Tag Archives: follow

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Being a Follower of Jesus

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Whom Will You Follow?

Written by Susan on 19/04/2016
Series: Weekly Devotional
Tags: Disciple, Jesus, Life, Love, Purpose
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Why Would You Want to Follow Someone?
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.” Matthew 10:24

Our almighty God, in the form of a human servant, came to reach out to you, me, and all people. We can be followers of Jesus. Remember, there has never been another person like Jesus. He leads us straight into the presence of our heavenly Father.

Jesus is perfect in His love for others, His power over evil, His compassion for people and His hatred of sin. His understanding is endless, and His joy is deep. He drew all kinds of people to Himself when He lived on earth. His presence was like a magnet to those who needed hope. He is everything good, and people really wanted to be around Him. He is truly one of a kind, full of hope, love, trust and forgiveness.

We Become Like the One We Think About, Care For, and Trust
“But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” John 3:21

Silly little ducks. Have you watched them before? They all follow the mother without even thinking about where she is going. They make a line behind her – keeping her pace as best they can. For some reason I keep thinking of them as the perfect example of a disciple.

They never stop to consider anything except how important it is to keep their mother in their sight. They feel lost without her, they become so worried if they cannot find her. Yet, they are also very content when their eyes are set on her. They are ‘practicing the truth’ by watching her walk, swim, eat, and then doing the same. We have so very much to learn. We are like these ducklings. Yet, we have a perfectly caring leader.

We Are Like Him?
“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness….” Genesis 1:26

Try to realize that we ARE made in God’s image. We long for Him. We can know Him better and better; We were created to follow after Him. It is where we flourish, grow, live and find our true pleasure. When we follow Jesus, we become His disciples.

Pray this week:
Jesus, Give us the eyes to follow You. Make our hearts yearn for Your presence. Assure us as we attempt to follow You in our imperfect ways. May our pleasures be found ONLY in YOU!! Amen

What are the deepest desires of your heart?

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

Becoming a Disciple Who Makes Disciples

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Three ways you can share Jesus

Written by Curtis Sergeant on 07/05/2019

Series: Weekly Devotional

Tags: Disciple, Discipleship, Leadership, Great Commission

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…

Matthew 28:19a

Final instructions are important. In the military, soldiers are supposed to act based on the last orders they receive.  People speaking from their deathbed speak of matters that are truly important. Jesus also emphasized some of His teachings by putting them last. After God raised him from the dead, He spent forty days with his disciples.  As that period drew to a close, He gave final instructions.

Who are these instructions for?

William Carey is considered by many to be the father of the modern missionary movement.  He said of this passage (Matthew 28:19-20) that “the promise is coextensive with the command.”  By that he meant that if we believe Jesus’ promise “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b) is applicable to every follower of Christ, that Jesus’ command to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19a) was also applicable to every follower of Christ.

What does it mean to make disciples?

The main command in this passage is to make disciples.  There are many ways to describe how this is to be done: 

First, we are to go do this under and by Jesus’ authority.  “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore…”(Matthew 28:18-19a)  He also told them how to do it: “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19b-20a)

The baptism can happen immediately, but note that “teaching them to observe” (or obey) all that Jesus commanded requires an ongoing process.  It does not merely require head knowledge, but heart-obedience to Jesus.  That means there needs to be an ongoing pattern of accountability for living out what we are learning and for passing it on to others.  If we do not establish such patterns for ourselves and those we are discipling then we are failing to follow this central instruction of Jesus.

Note too, that collectively, we are to make sure that this happens in every “nation” (or people group) in the world.  That means we have a responsibility not only among our own acquaintances where we live, but in every place and people group on earth.  In other words, Jesus is calling us to be engaged with His Kingdom around the world. 

How can I grow in my ability to make disciples?

When we think of this global enterprise, many people think of the Apostle Paul, considered by many to be the first Christian missionary. We can see his approach described in his first letter to Timothy, one of the disciples Paul made: “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)  In other words, we need to be concerned with growth in knowing and living out God’s instructions for ourselves, for disciples we are making, for the disciples they are making, and even for the generations that will follow. 

This may seem to be a difficult challenge, which is why Jesus’ authority (Matthew 28:18) and presence with us (Matthew 28:20) are so important.  Besides having the Holy Spirit, it is also God’s design for us to be learning from others and instructing others.  We are all meant to be followers and leaders as we relate to one another in the body of Christ.  Two great ways to get input for growing in this area to connect with us via the button below or to go through the free online training at zumeproject.com.

Pray this week:

Lord, let me learn to follow You more closely day by day, and bring others with me on this spiritual journey.  I want to demonstrate my love and gratitude for the amazing gift of salvation which You have given me, and to help others know and love you in the same way.

Who can you learn from and who can be learning from you as you grow in living out your faith and passing it on to others?

