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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

You are a Full-Time Minister of God

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Wherever Christians are — even if it’s a region in which no-one else can know you follow Jesus – God can use you to bless others.

Written by Hope on 09/06/2013
Series: Weekly Devotional
Tags: Evangelism, God, Jesus, Purpose, Work
"Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the Church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the Church, the Body of Christ." ( Ephesians 4:11-12)

What work do you do to provide food, clothing, and shelter for yourself (and your family)? The Apostle Paul did work as a tentmaker (some translations say "leatherworker"); however, he tirelessly preached Christ’s message, evangelizing to everyone he could and teaching new Christians. Today, sometimes, people say they are employed "full time" or "part time" in this or that job or career; as Christians, we could consider that earthly work as how we make our living. But because we are "living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What's more, you are His holy priests" ( 1 Peter 2:5), we can consider ministering for God our full-time work!

Spiritual Temple
Wherever Christians are — even if it’s a region in which no-one else can know you follow Jesus – God can use you to bless others. St. Paul wrote that "whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone" (Galatians 6:10). He encouraged Christians to "Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them" (Ephesians 4:29). In being sensitive to others, he instructed, "whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). By living for Jesus, we live as the Church — even if we can't physically attend a church — praising His Name with our actions and building one another up for His glory.

Holy Priests
"Holy" is used to describe something sacred, something set apart, something unique in the world. Born in sin, humans have natural, sinful desires; but as Christians, "you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy" (1 Peter 1:15). "When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous" (1 John 3:7). That means we, as "priests," must follow the example our "High Priest" (Hebrews 8:1). Jesus gave us: loving and obeying God, and loving and serving others.

Prayer, Care and Share Jesus
The Prayer, Care and Share (PCS) guide is based on scripture in the Bible: ( Luke 10:1-9).What I’ve been sharing the last few weeks is a basic teaching to equip all believers of Jesus for their full time ministry every day wherever they go.

So, whether you are a student, accountant, domestic worker, home maker, IT specialist or CEO of a company; as a believer of Jesus, you are firstly a full time minister of the Lord, then secondly, you do the work of your occupation!

There are 4 steps in the PCS guide I've been encouraging. They are: Asking the blessing of the Lord on people, places and tasks; Building relationships with people who don’t know Jesus; Meeting needs by helping, encouraging or praying; and Telling people about Jesus (directly, or by answering questions about your faith). These are basic tools you can use to be a full time worker in God's harvest every day everywhere.

Pray this week:
God will help us understand how He has called us to love, minister to, and serve others.

You are 'set apart and holy' to the Lord… how does this affect your life each day? Do you show the world who Christ is by your words and deeds? Talk to someone about how you can show the world who Christ is.

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

How to Overcome Anxiety

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Facing our fear and anxiety.

Written by Gary Fleetwood on 02/04/2019

Series: Weekly Devotional

Tags: Anxiety, Fear

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

We are creatures of habit; and more often than not, it is difficult to get us to change our habits. We love our routine. We like schedules and disciplines and can find great spiritual value in them. In fact, for most people, it would be very difficult to survive without them.

The problem with our busy lives, however, is that it can also become a habit to worry and fret about things over which we have no control. Worry never solves problems, but only makes them worse and creates problems that God never intended for us to have.

So, how does someone actually overcome this anxiety?

Overcoming anxiety means allowing the Holy Spirit to overtake your life in a very practical way. That is easy to say, but not easy to do. Having the patience and the personal resolve to order our life this way is something that requires a kind of spiritual sensitivity to God, to His Word, and to His purposes that can become easily lost in the normal routine of our lives.

What is interesting is that Paul clearly provides a spiritual remedy for worry. He says it is to “let your requests be made known to God”, through “prayer and supplication”. The man or woman who has learned to pray, and not just during the difficult times, but as a lifestyle, will not be prone to being overly anxious. Why? Because they have a very high view of God and believe there is no problem that is too great for him to handle. That is why they pray to Him as a normal part of their life.

