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A Survey on How Church Members Discipleship

As Christians bring the message of the Gospel to the world, eective approaches to discipleship become more critical. A research study by Barna Group revealed that church leaders exemplar discipleship ministries among US Christian adults. Moreover, the researchers also surveyed Christian educators to determine the current state of discipleship in the US.  

Survey on Discipleship Amongst Church Members

In a random sample of Christians, practicing and non-practicing, the best way to describe their process of growing spiritually is by “becoming more Christ-like” (43%), followed by “spiritual growth” (31%), and “spiritual journey” (28%). The term “discipleship” only ranked fourth on the list and was only selected by fewer than one in five Christians (18%). Moreover, among those who did not choose the term “discipleship,” only one-quarter consider discipleship still relevant to their Christian experience. This implies that while spiritual growth is significant, the language and terminology surrounding discipleship change.  

In terms of the effectiveness of discipleship, Christian adults still believe their churches are doing well. About 52 percent of those who attended church in the past six months believe their church is doing a good job helping people grow spiritually.” On the other hand,  40 percent said, “it probably does so.”

About two-thirds of Christians (67%) attending church, who have considered spiritual growth as necessary, claim that their church places “a lot” of emphasis on spiritual growth. Conversely, 27 percent say their church only gives “some” focus.  

Only one (1) percent believes that today’s churches are doing very well in reaching out to new and young believers. A majority of 6 out of 10 (60%) feel that the churches are not discipling too well. Pastors give their church higher marks than churches overall, but only a few believe that churches excel in discipleship.  

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Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! 

1 Samuel 7.1-17

What does the Bible say?

Although God did not institute the gathering at Mizpah, it arose from the Israelites’ desire and recognition that God would deliver them from the Philistines even without a physical king to lead them into battles. Samuel himself resided at Rama, with frequent visits to the various stations that required him to attend to offer judgments.

The manifestations at Mizpah turned what seemed to be a doomed ceremony into a triumphant revelation of God’s will to protect the Israelites. God was watching the progress of the tradition right from heaven, the prayer, the confessions, fasting, and the offering made at the altar at Mizpah.

 There are many celebrations around the world. The United Nations has a roster that schedules every other important day annually, even though various national jurisdictions have ceremonial days declared accordingly.

There are also other globally recognized days that though emanating from Christianity, have unfurled into generic ceremonies. One of them is Christmas day. In the hearts of Christians, it’s a commemoration of the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. To pagans, it’s a day to make merry as they await the eve of the New Year. It’s a ceremonial moment to recollect and welcome salvation into our hearts in memory of the nativity of Jesus. Most accomplished Christians take time at church and spike that with an act of charity and Merry Christmas.

Celebrating Christ

In the hearts of Christians, it’s a commemoration of the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

When Christ was alive with us, he, too, underscored the place of ceremonies. Mary seemed to have the understanding that Jesus could work miracles. However, Christ appeared to disagree with Mary’s timing. By then, Christ had kept a low profile by just being known as the son of a carpenter, Joseph.

Nevertheless, when he changed the water into wine, the mystery remained with Mary herself since even the master of the ceremony could not discern why the best wine was being served while it was too late into the ceremony. 

According to the guidance that God gave Moses, the Israelites were to live in love with one another, observing the annual ceremonies.

He’d installed among them. In the spirit of being one another’s keeper, the Israelites were to spare some little harvests and leave them deliberately in the fields for strangers and those with no means to fend for themselves.

In the spirit of being one another’s keeper, the Israelites were to spare some little harvests and leave them deliberately in the fields for strangers and those with no means to fend for themselves.

What do we see in the world?

Besides the ordinary festivities, God requested a dedication of all firstborns. That’s why Christ was brought over into the synagogue with a presentation of turtle doves. So above everything, Christ’s spirit to embrace and entrench the Law of Moses is evident right into the festivities in the life of Christ. 