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

Which Apostle Are You Most Like?

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This is what Jesus' ministry meant to the people with whom He spent the most time.

Written by GodLife on 12/03/2019
Series: Weekly Devotional
Tags: Mission, Discipleship, Leadership, Evangelism, Witness
…uneducated, common men…” [who] “…had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:13
If you’ve seen paintings of the Apostles, they might have given you a limited idea about Jesus’ followers. The earliest disciples were unique individuals. Very human, they had no halos and were prone to the same kinds of mistakes we make. A fresh look at them might even make you find yourself identifying with a few of them. Let’s take a quick tour of their stories. Which of them sounds most like you as we read more about them?

The earliest followers: Andrew, Philip and Nathanael
Like his mentor John the Baptist, Andrew made it his purpose to get his brother Simon to Jesus (John 1:40-42). Jesus then went looking for Philip, and Philip’s first recorded act was to find his friend, Nathanael, introducing him to Christ (John 1:43-46). Nathanael was initially doubtful—until Jesus revealed that He had known him and been able to see him even before meeting him (John 1:46-51). 

Were you easy to convince, like Andrew? Do you sense God sought you out, like Philip? Or did something have to happen in your life to convince you like Nathanael? Have you been eager to start introducing others to Jesus? Consider what Jesus told the Apostles: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit…” (John 15:16). Jesus had a purpose for picking each one.

The inner circle: Peter, James and John
John was probably the other disciple of John the Baptist mentioned with Andrew in John 1:35-37. We can easily imagine him introducing his brother James to Jesus. Together, they left their fishing business to follow Jesus (Luke 5:10, Mark 10:28). Then, Peter, James and John were invited to witness some of the most amazing miracles of Jesus’ ministry, including raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Mark 5:35-42) and the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8). Have you ever wondered why Peter, James and John got special treatment? Maybe it had something to do with the unique mission for which each had been selected:

James and his brother John were nicknamed “Sons of Thunder” by Jesus. Before knowing Him better, they asked Jesus to call down fire from heaven to destroy a village that wouldn’t receive their message (Luke 9:54). James was the first of the Apostles to suffer martyrdom. Acts tells us that Herod “…killed James the brother of John with the sword” (Acts 12:2).
Jesus renamed Simon, “Peter” (meaning “a stone”), after getting him to declare to the others Who Jesus was, affirming that God the Father revealed it to him (Matthew 16:13-19). Then, He immediately had to rebuke Peter as Satan had prompted him to tempt Jesus to avoid the cross (Matthew 16:23). Jesus established Peter’s confession as a key starting point for the early disciples. Peter’s sermon at Pentecost launched the Jerusalem Church (Acts 2:14-41). Then, he became first to bring the gospel to the gentiles when Cornelius the Centurion believed his message (Acts 10:34-48). Although he had failed in denying that he knew Jesus, Jesus tenderly restored him and asked him to take care of His sheep (John 21:15-22).
John, the other “Son of Thunder,” had schemed with James and their mother to get Jesus to promise them special positions in His future Kingdom (Matthew 20:20-24). But when he wrote his Gospel, in looking back on His memories of Jesus’ ministry in His Gospel, he was satisfied just being “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 20:2). He said he wrote so that his readers would “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31) He and Jesus’ mother were at the foot of the cross as Jesus died, and He committed the care of Mary to John (John 19:26-27).
What mission might God be preparing you for? How can you know for sure? If you haven’t seen yourself in these first six disciples, be sure to read next week’s article. As we’ll see, following Jesus requires a lot of heart examination and prayer. We may tend to think the pressure the early Apostles felt from the surrounding world was unique to their day and time, but Jesus’ urgings about preparation are as suitable to us in our day as they were to them. Why not begin a study of the Apostles’ lives and mission as a way to re-energize your walk with Jesus?

Pray this week:
God, will you make me a real disciple? Help me sincerely follow You as the Apostles did.

Have you read the Gospel of John? 

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

Joseph’s Christmas Story: Full-On Faith

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Joseph shows us how to react to surprising and difficult circumstances.

Written by GodLife on 18/12/2018

Series: Weekly Devotional

Tags: Christmas, Faith, Grace, Humility, Jesus, Joseph

When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Matthew 1:24-25

Considering the birth of Jesus, it’s an interesting exercise to put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. Think about it. As he is making preparations to marry his fiance, Mary, he learns that she has become pregnant even though they have not been together as man and wife.

What would your first reaction be? Rage? Sorrow? Disappointment? Shame? Any of these emotions would be certainly understandable. However, Joseph didn’t react like this at all!

Let’s look into what Joseph’s reaction was and how God was present, helping him all the way through one of the most difficult times in his life.

Humility and grace

Purity was a huge deal in the Jewish culture of the day, so marrying a woman who had become pregnant out of wedlock was not something that was seen as acceptable. Because of this, when Joseph found out about Mary’s pregnancy, the Bible says he decided to quietly separate from her and move on with his life.

