Dear One,
For those who have indicated an interest in the Holy Spirit Seminar Intern Teacher Training Program, the intern program, we will be contacting you this week about starting the program January 1st. The need for real, practical teaching and training in the things of the Spirit has never been greater. This will be the last time the program will be free, although in the future we will make full scholarships available to those in need. Welcome to the walk in the supernatural power of God!
Love you! KRP
THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be (Grk. OU DUNATAI: he is not empowered to be) My disciple. Luke 14:26 NKJV
When I was growing up, I wanted to be GI JOE, a comic book character who was strong, virtuous but fun, defender of the weak and oppressed, and of truth and right, someone who would even sacrifice their life for a righteous cause. GI JOE was ‘the man,’ the coolest character out there. Today perhaps young guys are inspired by the US Navy SEAL teams, or the Marines Force Recon, or the Army’s Delta teams, or some minister of the gospel, hopefully not some idiot rapper or athlete. Who knew that for me ‘GI JOE’ would turn out to be the Son of the living God!
When I saw this in Luke, I first thought it must be figurative language – we are supposed to hate father, mother, wife, children, family, and our own lives? But I found no figure in the verse other than the POLYSYNDETON, the ‘many ands,’ which emphasizes each ‘and’ and its thought, ‘father’, ‘mother’, etc. In fact, Jesus doubles down on the cost of discipleship in Matthew.
He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. Matt 10:37-38 NKJV
WHOA! You know, to get into the SEAL teams requires six months of grueling training, but even the SEALS don’t require what Jesus requires. Virtue requires sacrifice. ‘He cannot be (Grk. OU DUNATAI) my disciple,’ i.e. he is not empowered to be my disciple. There is something empowering about sacrifice. There is a spiritual transaction in your sacrifice that allows the release of the greater good. You see this all the time anecdotally in history. But even for those who die in sacrifice, the transaction is not in their death – no one’s death is redemptive except Jesus’ – but in the life they led that led to their death. We are called to be living sacrifices. Do you see it?
Both the records in Matthew and Luke are followed by this statement.
And whoever does not bear his cross (Grk. STAUROS, stake or walking stick) and come after Me cannot be My disciple. Luke 14:27-28 NKJV
What’s implied here is training. The ancient art of discipleship was to live, work and move with your master. The goal of all training is to BECOME your master, full incarnations of Him, as my friend Tim pointed out. Jesus never intended for us to just imitate Him, but rather to become incarnations of Him. What I love about Jesus’ call to discipleship is that because He asks you for your all, you can give your all in a level of service that is heroic, and though you may never get medals and parades here, you will be justly rewarded in Heaven. An inner passion in all good ones, men and women, thrives at being heroes!
THE BENEFITS OF DISCIPLESHIP
Let’s talk about the benefits or rewards of discipleship.
…that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Eph 3:19 NKJV
The rewards of God are nothing less than God Himself. The rewards of God are not riches, wealth and honor although there is plenty of that in His Kingdom, and those are byproducts of the walk in the fear of God (Proverbs 22:4), but rather it is an impartation of Himself, the wonder of all creation. Let me draw your attention to Matthew…
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. Matt 19:29 KJV
Discipleship is a spiritual transaction, a covenant transaction between you and the Lord where each party commits themselves fully to the other. Philippians says that my God shall supply all of your need. The Lord is not obligated to that verse until you and I begin to fulfill and carry out our side of the covenant. I have learned that to get God’s best I must walk out by giving my best. When I am giving my best, I realize that I can trust Him to do His best. The awareness of the Lord is amazing! Years ago as I got a fresh revelation of the Lord I said something in worship that I had never said before. He spoke immediately in my spirit and said, “I never heard you say that before!” to which I fell down and wept. Another time as I heard of a brother’s death, He instantly reminded me of a conversation we had twenty five years before where we said we would take care of the others family upon one of our deaths. Hadn’t thought of that in twenty-five years but I immediately began to support his widow, realizing it was the Lord reminding me!
My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you… Gal 4:19 NKJV
True discipleship is the walk in the fear of the Lord. In all true teacher/student relationships there is that element of respect or separation that the teacher must have. I cannot teach anyone until I have their attention, and then their respect. This is why when I teach about the power of God, I will tell a lot of stories initially. These have the effect of gaining attention and gathering respect. Once that is set, then we are in a place of beginning to teach. The walk in the fear of the Lord is a choice, a choice that needs to be dwelt on and made soberly. There is a sobering but extremely interesting and instructive section in Proverbs One…
20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
The Holy Spirit is here personified as a woman as ‘Wisdom’ (Isaiah 11:2), who is out on the street, reaching out to everyone, crying out to every man. All the claims against God, that the Lord somehow does not try to help EVERYONE, are hereby thrown out, because WISDOM CRIES OUT TO EVERYONE. She cries and she demands respect, and ultimately, obedience, while promising and delivering the best our God can give.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
Tremendous insight into how God deals with every man, every woman, boy and girl. ‘I have called, you have refused. I extended my Hand, and you ignored Me. I counseled, and you threw away My counsel. Three is the number of completeness. The Lord completely reaches out, the unbeliever completely rejects, even though he will say otherwise.
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
A major reason for unanswered ‘prayer.’
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:
30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
The Word reveals the barren heart of the unbeliever, of which unbelief by the greatness of His mercy we have escaped.
33 But whoso hearkens unto me (WISDOM) shall dwell safely and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
2:1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. Prov 1:20-2:5 KJV
Study the Word, be filled with humility, pray earnestly and seek with a holy desperation the fear of the Lord. Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God, the reward of true discipleship.
THE EFFECTS OF DISCIPLESHIP
“These who have turned the world upside down have come here too!” Acts 17:6 NKJV
The flagship magazine of Billy Graham’s ministry CHRISTIANITY TODAY occasionally features articles that advance a more pure biblical worldview. In 2012 they ran an article that scientifically measured the effects of pure hearted biblically based missionaries on third world countries. They found that countries where the pure gospel of Jesus was presented without a political or unbiblical religious agenda, one hundred years later that country was further ahead of its neighbors in education, healthcare and economic prosperity, and it was provably due to the influence of the missionaries (these were largely our ‘one-legged’ brethren; imagine what influence truly Spirit filled saints could have!). This was proven in study after study!
The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Rev 22:2-3 NKJV
True disciples have great positive effect on the world around them. We know from physics that everything effects everything, so you cannot have a release of the power of God from Heaven through you without it affecting everything around you. Light dispels darkness. The life-giving power of God even effects unbelievers. On Paul’s sinking wheat ship, EVERYONE lived! Dear one, where you go, people live, and they don’t even know why they live…they just do!
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. John 7:38-39 NKJV
There is nothing greater in this world than to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. I daily marvel in thankfulness for the privileges that I have as a disciple. When I see people LIVE wherever we go I know its because of the river of life that is flowing through us from the throne of God. Dear one, you have a hero’s heart! Pay the cost of discipleship daily and let the world experience the living Christ. Love you!
Remember dear ones, we must be about our Father’s business!