What happens when someone ignores God in prayer?

Not praying to God as a way of life is always an indication that the individual is not living by faith. The Christian life must be lived out by trusting God, by believing in God’s promises, and by demonstrating that trust by coming to Him in prayer. What happens to the person who experiences anxious moments but is not accustomed to seeking God in prayer is that they very quickly forget how great their God really is. It is very difficult to trust God in the very trying and anxious moments if the person has never learned to trust Him in the less stressful moments of their life. Faith in God is not something that a person can just have at will. It has to be learned by maintaining a very meaningful fellowship with God. To ignore Him when things are easy means that a person will not be trained to go to Him when things get hard. These difficult moments are unavoidable, so it is critical to learn how to walk with God before they become a reality.

What does Paul mean when he uses the word “thanksgiving”?

The greater the discipline of faithful prayer that is developed in the believer’s life, the greater their ability to respond to the problems that life brings with “thanksgiving”. Thanksgiving is simply giving thanks to the person who has given you something. For the person who has developed this discipline of prayer and making their requests known to God, they will actually give God thanks for their trials. 

Why? Because they know God’s character and they understand the greater purposes that He wants to achieve in their life through their trials. In fact, the mature believer will be grateful for their trials. They understand that God is overseeing their life and they do not question His wisdom as He works deeper spiritual qualities into their life. This is a great place to be spiritually, but it still requires a certain level of focus and willpower to choose a life of meaningful prayer. It is the cure for anxiety and fear and should be developed in every believer’s life.

Pray this week:

Father, would you please help me to see the importance of making it a way of life to constantly be coming to you in meaningful prayer? I need your help to be focused on what is spiritually important as You develop the character of Christ in my life.

How important is it to you to maintain a journal of prayers with your requests for God and then record how He answers those requests?

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

Overcoming the Old Nature

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How do I handle tough times and temptations?

https://youtu.be/-M1THuXuDOU

Take off the old self with its practices… and put on the new self.

Colossians 3:9, 10 NIV

Does becoming a follower of Jesus exempt you from difficulty? No. You are not miraculously whisked into a trouble-free glass bubble when you are born again. Rather, you become a battlefield, where you contend with ongoing temptations and daunting challenges.

Though we received a new nature at conversion, we inherited a nasty carryover from our former life called “the old nature.” That legacy from the past hangs around, throwing up roadblocks to the Christ-centered life. It’s not easy to disconnect from ideas and habits that have defined us for so long.

But there’s good news! Jesus took our old nature to the grave when He was crucified. The new nature He gave us in its place is intended to fully displace the old. Our job now is to be aggressive in making that happen. The Apostle Paul says, “Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11 NIV). In other words, render effective what Jesus did on your behalf.

In Galatians 5:16–17, we are challenged to live by the new nature. “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” That means you allow the Holy Spirit, now living in you, to shape your thoughts, guide your steps, govern your reactions and correct you when you stray. The old nature is real. But God enables and empowers you to walk in victory.

Day 14: Resisting the Devil

How do you need the Holy Spirit's help in your life right now? You can talk with someone who would love to help you overcome your old nature.

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

Jesus Can Heal Addiction

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You can be free from addiction.

Written by Lois on 24/05/2016

Series: Weekly Devotional

Tags: Addiction, Forgiveness, Freedom, Grace, Sin

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)

We all have wrong desires and are tempted, but God has given us an Advocate who will help us resist sin if we are willing. Are you tired of being addicted to alcohol, sex, drugs, pornography or greed? Jesus has made a way for you to be free. This is how you can resist temptation and allow Jesus to heal your addiction.

There are countless people who are enjoying an addiction because they have not faced consequences yet. Galatians 6:8 tells us if a person “sows to please his own wrong desires, he will be planting seeds of evil and he will surely reap a harvest of spiritual decay and death; but if he plants the good things of the Spirit, he will reap the everlasting life that the Holy Spirit gives him.” There is no peace or freedom found in loving an addiction or sin. If you want to be healed, you have to turn away and renounce the addiction or sin.