“And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.” (Matthew 1:19)

This act of grace alone shows that Joseph is a man of great integrity, because many young men in that culture would have put her to shame.

The power of faith

As the story continues, we see that Joseph has remained with Mary through her pregnancy, all while he contemplates what his next steps should be. Then he gets a visit from an angel of the Lord who tells Him that the baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit and commands him to stay with Mary and name her baby Jesus.

If this happened to you, what would you think? Would you say ‘Yes Lord!’ or would you be scared and doubt that what you heard was actually from God? I think most of us would doubt, but here’s how Joseph responded:

“When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.” (Matthew 1:24-25)

Extreme faith. That’s what it took for Joseph to listen to the angel of the Lord and believe that God was watching over him and directing his steps. 

Joseph’s story shows us the power of faith and what can be accomplished if we simply believe. Will you believe what the Lord is telling you today about your difficult life circumstances?

Pray this week:

Lord, thank you for showing me what it means to have complete faith in you, no matter how crazy the circumstances are around me. Help me to trust you like Joseph did and believe that you have the best for me. Amen.

When have you had a hard time trusting the Lord with a difficult circumstance in your life?

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

Ways God Meets Your Needs

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Jesus promises to meet your needs

Written by Ruth on 11/12/2018

Series: Weekly Devotional

Tags: Need, Faith, Contentment, Faithfulness

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33

Do you trust God to meet your needs and direct your life His way, or demand them your way?

Today, let’s talk about a Bible character named Elizabeth as an example of how God meets our needs. 

Elizabeth's circumstances

Luke 1:5 – In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

Luke 1:7 – But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. 

Elizabeth had a need which had consequences for her marriage as well as for her connection with other people around her – she could not have children. She had probably given up on this dream since she was now old enough that having a child was no longer possible. Yet, her deep need remained in her heart. While the Bible does not tell us this, I am sure she wept with her husband many times over this lack in their family.

When you have a need, what do you do about it? What do you think would happen if you would ask and trust Jesus to know and solve your need His way?

Elizabeth’s Faith

Luke 1:13 – But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 

Luke 1:24 – After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden…

When her husband returned home from his time of serving in the temple, Elizabeth must have been afraid because of the change in him – he could not speak. But he must have written God’s promise to him and her, because we know she knew all about what the angel had said to him.

Then it happened – she was pregnant! She was going to have a baby even when it was impossible because of her age. Did she hide herself because she did not want to be the subject of gossip in her town? How do you hide what Jesus is doing in your life?

Elizabeth’s Happiness

Luke 1:36 – And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 

Luke 1:39-41 – In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 

When Mary, a young woman who was also pregnant by a miracle, came to visit Elizabeth, however, Elizabeth began to rejoice in the miracle God had given her. But an interesting thing to see here is that Elizabeth was not jealous of Mary! Elizabeth did not want the honor Mary had received, she just remained glad of her own miracle.

When something good happens to you, and then you see something better happen to someone else, how do you respond to either God or the other person?

Elizabeth’s Faithfulness

Luke 1:57 – Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 

Luke 1:58-62 – And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but [Elizabeth] answered, “No; he shall be called John.” And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 

Elizabeth followed God’s plan for her child even though everyone around her urged her to do what tradition expected. Naming the child should have followed their rules, but God had said they should follow His plan instead.

Pray this week:

Lord Jesus, help me to be faithful to Your will for my life, no matter how impossible it seems, or how much others urge me to follow a different path.

When God asks you to do something that does not follow the traditions or plans others around you expect, how do you choose?
 

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

How to Avoid Misusing the Bible

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Go deeper in your walk with the Lord

Written by Dan Lee on 30/10/2018

Series: Weekly Devotional

Tags: Bible, Reading, Verse, Studying

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15

Today, we start a two-part devotional on how to avoid misusing the Bible. But first, let’s start with a story about some blind men who encountered an elephant. One of the blind men wrapped his arms around the elephant’s leg and said, “An elephant is like a tree!” Another touched the elephant’s trunk and declared, “No, it’s like a large snake.” They touched the ear or the tail and said, “a fan” or, “a rope” – and so on. Each one came up with a different and incomplete conclusion about how the elephant looked like. 

It’s the same when we interpret the Bible. When we quote Bible verses without considering what the rest of the Bible says, we are just as foolish as those blind men. If we don’t consider verses in their context – at least the surrounding paragraph or chapter, we risk coming to completely wrong conclusions about what God’s word says. 

1. Be careful of taking the Bible out of context

That’s why Paul warns Timothy – and all who believe in Jesus and study His word – to “rightly handle the word of truth.”

Here are a couple verses that are often taken misused.

