Mature Zealots ?

In Chapter two Focus on The Fundamentals of Growing True Disciples by George Barna we are challenged to be zealots. George Barna states correctly that; "In the original biblical text, the term used for disciple refers to someone who is a learner or follower who serves as an apprentice under the tutelage of a master." "Discipleship is becoming a complete and competent follower of Jesus Christ." Barna goes on to talk about the intentional training of those who voluntarily submit to the Lordship of Christ', and compares how we understand followers today and in Jesus day.

His conclusion is an eye opener and a challenge to what we understand today. "Discipleship, in other words is about being and reproducing spiritually mature zealots for Christ." I want to focus on the next thought Barna introduces to us at this point. 'We lack an understanding of the circumstance in which the disciples were developed and therefore we minimize the investment required to be a follower of Jesus Christ.' (My paraphase).

This was not a group who were looking for the latest hot prophet and went down to see him do his thing. It was a life changing, difficult and sacrificial thing to follow Jesus. It required great courage to leave what they had been taught for hours on end as Jewish boys growing up and to give it all up (family, reputation, all they had been taught since they began to hear, talk and learn) to follow Him.

The Jewish or Hebrew concept on learning did not separate knowing and doing. If you claimed to believe something everyone knew it because you lived accordingly. If you believed that Jesus was Messiah or Savior of all Israel, you had to completely submit to all He taught by word and deed. There was no turning back!

Barna states: "On the basis of teaching, training, experiences, relationships and accountability, a disciple becomes transformed into the likeness of Jesus." It is from this that these spiritually mature Zealots arise.

Today we have a lot of people who are following Jesus but who have not been taught, who have not had modeled for them and who do not understand what is required to become a real learner and follower of Jesus on His terms. It is because of this 'lack' of understanding and 'lack' of mature models that many believers are not enjoying their salvation and all that comes with it.

There is a price to be paid, effort to be expended and time to be invested if we are to come into that place of becoming 'Mature Zealots' for Christ.

Yes, salvation is by Grace alone! But Lordship, requires that we come into the tutelage and apprenticeship of the Jesus. This requires that we voluntarily "on the basis of teaching, training, experiences, relationships and accountability, become transformed into the likeness of Jesus." This process requires death to our old nature's ways and that we become alive to God's ways. Our worldview must change, our priorities must change, and the way we use our time, money and resources must change until we can truly say, 'His priorities are my priorities.'

Perhaps, you have read this article and that word Zealots is bothering you. Remember Mature Zealots turned the world upside down, they were also know as Disciples of Jesus Christ!

His invitation to you and I is still open today. He still desires Real Disciples!

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN POWER

There is one concept that seems to be the focal point of all that Jesus did and taught. The "Kingdom of Heaven" or "Kingdom of God" is at the very heart of all Jesus did and said. In fact, you could say that His teaching was the proclamation and His actions or works were the doing or demonstration of the Kingdom of God. I shall use the term Kingdom of God to refer to the both of these kingdoms.
(Art bWilliamam Hallmark) http:Christianan-art.biz/ID23faithfulandtrue.htm

When we read the Gospels and the New Testament, we
repeatedly see the terms "Kingdom of Heaven" used 32 times in
Matthew and "Kingdom of God" used 70 times from Matthew to II Thessalonians. This concept, more than any other, depicts the impact and purpose of Jesus coming. The Jewish people longed for Messiah to come and to restore Israel as an independent state with God ruling over His people.

Throughout the period between the Old and New Testaments leaders rose up who had as their primary purpose to see Israel a free nation again. God, however, had another plan. This plan was revealed in the Old Testament, but its true meaning was hidden from most. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus said that he did not come to abolish the law and the prophets, but to fulfill them. In Acts 28:23-30 Paul teaches about the Kingdom of God and Jesus from the five books of Moses and the prophets. We know that the Old Testament law, sacrifices, and prophecies are but a shadow of what Jesus the Messiah (or the Christ) came to do and teach.