One among the days set aside for God is the Sabbath, to which the Pharisees and the Scribes picked offense with Christ for healing a lame person. A deeper understanding of the nature of the conflict arose from the selfishness of the Pharisees and the Scribes.

We should invoke the presence of God in the many ceremonies that find a way into our lives. In its entirety, finding space for God and giving Him the necessary precedence is not the most challenging thing. We are calling God before and after a journey is as simple as saying a prayer, whether audible or in the silence of the heart.

Even though things may happen in very noisy surroundings, that’s not deterrence enough. God can hear the voice of the heart in terms of requests, praises, and reverence to Him. 

In the busyness of this season, LET’S FIND SPACE TO CELEBRATE JESUS.

Demystifying ceremonies and being able to re-create them into simple tasks is the very essence of Christian living. The very simple prayers are what make a fundamental difference. Let’s make things simple. One doesn’t have to pray for hours continuously.

No. Say a five minutes prayer before heading out for the day. Thank God for the cup of tea and toast before taking it for lunch and dinner. When done repeatedly, we can shed off the ceremonial bits and become part of daily habits that build in you the passion for praying as believers. Merry Christmas to all! 

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Merry Christmas

The DNA of the Small Groups

The DNA of the Small Groups:

Instead of asking for new small group strategies that are working well, a discipleship pastor or leader should first determine the DNA of the small groups in their church.

Rather than going for effective discipleship curriculums, a pastor or any leader must be first grounded. Pastors must align themselves to God’s calling for their church’s small groups.  

Small group leaders take shortcuts to successful small groups, and they copy and apply another church’s model for discipleship. The problem with this is that they do not take into account their own church’s unique fundamentals.

Every church is different, and this is okay. We should celebrate this difference since other churches can do different things to reach different people.

The discipleship system of simplicity is firmly grounded with the basics and the fundamentals of discipleship.

Sometimes, even the most basic question, “What is a Disciple?” becomes a complicated question to answer. It’s about creating a simple, duplicable discipleship pathway for the church community. 

In whatever language we have, discipleship remains the core designated task for the church, as we call it the Great Commission.  

And Jesus came and said to them,

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, 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. And behold I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

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The DNA of the Small Groups

Why Your Church Needs a Small Group Ministry?

Reasons for Establishing a Small Group Ministry

In his article, “10 Reasons Why Your Church Should Have Small Groups”, Daniel Threlfall identifies the importance of small groups. First on his list is that small groups foster close relationships and basic community. A small group atmosphere is good for establishing friendships since individuals tend to talk more in small groups.  

The second is that small groups provide a comfortable environment to welcome nonbelievers to the Christian faith.

A natural and understandable fear common among us is fear in forming relationships, especially if it involves sharing our faith and beliefs with other people.

However, inviting someone to a small group meeting provides a way to involve a nonbeliever in the church. A nonbeliever is more likely to ask questions, get answers, and form relationships with a small group of believers. Thus, small groups can be a powerful missional tool, allowing for the greater spread of the gospel among nonbelievers in the community.  

Third, small groups provide a good way to care for the needs of people within the church.

When a small group member is struggling, it is much easier for the other group members to notice. They can already provide assistance. The structure of a small group is essentially a community of friends of the same faith. As a result, friends are meant to help one another, especially if they are friends in Christ.  

Fourth, small groups allow Christians to live out their faith instead of becoming churchgoers and mere Gospel listeners.

Since members discuss the Sunday preaching, talk about their personal and spiritual battles, and/or pray for one another during meetings, small groups provide a setting for Christians to live out their faith.  

Fifth on Threlfall’s list is that small groups provide focused prayer for one another.

Threlfall noted that in a small group meeting, each of the present people took a few minutes to tell others about their particular challenges or concerns. Then, as soon as one is finished, the person next to him will take some time to pray for him. Small groups are a great place for prayer meetings.  

Sixth, small groups offer a comfortable atmosphere for openness.