“By his wounds, you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24) 

Some people believe that Christians can claim physical healing because of this verse. But, if you read 1 Peter 2:24 in full, it reads, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds, you have been healed.” 

The first part of this verse tells us that it is our sins, our spiritual wounds, that have been healed by Jesus Christ. The verse refers to Isaiah 53:5:

“But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds, we are healed.”

This verse refers to our “transgressions” and “iniquities” – in other words, our sins. There are seven other references in Isaiah 53 to sin, guilt, or transgression, but physical healing is never mentioned in the chapter. 

So the next time you read, “By his wounds you have been healed,” thank the Lord that your most deadly wound – your sin and resulting separation from God – HAS been healed, for all eternity. But don’t use it to claim physical healing for yourself or others.

2. Meditate on the Word and apply it to your life 

Now, let’s look at Matthew 7:1, where it says, “Judge not, that you be not judged.”

Even people who don’t believe in Jesus love to quote this verse! They, and sadly many Christians, think it means we should leave others alone and let them do whatever sinful act they want.

But if you continue reading, you find out that the problem is not with pointing out the faults of others. It is looking at their faults without acknowledging our own sin. 

Verse two says, “For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” and it continues to verse three by saying, “ Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:2-3) 

Sadly, we tend to see the sins of others as huge, and our own as tiny (or not to see them at all). Jesus is saying, in effect, “Look in the mirror – look into your own heart and deal with the wickedness there, before you stand in judgment of someone else!”

Several Bible passages instruct us, to help our Christian brothers and sisters by gently pointing out where they are going wrong, especially in matters of serious sin. Take these verses as an example:

“But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Hebrews 3:13)

“My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19-20)

In conclusion, don’t just look at fragments of God’s holy Word. Look at ALL of it. Commit yourself to read the Bible, one book at a time. Don’t build your whole Christian walk around one or two isolated verses. Strive to find the meaning of every verse in the context of the paragraph or chapter around it. If you do this in the power and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, you’ll be well on the way to becoming “. . . a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2: 15) 

Pray this week:

Lord, I ask you to give me understanding and wisdom as I study your Word so that I follow your instruction and not mine. Amen. 

Is there anything in the Bible you have a difficult time understanding? Talk to a caring Christian friend! 

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

Trusting God’s Wisdom

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He is Infinitely Wise

Written by Dan Lee on 10/01/2017

Series: Weekly Devotional

Tags: Wisdom, Hope, Sovereignty

Who can measure the wealth and wisdom and knowledge of God? Who can understand his decisions or explain what he does? “Has anyone known the thoughts of the Lord or given him advice?

Romans 11:33-34 CEV

We as human beings are constantly faced with tough decisions, and situations. It’s the nature of living in a fallen world. However, through all of the turmoil, God is still sovereign and is truly wise.

If we doubt that God has infinite wisdom, we will be tempted to despair when things go wrong. On the other hand, understanding God’s wisdom helps us to trust Him and be secure in any situation.

Here are some areas we see God’s wisdom demonstrated, and why you should trust his Wisdom:

Creation – Past and Present

By wisdom the Lord founded the earth; by understanding he created the heavens. (Proverbs 3:19)

From the distant galaxies to the tiniest insect, everything we see is a product of God’s perfect design, not random chance. Every area of human knowledge, from mathematics to physics to biology, is just a tiny sliver of God’s great wisdom. All of our study in these and other fields, is an attempt to discover more of the wonders of His creation. “The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what He has done.” (Psalm 19:1)

Some people believe that God created the world, then left us to fend for ourselves. But Colossians 1:17 says this about Jesus: “God’s Son was before all else, and by him everything is held together.” (Colossians 1:17)

Human History

If the presence of evil rulers bothers you, think of Pharaoh, who was cruel and oppressive to God’s people. Yet, “In the Scriptures the Lord says to Pharaoh of Egypt, 'I let you become Pharaoh, so that I could show you my power and be praised by all people on earth.'” (Romans 9:17). Yes, even Pharaoh, the wicked oppressor of Israel, was appointed by God to bring glory to Himself. And so it continues with today’s kings and kingdoms. God is still in control.

Our Relationship to God

One of the most “foolish” things to many people is the idea that God came to earth in human form, and then willingly allowed himself to be killed for the salvation of mankind. Yet 1 Corinthians 1:25 says that God’s “foolishness” is greater than human wisdom.

In His infinite wisdom, God sent Jesus to die for your sins. All God's children should take great comfort from this. Those who have not yet decided to follow Him should realize that His plan of salvation, strange or even foolish as it may seem, is true and is intended for you. Humbly accept that God is infinitely great and wise, and seek to follow Him.

Pray this week:

Lord, forgive me for thinking I know better than You. Even though I can barely see or understand Your greatness, by faith I submit to Your great wisdom and Your plan for my life. Teach me through Your word to understand more and more, and to walk in greater confidence every day.

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member