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Redefining Discipleship

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These days, lives are not changing like they should, mainly because we don't realize how much God loves us.

The problem wi th disciple ship of the past is that it tends to be rigid, lifeless, and often legalistic - it is not always applicable to today's needs. We talk about being "new," but present the old - over and over again. Discipleship is not about a bunch of inflexible laws that you "can't do" anymore -- Don't cut your hair, don't wear

short sleeves, don't go here, or don't say this or that. Pray this long, fast here.

In fact, discipleship has become a dreaded concept! "Oh no! Not that again!" It demands unflinching obedience. But, the Good News shows us that it just isn't about having to DO something else -- putting another notch in our belt by getting another "convert" who will go to a lot of meetings, or feeling guilty for not praying for really long times.

Oftentimes, some people make us feel that Christianity is just a severe obligation and a ruthless burden to please an angry God.

Many believers are not maximizing their lives because they have not fully allowed this discipleship process to bring them into Christ-likeness.

Most are in such a habit of doubting or contradicting the promptings of the Lord, that they automatically dismiss what is spoken. I had a pastor friend who told me he wasn't going to pray about certain things, because he would only have to DO them!

Achieving Biblical discipleship in this New Day demands more.

Lives are supposed to change. The bottom line is that the Holy Spirit comes into your life to CHANGE YOU and lead you into your destiny path. He won't do that against your will! You choose to allow the Divine act of intervention. Discipleship should delightfully usher the Body into becoming the emerging Bride.

We can only fully surrender to discipleship when we know we are loved. Jesus gave Himself as a sacrificial offering for the CHURCH and charged apostles to protect His precious Bride until He, as the Bridegroom, returns for Her.

He totally loves her.

That's why the Church is supposed to lead believers into becoming the glorious image and LIKENESS of Christ. What an opportunity! We are supposed to be containers of His splendor and Glory.

This is absolutely glorious! What an opportunity to be delivered to the world as His crowning achievement.

Whatever your end time belief may be, this consistent truth remains. Jesus returns for His Bride who is spotless (Eph. 5:27).

• Even the animal sacrifices were to be without spot or blemish (Ex. 12:5). Spots and blemishes are an affliction on the flesh of the physical BODY - that are EXTERNAL and are caused by something being wrong INTERNALLY.

• A spotted and wrinkled Bride is never teachable or correctable, and cannot cooperate in a TEAM because she strives in competitive immature jealousy and discontent.
  
• Pure religion keeps us unspotted from the world (James 1:27).
  
• Spots can come from deep inside will come to the surface, just like leprosy (Lev. 13:2). Spots are on the FLESH, representing those who are false teachers, uncleanness, being self-willed, presumptuous, those who speak evil, riotous, beguilers, and those who have gone astray, (2 Pet. 2:1, 12-15).
  
• A wrinkle comes from aging FLESH that causes an alteration of the original appearance to look like someone else. Wrinkles can be ironed out!
  
• Song of Solomon 4:7 "Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee."
  
  Loving discipleship heals the spots by love! It is possible!

What would help cure those spots? The first part of that verse is, "Husbands, LOVE your wives, and wash them with the WORD (that there be no spots)." Well, like with many brides, many believers don't realize that they are loved, prized, cherished, and adored. The Word of God reveals it! When she is "washed," she understands that her value causes her to become "holy and without blemish.

• "Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That you might be blameless and harmless... without rebuke [RSV: without blemish; NKJV: without fault; YLT: unblemished]... among whom ye shine as lights in the world" (Phil. 2:14-15).

• Pure religion keeps us unspotted from the world (James 1:27).

• "Be diligent that you may be found... without spot, and blameless" (2 Peter 3:14).

• "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless [RSV: without blemish; YLT: unblemished, unspotted] before the presence of his glory..." (Jude 1:24).

Discipleship leads a willing Bride into maximizing her life. We see that the once dreaded concept of "discipleship," now simply becomes the way to get onto the path and cooperate with the phenomenal destiny God has planned for us.

The gospel of the kingdom is the good news and discipleship is also good news!
Know this: God is enamored, enchanted, ravished, astonished, fascinated, captivated, enthralled, delighted, spellbound, obsessed, mesmerized, and exhilarated WITH YOU!

He has already given YOU power & authority to create -- in your world, to determine your future. Just go ahead and bless others with His favor!
The church cannot fulfill her purpose here on earth without attentive, conscientious, and effectively loving Apostolic discipleship.

True leaders love without any other motive or agenda. Just love others.

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