Thursday, February 22, 2007
Protege (Discipleship)
Just went to watch this show 'Protege'. Basically, it is about this 'big boss' who is one of the main dealer in the Heroine trafficking trade and one of his trusted disciple (protege) who is actually a undercover from the Police force. This protege had been with the banker for 7 years, and the banker trusts him and was about to hand over his business to him. But before he can do that, he had to teach him all about the drug trafficking at a higher level. ... the rest of the story you can go and watch the show to find out.
Anyway, there was a few 'take-home' and I shall just share about one of them.
Through this show, the Lord showed me the meaning of this word "Discipleship".
In the show, the banker was basically discipling his protege (of course in a wrong business). In Christian life, we also talk about discipleship.
Christian discipleship is a concept that was born when Jesus chose His first followers. A disciple, by definition, is a convinced adherent of a school or individual. In the case of Jesus, His disciples were those who followed Him while He was on earth, as well as those who continue to follow He and His teachings today.
And in Matthew 28, we are called to "Make disciple of all nations". As mentioned in my previous entry, discipleship is never easy. Being a leader/spiritual mother of 5 currently, and 2 of them had been following me for more than a year, if you ask me is it hard? yes of course it will be. But I will press on. Discipleship is about life transformation!
Through this show, God showed me a few things of what it means to disciple:
(i) Trust your disciple
(ii) Bring into your life
(iii) Willing to be discipled
(i) Trust(love)
The key to discipleship is firstly trust, and love. We have to trust them, and to love them. Some things different from the show and true discipleship is that for them, trust is important so that you will not be betrayed. But in Christian discipleship, we talk about trusting in love. God commands us to love one another. In fact, in the bible, John 13:35, Jesus said to His disciples: "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
(ii) Bring into your life
The banker brought his protege into his life, allowing him to be like his own family member, and practically bringing the protege by his side to watch him. In this same way, we can disciple by showing them our lives. We impact them and teach them through the life we live, through the way we reach out to God and to others. Jesus also discipled in the same way! Through His life on Earth, His disciples were almost always by His side, watching Him do the miracles, and bring taught by Him. Although in this modern and busy world it will be almost impossible for us to have our disciple to live with us, eat with us, and spend everyday together, we can still connect to each other. Or rather, all the more we MUST connect and spend time together. As Hebrew 10:25 says: "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
(iii) Willing to be discipled
Other then discipling, the one discipled also have their role to play. In the show, the protege was willing (well of course that's because he was a undercover and needed to find out more). Jesus' disciples was also willing. In Mark 1:16-18 as Jesus calls His first disciples, " 16As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 18At once they left their nets and followed him.". The fishermen abandoned their living rice bowl to follow Jesus, someone whom they had only just met. How much are you willing to let go to follow Jesus? How much are you willing to be discipled?
"Father I thank you for what you have showed me today. I pray for those who have read this reflection, to those who are discipling to be encouraged to press on, and to those discipled (which means all of us who are willing to follow Christ), to be willing to give up their life to trust and follow Jesus. May you continue too Lord to teach me to be a disciple-maker for You. Thank you for Your love and grace for me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."
Labels: Reflection
Posted by aeronautisis at 1:32 am
Friday, February 16, 2007
The Lord Looks at Our Heart
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."[1 Samuel 16:7]
When Samuel was sent to Bethlehem to anoint the new King, he first only looked at the outward appearance and said "Surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord." But God stopped him and reminded him that He do not look at the things man looks at, but instead He looks at the heart.
Very often we look at things in our own perspective, judged people by what we see. But yet God looked beyond what is outside. He looks straight into our hearts. It does not matter how young or old you are (David was the youngest among his other siblings), it does not matter how tall or short you are. It does not even matter whether you are still schooling or working (David was still tending the sheeps when God chose Him). More importantly... what is in Your heart? And are you willing?
Wednesday as I went back to my secondary school, I saw this boy who used to be marked as 'cannot make it' or 'useless, hopeless' kind of typical naughty normal technical boy. Smoking and fighting was just his way of life. But when I saw him, he looked so different! The other Christians were around him, teaching him, and the way he responded was polite and nice! A totally different person. Then it made me wonder what had caused the change in him. Only when we were leaving the school and he took his bicycle, then I knew. On the bike was this sticker that says "Firm Believer of Jesus Christ". I was totally awed. This is what God can do. Or I would say.. this can ONLY be God's work. It really encouraged me on to continue to work in the lifes of the younger ones, and God WILL do miracles.
Discipleship is really not an easy task. For the past few days I have already been feeling tired, and wanting to give up. It seems like a neverending race for me. Chasing my girls to go church, or trying to arrange cell meetings but there will be no response. Talking to them is hard, not to mention trying to reach their heart. But God always understand. And he had allowed me to see all this to encourage me not to give up, and to see what He is able to do.
Are you willing to be used by God? He does not see your age, He does not see your outward appearance. It may seem to be a tiring task, a neverending heavy burden, but the results that you see, and the miracles that is to come, is more than anything else in the world!
Labels: Mini-Sermon