This Kingdom of God that Jesus came to proclaim was not what many expected, an earthly Kingdom; it was instead the completion or fulfillment of what they expected, and because of this, it was even greater than their expectations. Lets look at few key verses in order to understand more about this Kingdom of God.
1. In Mk 1:15 we see Jesus telling us the time is fulfilled (there is no more waiting needed); the kingdom of God is near; turn from your sins and believe the good news (Gospel).
2. In I Cor. 15:50 Paul tells those to whom he is writing that flesh and blood cannot inherit this kingdom because the flesh does not last forever.
3. In Acts 28:23-30 it says that if the people hear and obey the good news, they would be cured or mended by God. He would cause them to be well again. This would be healing for the whole person; this would include the body, the soul, and the spirit.

"The Gospel is more than asbestos underwear for the soul." It is about the restoration and freedom of people under the rule or reign of God as their savior and king or lord.

The Kingdom of God as made evident in the New Testament is a Kingdom of people being movedthey th Holy Spirit of God. If we are to havtrulyuely New Testament Church that can once again turn the world upside down and reach this generation with Gomessagesgae of life, it must be one in the power of the Spirit. The people of this generation want more than nice people with a form of religion just as those in the New testament did.

2 Tim 3:4-5 ...rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! NKJV

Is this the reason why people are turning away from churches in growing numbers.

Will you join me in asking God to give us Spirit powered Churches and leaders who will never be the same because of their own encounters with God so that this generation can taste and see that Lord is good and they can discover Him in all His splendor, majesty and be in awe that He chooses to work through and with us?

Becoming Mature in Christ

The Full Measure of the Stature of Christ

When we look at the passage below we notice in verse 12 that the responsibility of the Equippers is threefold. It is to equip God's people to;
1. To do God's work
2. To build up the Church (the people of God) We are to do this until we all come into such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's son that we will become mature;
3. To become Full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.

Ephesians 4:11-13. He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the
apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their
responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church,
the body of Christ, 13 until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of
God's Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the
full stature of Christ. NLT

The progression here is interesting in that we are to be doing ministry even though we are not fully mature (adult in faith) but we are moving toward that goal as we both minister to the world and the Church all the while growing in wisdom, knowledge and experience in the Lord. I will discuss the third part first.

Personal Growth over the centuries there have been many strange ideas about how we gain adulthood or maturity (perfection) in Christ. This passage and others help us to see that although we may have come into a state of perfection at salvation we have to work out that perfection (sanctification) with fear and trebling before the Lord. In other words it is going to take time and hard work to come into the maturity in Christ which we are called to enter into.

Comprehend the Magnitude of the Work of Salvation Quote from the book The Causes and Cure for a Spiritual Depression.

"If we truly understood and embraced the work of our salvation there would be no
ground for the work and results of sin."

Understanding who we are and who we are becoming in Christ. Ephesians 1-3. These chapters have a lot of 'in Him statements' as Neil Anderson has written about at length in his books. Who we are and are becoming includes addition elements as listed below.
Our Motivational Gifts listed in Romans 12
Our Life Context, Our background, culture, spiritual and natural heritage, experience, education Etc.
The Supernatural Gifts of the Holy Spirit Manifested through us Cor 12-14.
The Application of Scripture to our Life in every day living and experience.

When we combine the work and leading of the Holy Spirit into this matrix and you get the Big picture of who we are and are becoming in Christ. These lead to individual maturity as they are collectively applied to life on a daily basis, as we experience the work of God each day.

Principles for Growth and Maturity
Spiritual Disciplines, Bible reading and study, prayer, praise exaltation and worship, fellowship-relationship with other believers, carrying one another's burdens, generosity, meditation, keeping a spiritual journal, memorization, sharing what God is doing in your life (being a witness), etc.
Getting Mended (Sodzso) is defined as to be saved or mended as you would mend a broken bone. Spirit, Soul (Mind, Will, Emotions) Body Saved, Set free or Delivered, Cleansed and Healed.
Biblical Truth Training Taught, Modeled, Caught, and Experienced Learning to move in and operate as led by the Holy Spirit. We must have opportunities to learn to move in or cooperate with the Spirit in a safe and mentored environment.
Apply Biblical Truth (teaching) and Live a life in the God daily.

Acts 17:28 'For in him we live and move and have our
being.' NIV

Our Unique Nature is Our Strength and Our challenge It is the unique combination of the elements that are part of each person who is in Christ by believing and receiving Him as Lord and Savior that makes us so very valuable and allows God to carry out His work to the people of the Earth is so many varied and wonderful ways. It is also our uniqueness that requires individual Coaching-Mentoring as we seek to Fulfill the Call of God on our life and come into the Measure and Stature of Christ!

