Discipling for the Future
- Philip Gumbs
- Jun 5
- 2 min read
What did Jesus do when He wanted to reach the world with the transforming power of His redeeming love? He chose and discipled twelve men for three and a half years. Those men, transformed by His teaching, His example and His fulfilled promise of their infilling by the Holy Spirit, became so much like Him that they turned the world upside down.
Hour by hour He taught them and modeled the priority and power of knowing divine truth – the Word of God, and His irresistible defense of that truth (apologetics); prayer and fasting; passionate love for all people that compelled Him to meet the total needs of the total person – holistic ministry – as seen in His healings, feedings, teachings of forgiveness, and social transformation; and a consuming desire that all humanity be saved that nailed Him to the cross. Doing what Jesus did must be the immediate future of the Caribbean Conference.
Reading the Word
The disturbing norm of minimum and sporadic reading of God’s Word must be overcome by its daily reading and study by all believers. Christ Seekers (https://thechristseekers.com/) is a through-the-Bible reading ministry that has been bringing transformation to lives in participating churches. Sins are being realized and repented of, divine truths (including heaven and hell) are being heralded, and personal destiny is being discovered and fulfilled.
Prayer and Fasting
Regular individual and corporate prayer and fasting must be priorities for clergy and laity. Jesus exemplified these and in no uncertain terms made it clear that He expects no less of us.
Teaching Apologetics
Evangelism in our homes, churches, communities, and across the seas must be our passion, and thus effectively equipping ourselves and our people must be a priority. Spiraling pseudo-intellectual attacks on the truth of God’s Word and the deity of Christ must be countered by effectively teaching our people apologetics. This, by the power of the Holy Spirit will enable us to “contend earnestly for the faith,” which will be evidenced in joyful confidence in believers, the successful transmission of the faith to succeeding generations, freeing unbelievers from the deception that Satan uses to keep them blind and bound, and bringing them to acceptance of salvation.
Holistic Ministry
Holistic ministry that meets not only the spiritual but also intellectual, emotional, physical, and social needs of individuals should characterize us. As it did then, it will shout today that Jesus cares — cares for the total person. This significantly attracts people to God’s kingdom.
God Uses the Broken
I must end by saying that the people that God will use most greatly are broken people – broken by His holiness, power, and the wonder that this omnipotent God who is consuming fire loves us and loves every single child of Adam. Thus broken by His love for the lost and broken by our helplessness, we will like the 120 confess and groan in deep travail until Pentecost consumes us and we are filled with the Holy Ghost. Sanctified, we then manifest the glory of Christ and go forth to win the lost with the anointing that beaks the yoke.
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