A RECOMMENDATION THAT MAY HELP YOU.

If anyone has read many of my blogs over the years, they will know the major burden of my heart is the fulfilment of the great Commission Matt. 28:18-20 NKJV And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 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, 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.

There have been many different interpretations to these verses, especially in modern evangelism particularly to get people to “make decisions” by praying what is known as “the sinner’s prayer”, and then often told they are now a Christian because they prayed that prayer. Now many who sincerely a prayer of repentance are wonderfully born again, but for many it is only the start of a “pilgrimage” that may lead them to being born again. My experience as a 10 year old boy when I prayed the prayer inviting Jesus into my life and to forgive my sins was a life changing experience, but sadly what Jesus said in the “Great Commission” NEVER took place and so for many years there were many steps forward and almost as many going backwards.

I have highlighted the major principles in the Great Commission found in Matt. 28:18-20 which never took place in my life, and sadly in the lives of many millions of Christians or it has been watered down to that discipling is simply a class one attends for a number of weeks and often to learn the primary “teachings” of the church that conducts the class.

May I define again what I believe Biblical Discipleship is. A DISCIPLE-MAKER WALKING WITH A NEW BELIEVER FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES UNTIL LIVING AS A CHRISTIAN HAS BECOME A LIFESTYLE, AND THAT PERSON HAS BECOME A DISCIPLE-MAKER.

Sometimes, the Disciple-Maker has to discern that the person has truly been born again and has “assurance” of sins forgiven and their names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life even before getting on to the path of Discipleship..

Personally, an aspect of Discipleship that has been a struggle for me over the years has been the importance of what we call ENTIRE SURRENDER, that Jesus is not only my Saviour but that he must ever increasingly become THE LORD,THE BOSS,THE MASTER, THE KING,THE RULER THE OWNER AND PRESIDENT OF MY LIFE. The reality is that unless this become more and more experiential in our lives then we are not growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, that is why I am convinced that teaching in a class situation is very important, we also need someone (a Disciple-Maker) to walk with us into increasing spiritual maturity.

I am so aware this is time consuming, and that is why it is not often done, but even using social media we can communicate daily (if necessary) with the new Believer, but still meet also face to face as often as possible and practical.

My title of this blog is a recommendation to my readers. It is a book/let entitled MY HEART CHRIST’S HOME, written by Robert Boyd Munger (1911-2001) he was a Presbyterian Minister and a Professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, and the booklet has been used widely for example by the Billy Graham organization and The Navigators

I had never heard of him or his book/let our Pastor handed it out a couple of Sundays ago, and I was and continue to be greatly blessed by it. It is available through Kindle and Olive Tree and I have personally purchased a copy and it is now on my e:reader.

I won’t talk about its contents but sincerely hope you will obtain a copy (very inexpensive) and read it a number of times and let the Holy Spirit make the teaching a personally reality.

May I remind you that when we read a statement in our New Testament that when a a statement is made in the Greek text it is in the present continuous tense, and has to become a daily lifestyle. let me give you 2 examples.

Rom.12:1-2 NKJV I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you CONTINUALLY present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

MESSAGE So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life CONTINUALLY—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Eph.5:18-20 NKJV And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be CONTINUALLY filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.

AMP.N.T. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit.
Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [and instruments] and making melody with all your heart to the Lord,
At all times and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.

MESSAGE Don’t drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink CONTINUALLY the Spirit of God, huge draughts of him. Sing hymns instead of drinking songs! Sing songs from your heart to Christ. Sing praises over everything, any excuse for a song to God the Father in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ.

I make no apologies for the repetition of this truth today in this blog for I have personally needed to remind over and over again, in relation to Rom.12:1 I am sure you have heard the saying, “The problem with a “living sacrifice” is that it is always wanting to roll off the altar”!!!!!!!

I thank God today for the ever increasing understand of this truth, so I can be more like Jesus in every way amen.