The above notes are part two of the teaching from the October meeting of the Equippers Network meeting and are the property of wayne Newcomb

Catch the Wonder and Majesty of God’s Vision For Your Life

Catch the Vision-Fulfill the Call
What is your perception of God? Is it grand and full of wonder? Or is it small and common place. The Bible gives us several glimpse of God that display his majesty power and greatness. These passages reveal the wonder of His might and His Glory.

Catch The Vision
If we are to grasp the Call of God on our life we must understand His majesty and greatness. We some times say He is the creator and sustainer of our faith in quoting from the Book of Hebrews. But when is the last time you had a reminder of God as Creator of all that exist?

Job 38:4-5 Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Declare to Me, if you have and know understanding. Who determined the measures of the earth, if you know? Or who stretched the measuring line upon it? AMP Read all of Job chapters 38-42 to get the full picture.

My Job Encounter: Can you keep your lungs and eyes working?
Early in my walk with God I had made a bad choice and I had a God encounter that forever changed my walk with God. God reminded me of what I had learned in high school about the workings of my eyes in all of the details. Then He asked if I wanted to keep them working? He then went on to my lungs and once again reminded me in detail of how they worked and He asked me again if I wanted to keep them working. Realizing that on my own I could not I was struck with awe and fear. My relationship with God took a giant step with that day. I had a renewed and clear understanding of His might, majesty and holiness.

Rev 1:12-16 Our next scriptural view of God's Majesty today is this passage. 12 Then I turned to see [whose was] the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 And in the midst of the lampstands [One] like a Son of Man, clothed with a robe which reached to His feet and with a girdle of gold about His breast. [Dan 7:13; 10:5.]
14 His head and His hair were white like white wool, [as white] as snow, and His eyes [flashed] like a flame of fire. [Dan 7:9.]
15 His feet glowed like burnished (bright) bronze as it is refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. [Dan 10:6.]
16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and from His mouth there came forth a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full power at midday. [Ex 34:29.] AMP Read all of Revelation chapters 1-5 to get a start of this inside look at the wonder of God and His workings.

Answer The call
Isa 6:1-3 and 6:8 This passage brings the majesty of God into a new context. ...I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying:. 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" NIV
The end result of a clear revelation of the majesty and power of God should be awe, fear and a willingness to do what He ask of desires with all of our strength and might. It should fire us up to run the race that is set before us!

Run the Race to Win and Fulfill the Call
When we begin to have the eyes of our heart opened and begin to comprehend the power and work of God within us, when we review the great cloud of witnesses that have gone before us and are reminded of the price Jesus paid for His victory on our behalf we are motivated to not grow weary and lose heart but to look to Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith and the originator of our Call for all that is needed to Fulfill the Call!

Ephesians 1:18-22 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

Heb 12:1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. NIV

UP Next Part two of The Equippers Network October Believers Gathering
How Can We Truly Fulfill Gods Call and Where do We Start?
All material in these teachings are the property of Wayne Newcomb.

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Rising to the call

What Does it mean to be called of God?
How does it happen? Does every believer have a calling?


Can Discover Your calling?
How can you Fulfill God's calling?

Rising to the Call by Os Guinness has some thought provoking truths. Facet by facet this internationally acclaimed Christian thinker examines life and the universal search for its meaning. What is “the call”? Far bigger than our jobs, deeper than our personal accomplishments, higher than our wildest ideas of self-fulfillment, our “calling” addresses the very essence of our existence. Discovering it in times past has changed whole nations and cultures. It could do the same to ours. A classic reflective work in the tradition of C. S. Lewis and Oswald Chambers,now ready to challenge the latest generation of high school and college graduates http://www.thomasnelson.com/


Ephesians 4:11-13 Speaks of the calling or responsibility of The Leaders He has called;
11 And His gifts were [varied; He Himself appointed and gave men to us] some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and teachers.
12 His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ's body (the church),
13[That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ's own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him. AMP

Want to Discover More? Click here Http://equippersedge.blogspot.com

My Soul's Desire

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.",
Psalms 42:1

"My Soul's Desire" By William Hallmark
Used with permission of
http://christian-art.biz/ID19mysoulsdesire.htm