Resist the Temptation

2 Timothy 2:22 tells us to “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.”

  • Temptation happens to everyone; no one is being singled out
  • Learn to recognize the people, things and situations that overtake you
  • After recognizing the tempter, resist him
  • It’s your choice, so choose to do what pleases God
  • Pray for Jesus to help you
  • Seek friends who love God, have resisted temptation and can help you

There is Healing

Jesus is able to heal every kind of addiction, even those we willfully sought out. Jesus is able to "restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten" (Joel 2:25), even if suffering is His chastisement to a person for sinful behavior. God's purpose is never to tempt us to sinful despair but to make us holy and useful. (James 1:13; Hebrews 12:11-13) David, who knew something about God's chastisement, said, "Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice." (Ps. 51:8) Ask Jesus to heal physical or emotional pain from an abusive parent, the brokenness of losing a child, the loneliness of the death of a spouse, or being orphaned.

An addiction is not going to heal you. Letting a sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting God’s Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. Romans 8:6

Pray this week:

Father, this sin is wrecking my life. Will you help me? In Jesus’ name, amen.

Are you addicted to something and need healing from Jesus?

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

Covetousness Be Content with what You Have

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Be Content with what You Have

Written by Dan Lee on 04/07/2017
Series: Weekly Devotional
Tags: Contentment, Covetousness, Greed, Envy, Satisfaction
But godliness with contentment is great gain.

1 Timothy 6:6
If they are asked to name some of the Ten Commandments, many people will say, “You shall not steal; you shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery.” But few will mention number ten, which is, in its shortest version, is “You shall not covet” (Exodus 20:17). Here are four reasons to watch out for covetousness:

It’s as bad as any other sin
When the Apostle Paul describes the relationship between sin and the law in his great epistle to the Romans, does he mention sexual sin or murder? No, he mentions covetousness!

“. . . for I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’ But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead” (Romans 7:7-8).

Covetousness is so significant that Paul uses it here as representative of ALL sin.

Covetousness is Idolatry
Would you build an altar in your home so you could worship a statue? Of course not! So why would you habitually practice covetousness, which amounts to the same thing? “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming” (Colossians 3:5-6).

God sees our heart
Why are the commandments about stealing, killing, and adultery so well-known, but covetousness is not? Perhaps because the others are outward and visible, while covetousness is an inward sin, an attitude rather than an action.

But God is as concerned with our heart – our inner being – as our outward behavior. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”

Jesus’ harshest words were reserved for the religious leaders, who maintained the appearance of holiness, but were sinful in their hearts: “And the Lord said to him, ‘Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed (a form of covetousness) and wickedness’” (Luke 11:39).

Covetousness leads to other sins
We may try to appear good, but eventually, what’s in our hearts always shows up in our outward actions. Luke 6:45 puts it this way: “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

The inward sin of covetousness often leads to the outward sins of stealing, killing and adultery – and more. John Piper, in his book, Future Grace, puts it this way: “Covetousness is a breeding ground for a thousand other sins.”

Fighting covetousness
What’s the opposite of covetousness? Contentment. If covetousness means wanting things we don’t have, contentment means being satisfied with what we DO have. We do this by reminding ourselves that the Lord has promised to meet ALL our needs: “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19).

Remember that NEEDS and WANTS are not the same. You will always see people who have more than you. If not your neighbors, then people on TV – celebrities with sports cars, big houses and servants, beautiful clothing and dazzling jewelry, and all the latest technology gadgets.

As Jesus spent His earthly days in humble circumstances, we can learn to be content if we have a home to live in and food to eat. In the same letter to the Philippians, Paul said, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11-13).