One admirable thing about small groups is that members often meet in the comfort of their homes, where people can open up, listen, learn, and grow. Threlfall pointed out that this is the same with the first disciples of Jesus who are meeting in houses or being part of a household.  

Seventh, small groups allow for mutual edification among believers.

Believers tend to depend upon the leaders for spiritual food and nourishment easily. However, the Scripture states otherwise, for God also gives spiritual gifts to all believers, not just to the preachers and leaders. The whole church benefits from it.

Every Christian should minister to other Christians with their gifts, and this happens most naturally, effectively, and purposefully within small groups.   

Eight, small groups encourage better learning.

Listening to a Sunday preaching is a great way to learn the Word, but it is easy to become detached from the message, making us passive listeners. This is not the case within a small group. As a few people gather together, every individual is expected to be involved and to participate. Active involvement is an effective way to learn better.  

Ninth, small groups are a source of encouragement and accountability.

It is easy to go in and out of the church and not be noticed. This is common with megachurches, but it also happens in an average-sized church of 100 or 150 attendees.

People come for each Sunday service but do not get themselves involved. These individuals need accountability in their lives, encouragement in their walk with God, and/or help in some way in which small groups can provide.  

Lastly, small groups cultivate leadership within the church.

Someone is necessary to lead a small group meeting or at least facilitate the discussion. Thus, there is a need for leaders other than the pastor. Small groups provide opportunities for leadership development among members within the church.

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Why Your Church Needs a Small Group Ministry?

Highlight: Beware of the Birds

Highlight: Beware of the Birds

God is the Sower. Ultimately, nothing grows if He did not plant it. He uses people to establish His purposes. Most of the time, He can use you to share the Gospel with your friend. However, it’s also only God who can make things grow. 

Sometimes, we are the field by which God sows things. Unfortunately, there are times when we become the birds who snatch away the good that God has planted in the hearts of others.

Who are the Birds?

The church can attract different sets of people. Sometimes, the people are like the birds in the parable of Jesus.

Jesus uses these parables to warn us. There would be members of the church who can steal or kill or destroy what God has been doing. The enemy is like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Every Christian must be vigilant. In fact, even Christians can be stirred in the wrong direction and become birds at one point in their lives.

Some people may also take advantage of the church community. They become members not because of their faith but because they want to be served. They want to benefit from belonging to the church. However, since there is no genuine repentance and Lordship in their lives, it ends up in chaos. Church leaders must be vigilant that “birds” do not steal the seed that has been planted for the church to grow. Birds snatch up the seed. They steal the seed so they cannot take root and bloom.

As true believers, we can take comfort in the fact that we can ask for wisdom from God. We must be careful to weed out such people so that they don’t steal away the fruits that have the potential to grow in our lives. God can sow a prophetic word in your heart, but birds (fear or doubt) can snatch them away. Nevertheless, birds have a purpose in the story.

Jesus still allowed the presence of Judas Iscariot as one of his chosen twelve even when he knew that Judas was bound to betray him (Jn. 6:70). This shows us that Jesus, in fact, allows or permits evil to coexist with good under his sovereignty and use it for his purposes. 

Your weekly dose of prophetic wisdom and anointing awaits you. Join our LIVE Conference Call!

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Understanding Tithing

The premise of tithing as an expression of grace is three-fold:

First, tithing acknowledges God as the source and owner of all that we possess. Tithing performs a role separate from that of unsystematic giving, which suggests that we believe we own all that we possess. Through tithing we acknowledge that God created our increase.

Second, tithing is a voluntary act of worship. At Bethel Jacob said:

If God will help and protect me on this journey and give me food and clothes, and will bring me back safely to my father, then I will choose Jehovah as my God! And this memorial pillar shall become a place for worship; and I will give you back a tenth of
everything you give me!

If you don’t already, you too should consider tithing — or giving more — as an act of worship. Through this act, you keep your focus on the heavenly Father and testify to His kindness and generosity toward you.

