FAITH VERSUS DOCTORS

We started off the evening with sharing. We spoke about bringing up our children and preparing them for adulthood. We heard some interesting testimonies regarding this. We agreed that it is important to include our children in everything with regards to our journey. This includes prayer, important decisions which should be made as a family, work, etc etc. Our children should feel that they are part of "the calling" and should also have a responsibility towards that. 

We broke for a time of fellowship and dinner and returned for the discussion on faith versus doctors. We also touched on medical aids and insurance. We shared our experiences with each other.  Some of us had definitely experienced supernatural healing whilst others acknowledged that they would not be alive but for medical intervention.  We as human beings like to be self sufficient with back up plans, medical aid, insurance etc.  It makes us feel "safe".  This is an illusion though because we are not in control and never will be.  At the end of the day we are in our maker's hands and He is the one in whom we should be trusting.  

We have all felt our faith "fail" at some time or another in life and here we run to doctors but it is not really important.  God will use whatever He chooses to use to heal us even if it is a doctor.  He took Rita to Malaysia so that doctor's there could heal her shoulders.  He will meet us where we are at and provide whatever we need when we need it, be it through divine healing or medical intervention.   It is all part of our journey.  He uses all these things to teach us to trust in Him and to take us through whatever trial comes our way.  Each time we come out of another trial, we at some stage will acknowledge that our faith in Him as our source, provider, our all in all has once again grown a bit more. 

Isaiah 43: 1-3  Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, your are mine.  When you pass through the waters I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not cover your head.  When you walk through the fire your will not be burned, the flames will not set you alight.  For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your saviour.

DISCIPLESHIP = FOLLOWER, BELIEVER, STUDENT, APOSTLE

Discipleship = follower, believer, student, imitators of the teacher, apostle

Yeshua said in Luke 14:26/27 that, whoever doesn’t take up his own cross, cannot be His disciple. Therefore the key to becoming a follower of Yeshua is to be disciple-shipped. To compare and unify the diverse discipleship programs, which are designed to control and harness people’s energy to meet the goals of that specific leadership, should have been easy, if it was based on a clear biblical pattern.

Discipleship is the internal engine that empowers the whole Body (to do what?)

John 17:6 Yeshua gives 6 points that creates an environment but not a process to follow. Mostly people think being discipled is to meet God (improved and righteous living) and that bearing fruit in church, and eventually heaven, is the end goal. However, reading further, we see that each person has a role to play, a life to surrender, a purpose to strive for in the Kingdom of God. The greater picture is God preparing a bride for His Son consisting of every tribe, tongue, people and nation. So, leading a prostrate life before Him so that the people/nations can be redeemed is the joy set before us. It’s a matter of glorifying God, not being (and staying) saved.

Discipleship is the input part of the process of caring, sharing, growing, correcting and honing, so that people can become mature for the work of the ministry – in the kingdom, not only in the church. When missions become the major output as a result of mature disciples, then the Kingdom is established on earth through people’s lives. Often fellowships are birthed out of someone’s good idea instead of coming to life because of the need that exists in the battlefield of frontline missions.

People basically grow through stress dynamics. One can’t turn a child into a soldier. Through the natural steps, like spiral dynamics, maturity comes about through a process. If you are sincerely interested in this growth spiral that cuts across any institution and leadership ideology, contact the writer please. It is backed by biblical scripture and carries the signature of God Himself who invented spiral dynamics as seen in DNA, eardrum, water funneling out of a bottle etc.

Is every person intended to be become a disciple and lay their lives down as the most basic of pre-requisites? Who determines how mature you are as a disciple and where the process stops (or starts for that matter)? Can real apostles fix the spiral?

Dog het gedink dat iemand die blog doen, net soos om die veer te plant….

SERVANTHOOD VERSUS CALLING 6 February 2010

The meeting opened in prayer.

Mario did an excellent job at chairing the meeting to keep the flavor to output feedback, when asking each what significance was there in their past week. JP read glimpses out of Ansie’s last letter and we are all astounded at her accelerated growth in her daily, obligatory disciple-shipping activities. She asks whether, Jesus using parables, actually makes it easier or more difficult to understand what He meant to say?

One of the viewpoints about ‘my calling’ is that it is birthed out of a church system that is also responsible for all the other toxic faith issues, and therefore needs to be re-looked at, otherwise it is just again all about you and getting everything to work towards your perception. Be at the right place at the right time and allow God to use you. In laying down your life and expectations, God will work your calling for you. We can see that God, so to speak, goes out of Hs way to show each one of us, how uniquely He is able to make things happen, when you stick your neck out for Him.

Is it ok to serve another man’s vision in the mean time, when you don’t have a clear cut one yourself yet?

SERVANTHOOD
What is in it for me? Selfish (immature)
What is in it for them? Poor etc. (servant/childish-son)
What is in it for the Kingdom? God (partner/co-ruler)

Instead of having a ping-pong ball (shotgun) serving approach, focus on a couple of things and get behind someone that is already operating in the Kingdom. Remember the 4 ways we use to help us towards serving in the kingdom: (1) stay with a caravan of people going in the kingdom direction (2) put shoulder to the wheel (3) telescope vision (4) world view prayer life. Often your calling is only revealed when you are in servant hood and Kingdom driven.

It is very dangerous to follow your gifting. Your gifting will come out of your calling NOT for your calling to follow your gifting. In serving you can use your gifting but you don’t serve because of it. Kingdom has to drive servant hood, not gifting. The depth of your servant hood, can be indicative of how far you are willing to take it in the Kingdom.

The blue blocks (worldview) prioritise: 1st relationship, 2nd partner with God (where to serve, purpose, direction), 3rd find your resources with God. In order to adapt/adopt to an unfamiliar culture, tent making can be used for credibility/acceptance, to model/demonstrate, to identify at that time. Becoming all things to all men so that some might be saved, should be our attitude towards the mission field. However, it cannot work back toward the church the same way, because it compromises the mission’s sole purpose, to bring change back to the church in the first place

What is discipleship exactly?

Gathered together were eighteen of us, two new faces joined the pack which was a good thing. During our weekly personal feedback, it was amazing to see the various ways in which God is so apparent in each of our lives.

 Discipleship needs and requirements and suggestions...

JP opened the floor for a ‘workshop cum brainstorming’ style meeting. All had input as to what our expectations are as to what a discipleship course should entail. And what exactly does it mean to be ‘saved’.

 Thank you Marlene for being such a diligent Scribe

The issue of the Lordship of Jesus Christ played a huge role throughout the discussion.

The challenge was put to all present to go home and for the week after next week’s gathering (13 Feb)  present a draft of a discipleship program that we have developed.  Or, at least to attempt to set up a “process structure” for discipling new believers into a Kingdom Lifestyle.

 We are rather psyched as to what will unveil next Saturday.

So … make sure you’re here for the next installment!

And remember - dinner is always a veritable feast on a Saturday at the KE Base
Annie Oakleys for all!!!