As we grow in contentment, trusting God to meet our needs, we will find ourselves desiring the things of this world less and less. The Holy Spirit will free us from the idolatry of covetousness, and we will find our ultimate satisfaction in our Lord Jesus, bringing much glory to God.

Pray this week:
Lord, I confess I am often guilty of covetousness — wanting things that others have. I admit that this is idolatry. By Your Holy Spirit’s power in me, I ask You to fill my heart with godly contentment. Help me to fix my eyes on invisible, eternal things rather than visible, temporary things. Help me to learn that my ultimate satisfaction is found in You alone. Amen.

Do you struggle with covetousness? Do you have a hard time being satisfied with the basic needs of life?

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

How to Follow God’s Commands

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Jonah’s story shows us what happens when we disobey God’s commands

Written by GodLife on 20/03/2018
Series: Weekly Devotional
Tags: Grace, Mercy, Obedience, Commands, God
Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

Jonah 1:1-3
When I started college, I felt God commanding me to fully commit to a church family so that He could work through fellow believers to shape me more like Jesus.

How did I respond? I disobeyed and my life hit a sorrowful low as I continued to ignore the commands of Jesus. It was only by God’s grace and mercy that He received me back and I began to take his commands seriously again.

Have you ever tried to avoid a direct command from the Lord?

A story in the Bible of a prophet named Jonah shows us more clearly what can happen when a believer of God directly disobeys His commands – and it also reveals a lot about God’s true character.

Listening to God’s commands
We should first answer a question that many people have: “Why should we listen to God’s commands? How can we be sure God has our best interests at heart?” The Apostle Paul gives us an answer that provides a lot of hope.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32)

The Bible also makes it clear that following God’s commands proves our love for Jesus and appreciation for the sacrifice He made for us on the cross.

“And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.” (2 John 1:6)

So how do we know what to follow? Well, God made it pretty easy by laying out many specific commands for us in the Scriptures, including well-known ones like ‘do not kill,’ ‘do not covet’ and others in the Ten Commandments. But he also speaks to us on a personal level – as He did in my story above – and guides us which way we should go throughout our daily lives.The Lord wants us to grow into a deeper communion with Him. We can't do that if we disregard His commands, like Jonah did. Embracing His will for us is the best way to get to know Him better.

What happens when we disobey
As seen in Jonah’s story, things go completely sideways when Jonah ignores God’s commands.

The Lord called Jonah to go to Nineveh and call it out of its sin (Jonah 1:1-3). Jonah didn’t want to do this because he felt the Ninevites, an enemy of the Jewish people, didn’t deserve the grace of God, so he ran from God.

Following his disobedience, Jonah was caught in a heavy storm while on a ship and was thrown overboard where he is then swallowed by a large fish (Jonah 1:11-15).

God was making it clear to Jonah that he saw his disobedience and was not happy with it. As a result of Jonah’s disobedience, his life was thrown into chaos and he was not experiencing what God intended him to. But God also orchestrated these events in Jonah’s life so that he had no choice but to obey Him. God may not always act so obviously in our lives when we disobey Him, but this story shows how serious God is about his followers truly following Him. 

After some grumbling, Jonah ended up in Nineveh and reluctantly followed God’s command to call Nineveh out of its sin (Jonah 3:1-5). And a funny thing happened: they repented immediately (Jonah 3:6-9)! 

God’s character revealed
This is what God wanted all along, in order to show that His great grace and mercy is available to everyone, even to people that were once enemies of Him and His people. In fact, we were all once like the Ninevites – enemies of God because of our sin – but the grace and love of God is greater than any sin we can imagine.

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).

This opportunity for repentance was only available because Jonah eventually obeyed God’s commands. What could God do through us if we are serious about obeying His commands?

Pray this week:
“God, help me trust Your will for my life and teach me to listen to your commands. I trust that your plan for my life is the best for me. Thank you for your grace and mercy. Amen.”

How have you disobeyed God this week and how can you make steps to obey Him in the week ahead?

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member