Third, tithing teaches us to put God first. Moses said, “The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives.” Tithing as a systematic, purposeful plan for consistent giving enables you to circumvent the emotions and circumstances that would hinder you from being a faithful steward and, thus, from putting God first in your life. This prioritizing releases you from the tyranny of materialism and clears the channel for God’s additional and abundant blessings.

Start gaining more knowledge about God’s Kingdom and understand His design in your life. When you get your written prophecy you will be capable of living a life of abundance. Finally get your to know God’s Kingdom is truly by speaking to Master Prophet E. Bernard.

Obedience is Key

Obedience to His commands in every facet of our lives is the key to experiencing the presence of Christ and the joy of heaven. Jesus says, “The one who obeys me is the one who loves me…I will only reveal myself to those who love me and obey me. The Father will love them too, and we will come to them and live with them.

Are you experiencing the presence of Christ in your life? Do you know His joy, His love, His peace, the sense of His direction? If not, could it be that you are not obeying His commands? When you withhold the resources that God has entrusted to you for His work, He has little with which to bless you, and your life becomes unfruitful and unhappy.

I personally know of no greater joy than that of being an instrument of God to communicate the good news of the gospel to others. And that takes money. We are not our own anymore; we have been bought with a price, the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our time, talents and treasure are our way of expressing gratitude to our great and glorious God and Father for all that He has done to fill us with His presence.

If you want to know more about Biblical Prophecies, talk to Master Prophet Bishop Bernard Jordan and get your Free Written Prophecies and know God’s will for you.

HOW TO DEAL TEMPTATION

Temptation comes in many forms. You think being tempted as being enticed to do things like stealing, murdering or committing adultery. Most often we were to be impatient, stingy, jealous, greedy or any number of other things that you consider lesser sins. Satan strikes at your points of weakness.

Temptation or giving in to temptation has been a serious problem since the beginning of time and it is still a very real part of our life until now. Whether we like it or not we all have to deal with it. Most of us may not really understand temptation and its purpose.

“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)

Everyone are facing temptation. But the truth is very of us deal with it effectively. It should not be the case and it does not have to be the case for believers. There is some ways of dealing with temptation that we should know and if we put them intpractice. It is also important to understand that all temptation is rooted in selfishness is really Satan’s beachhead. To develop spiritual strength, you must pass all kinds of test of temptation both large and small.

You find that Satan also tempted Christ, hoping to find an area of weakness to invade. But Christ stood strong and defeated the enemy. We believe He knew ahead of time that Christ would pass the test ans we believe that God has confidence on us that we will pass many of our test too.

Master Prophet believes that we cannot be tempted unless we have first thought about it. All temptation are link to what we think on. Control our thoughts and we will control temptation. This is simple but profound truth. It is the reason most of us fall into temptation.

FIND A GOOD LIFE

Only a relationship with Christ can give us the good life that He has designed us to crave. Placing our hope in anything less even if it is something good that He has created, turns into idolatry that interferes with our relationship with Christ and actually leads us away from the good life that God wants us to enjoy.

Idolatry happens whenever we look to something that does not have His power to give us what only He has the power and authority to give us. Reflect on our life right now and honestly consider whether or not we were hoping to derive fulfillment from things like material possessions, a successful career, an exciting romantic relationship, or close relationship with family and friends. Ask Him to show us if we have wandered away from Christ and towards idols and what type of idols is God biggest rival in our life right now. Clues what we spend time thinking about, and what we invest the most energy and money into pursuing. Anything that we are devoting ourself to more that we are to Christ is an idol in our life.

Bishop Jordan believe that we may struggle with financial idolatry if we look to money to give us security, peace, or happiness or if we were often anxious about getting more money or holding onto the money we already have rather than being content and generous as He want to be. Christ said that we can not serve both God and money because trying to do so will divide our mind, and we need to devote ourself to Him with single minded focus so we can become the person that God has design us to become. Choose to trust Him completely with our finances, following biblical principle to manage our money as a tool to accomplish His purpose for our
life.

