Page 6 - Good News June 2012 paper

s I was travelling in India a Jesus calls us to do ministry His travel with Him. Paul selected to flow naturally when you are
pastor made a tempting way - by making disciples. Yet in people like Timothy, Silas, Aquilla spending time with those you are
Aproposal. “If you come to today's performance-based cul- and Priscilla to be his ministry mentoring.
our city, we will stage a big ture, we think bigger is better. We companions. Who are you called 5. Intercede. Paul told Timothy
evangelistic campaign and invite put all our money and time into to disciple? God connects people that he constantly remembered
thousands,” he said. “You can splashy events while ignoring in discipleship relationships. him in his prayers “night and day”
preach to all of them.” This man relationships. We want the sensa- 2. Invest. Don't look at disciple- (2 Tim. 1:3). The most effective
assumed I would be intrigued. tional, not the simple. We crave ship as a program. It must flow out discipleship occurs when the
After all, I could take photos of the big meetings, bigger platforms, of love and genuine friendship. It discipler invests time in prayer for
big crowds and use them to brag noisy sermons, hyped-up altar is a precious investment of your those he or she is mentoring.
later about how many people calls and instant results. It may time into a younger Christian. After some of my young disciples
made decisions for Christ. look spectacular on opening Paul told the Thessalonians: “We gave me an iPad last year, I
I didn't accept the offer. Instead I night, but the show fades fast. were well-pleased to impart to you decided to return the favour by
gave the man a second option. This shallowness is killing us. not only the gospel of God but using it to help me pray for them. I
“Let me spend three days with a Christianity in so many parts of also our own lives, because you now have a “visual prayer list”
small group of pastors,” I said. the world is a mile wide and an have become very dear to us” with photos of the people I
“Let me encourage them, and inch deep because we think faith (1 Thess. 2:8, NASB). intercede for regularly.
then they can go out and preach at is best transmitted to people by 3. Include. One of the ways I Floyd McClung, a former leader of
the big meetings. They will do a preachers standing behind pul- disciple young men is by taking “Youth With a Mission” who now
much better job than I could.” pits. Preaching is certainly impor- them with me on ministry trips. I lives in South Africa, says he
I'm not against mass evangelism. tant, but without personal disci- would have fewer hassles if I wishes he had spent more of his
I'm not criticizing people who pleship, leaders aren't formed travelled alone, but my privacy is time making disciples when he
organize big meetings. But I'm and Christians don't develop true not that precious. In the last was younger. He recently wrote:
learning that the best way to character. If this vital relational couple of years I've invited “I've been blessed to do many
impact a large number of people aspect is overlooked, our faith emerging leaders to accompany things: books, conferences, tele-
is to focus on a few. becomes programmed, super- me to various events. Investing in vision, etc. But that's nothing
This was Jesus' method of minis- ficial and horribly fake. a disciple, to me, has become compared to pouring into others
try. Most of His conversations in I've changed my priorities as I more exciting than preaching to a and seeing them go for it.”
the Gospels were with His small have grasped this truth. I'm not as multitude! Leaders all around the world are
group of handpicked disciples. interested in flashy Conferences 4. Instruct. Jesus didn't lecture coming to this same conclusion.
Even when He did mass meetings, or huge crowds as I am in making His disciples; He artfully wove His They recognize that today's
He used them to instruct the an indelible mark on people who teaching into the events of daily fatherless generation is looking
people He was mentoring. For 3.5 can then disciple others. And as life - a storm, the death of a friend for more than the hottest music,
years He invested in His closest the Lord has shifted my para- or an encounter with a needy the coolest stage lighting or the
followers in a deeply personal digm, I have become more beggar. His teaching flowed out of hippest techno-pastor. They just
way - not as an instructor but as a intentional about making disci- His relationship with His com- want authentic role models who
friend. Jesus did not mass- pleship a part of my daily life. I've panions. Discipleship does not will spend time with them.
produce legions of followers. He done this by following what I call have to happen in a classroom
hand-carved a few - and they the Five “I's” of Discipleship: setting. It can happen at a dough- http://www.charismamag.com
became the pillars of the early 1. Identify. Jesus prayed carefully nut shop, during a bike ride or in a http://www.prophecynewswatch.
