his children…”(1 Thessalonians 2:11b neb)
Three: Equip him to multiply his life:
- By helping him develop consistency in (1) Daily time with God, (2) Scripture memory, and (3) Bible study.
“The Scriptures are the comprehensive equipment of the man of God, and fit him fully for all branches of his work.“(2 Timothy 3:17 – J.B. Phillips Translation)
- By helping him discover and utilize his gifts. (1 Corinthians 12-14)
Four: Maintain the centrality of Christ.
At the very core of the discipling effort must be the emphasis on developing intimacy with Christ.
“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.“(1 Corinthians 3:10, 11)
QUESTION: Since example is the most powerful teacher, developing intimacy with Christ is better “caught” than taught. Is your disciple picking up the fact that knowing Christ is your primary passion?
“Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.“(1 Corinthians 11:1)
Always remember we are the bible other will read to know Christ. How are you living your life? is it good enough to represent Christ? Are you an ambassador of Christ?
Wishing you a nice weekend, till next week,
Remain blessed in the Lord.