If you want to know how to live a good life through God’s will, talk to Master Prophet. And get your Free Prophecy.

“For i know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”(Jeremiah 29:11)

LOVE AND FAITH

God is love, to believe in Him is to believe in love. True love is patient and kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, and keeps no wrong records. Love does not delight in evil rejoices with the truth. It is always protects, trust, hope and perseveres. Lover never fails. Love is like faith which is patient, detached, persistent and never failing. Faith and love are the two eternal heavenly things.

Since love energizes faith, the opposite must also be true. The opposite of love is hate. Hate drains faith. Hate will sap the strength out of faith. Our faith is perfect when it is found in the love of God. Faith and love are one. Faith is faith in love and love causes us to have faith. Having one is having the other. We have faith towards where our heart is in. When our hearts is in Him, our faith is in God. To believe in God’s love is to believe in His love for us. It is not His power, glory, or intelligence that our faith is truly in, but it is His love. Because it is only His love that set our heart at rest. When our faith is in His love all else will fall into place.

Master Prophet believes that the primary order is to believe, and believe in the of God. When our knowledge and perception of His love is perfect, our faith is perfect. You are all here to know Him by knowing God’s love. All of life is for you to evolve spiritual in greater knowledge of the love of God. As you grow in faith in His love, you become more perfect as spiritual beings of power.

“Now faith, hope and love remain these three things and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)

OUR FIRST LOVE, GOD

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

One of the ways that you bring glory to Him and cultivate our love for God is by worshiping God. Take time to ponder Him. Consider God acts in creation and in the circumstances of our life. Adore God. Sing praise to God. Bless His holy name. Repent our indifference toward Him. Repentance involves a change of heart, direction and mind. Forsake the thoughts, attitude and actions that have drawn our attention away from wholehearted love for God. Receive His forgiveness and renew our commitment to do the first work of our faith.

Ask God to give us attentiveness to His voice as God brings to our attention and direct us to them, in God strength, with God’s love and for God’s glory, as we serve His name, we will know the joy of God, which is our strength. By recalling our salvation experience and our first love for Him can help us to recognize changes that have developed in our relationship with Him since then. Do we have greater or weaker sense of our need for Him now? Are we cooler toward Him and less passionate about spiritual things that once we were.?

Master Prophet believes that when a person receives Jesus as our Savior, we experiences the delight of first love for God. The Lord’s Spirit witnesses with our spirit that we is a child of Him, and this new found relationship brings great freedom and joy. Unfortunately many of us fall away from this first love. When we does not depend on Him to meet our daily needs, our love for Him grows cold. Prophetic Insights will awaken faith in each and every one of us and will build better relationship with God. Get your free written prophecy now.

THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL – SELF LOVE

The self love forms the foundation of our single, most important relationship that with ourself. The strength of all our other relationship is exactly equal to the strength of that foundation. To love ourself is not just a self esteem boosting piece of advice.it is prerequisite to truly loving others.

The Golden rule tells us to love your neighbour as you love yourself. We are likely to have heard it many times, expressed in different ways, thinking it is about loving others. Look a closer though and we will find that at its very center is the command to love ourself.

Master Prophet E. Bernard Jordan believes that self love is not being arrogant or egotistical. It is not about comparing ourself to others to determine if we are good enough. It is not about always putting ourself at the expense of others. It is not always getting our way. It is not about always winning. It is not about only after number one. “ But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with your heart and all your soul.” (Joshua 22:5)

To love ourself is to in awe of the miracle of our existence. It is to accept our self as weare the light parts and the dark the good and the bad, while knowing that the real us is above the perceived dualities of the physical realm. It is to be willing to receive as much as we are willing o give and do both equally. It is about knowing our values and our boundaries and honoring them. It is about teaching others how to treat us by showing them how we treat ourself. It is about being kind to ourself. Its about looking after our mind, our body, and our spirit. It is about knowing we are worth it, not because of what we have achieved or what we look like or what others think of us, but because love is our birthright no matter what.