church! before selecting those who would car. Expect “teaching moments” com/2012/May31/316.html

oor die begin van hierdie stadsaal en dit aan ‘n skakelaar gesien nie. Hulle was in ‘n gebou
eeu moes skepe, voordat gekoppel. Hierdie moeite is in die hartjie van die stad, ver
Vhulle die hawe van New gedoen omdat daar groot open- weg van die Hell Gate kanaal in
York binnevaar, deur ‘n kanaal bare belangstelling geheers het. New York se Hawe. Nie een van
vaar waarvan die naam Hell Gate Daar was ook joernaliste uit baie die mense in die kantoor het iets
was. ander lande in Amerika. Op 10 gesien of die ontploffing gehoor
Hierdie kanaal, geleë tussen die Oktober het die burgemeester nadat die dogtertjie die skake-
Bronx en Long Island, was en sy klein dogtertjie, vergesel laar gedruk het nie. Hulle het
verskriklik gevaarlik as gevolg van twee getuies en ‘n groep eenvoudig geglo dat alles sou
van bedrieglike dwarsstrome en verslaggewers en fotograwe na verloop soos beplan is.
rotse (Flood Rock) wat in die sy kantoor gegaan. Hierdie vertroue is bevestig toe
middel van die kanaal was. Nadat hy aangekondig het dat ‘n opgewonde stem ‘n paar
Hoewel inkomende skeeps- die skakelaar in sy kantoor die minute later oor die foon aan-
kapteins Hell Gate baie versigtig plofstowwe sou laat ontplof en kondig: “Daar is nie meer ‘n Hell
binnegeseil het, is honderde van Hell Gate ‘n wyer kanaal Gate nie!”
skepe vernietig en was daar maak, het hy vir sy dogtertjie Daar is vandag nog steeds Hy Sy ongekende mag gebruik
geweldig baie lewensverlies oor gesê: “Wil jy die knoppie druk en naamborde naby die Hawe met en elke demoniese invloed ver-
die jare heen. die plofstowwe laat ontplof?” die naam Hell Gate, maar die nietig wat die hemele bokant
Daar word vertel dat die kanaal Die dogtertjie was baie opge- werklike Hell Gate is reeds meer ons toesluit.
Hell Gate genoem is omdat die wonde om saam met haar as ‘n eeu gelede vernietig. Dit is die wonder en misterie van
matrose gesê het dat “baie pappie te wees, maar sy het niks ‘n Klein dogtertjie se gehoor- die kruis: Selfs prostitute,
goddelose mense die hel deur van skepe en dwarsstrome saamheid het die bedrieglike diewe, teruggevallenes en klein
daardie verskriklike hek binne- geweet nie. Sy was heeltemal rotsmassa verwyder uit die kindertjies kan God se onge-
gegaan het.” onkundig aangaande al die kanaal waar baie mense hulle looflike krag vrystel deur hulle
Radelose stadsvaders het inge- tegniese en tegnologiese terme lewens verloor het. Dit was net sondes te bely, Hom gehoor-
nieurs se hulp ingeroep om en het eintlik ook nie geweet ‘n eenvoudige daad van ‘n saam te wees, en hulle aan Hom
hierdie kwessie te kom bestu- waarom daar so ‘n groot bohaai gehoorsame dogtertjie wat die te onderwerp.
deer en te kyk of hulle nie iets gemaak word oor die hele affêre plofstowwe laat ontplof het en Dit is nie ons krag wat die klippe
aan die saak kon doen nie. In nie. daardie gevreesde Hell Gate aan voor die grafkelders van ons
1885 het hulle plofstowwe Maar toe haar vader sê: “Druk flarde geruk het. lewens verwyder nie. Dit is die
rondom Flood Rock geplaas om die knoppie”, het sy gehoor- Vandag wil God die geestelike krag van God wat deur ons
die obstruksie uit die kanaal te saam en die skakelaar gedruk hekke na die hel vernietig wat nederige gehoorsaamheid vry-
verwyder. terwyl die verslaggewers toe- soveel negatiewe invloed op die gestel word.
Hulle het die ploftoestel se gekyk het. lewens van mense uitoefen. [Uit: As die Hemel bo my
bedrading herlei tot binne-in die Die mense het nie vuurwerke in Wanneer ons Hom gehoorsaam toeskuif... Waarom? John
burgemeester se kantoor in die die burgemeester se kantoor met die geloof van ‘n kindjie, sal Kilpatrick, VGU, 1997]