Discipleship TRAINING?
Disciples, we are GATHERED here today to get through this thing called…LIFE.
You. Student. Ingathering.
I have a question for you. After you have gone to church or attended a Bible study, do you experience RESTORATION within and without? Or does it feel like a waste of your time due to a lack of real (focused) connection?
If the latter, it could be because you do not yet grasp the HOLY PURPOSE OF GATHERING…according to the Spirit of G-d.
I’ll circle back around to it, but we gather for TRAINING IN ORDER TO BE COMPLETE AND EQUIPPED. (By the way, the word for training or learning in Hebrew is LAMAD which is the root word for TALMID (disciple!).
Is this your typical gathering experience? Why or why not? How much are you squeezing out of your time of real connection and intentional GATHERING? Have you and each one in your gathering devoted yourselves unequivocally to the Four Things that the early disciples in Acts 2 devoted themselves to as the Spirit of G-d manifested in holy unity?
Education (chinukh) AND Dedication (chanukah) share the same root word in Hebrew. Dedication is education. Do you see?
Let us look at a word often – and unfortunately – translated as ‘church’.
There is no Greek word equivalent for our English ‘church’. The Greek word is EKKLESIA, meaning ‘the called-out’ ones. What do you think we are CALLED-OUT of? [BONDAGE is the correct answer.] The Hebrew equivalent is KAHAL, meaning ‘to assemble, to gather’. Why then, do we GATHER (according to The Scriptures)?
2 Timothy 3:16-17
“All Tanach (Scripture) is breathed out by G-d for the undertaking of IMPARTING
1) INSTRUCTION
2) CONVICTION
3) RESTORATION TO UPRIGHT POSITION THROUGH CORRECTION, and
4) TRAINING IN UPRIGHTNESS IN ORDER THAT G-D’S HUMAN MAY BE COMPLETE (in himself) and EQUIPPED (for others) for every good work.”
The Holy Spirit’s Work of COMPLETING and EQUIPPING only happens through BREATHING IN WHAT G-D BREATHS OUT. This is our PROPER TRAINING:
- Instruction +
- Conviction +
- Correction = TRAINING in Uprightness
This is the HOLY GOAL/PURPOSE of ANY & ALL ‘GATHERINGS’…according to G-d’s Definition of GATHERING.
PERHAPS together we can change our ideas of simply ‘going to church’ or ‘doing a Bible study’ into what The Holy Spirit has predestined for us, that is: ‘Becoming Skilled through Gathering’ . This is what Ekklesia (Called-out Ones) means. THE CALLED OUT ONES HAVE a VERY Active Role in restoring the world and preparing for the Return of our Messiah.
When everyone in your GATHERING understands WHY they gather, there will be much FRUIT (completing and equipping) that glorifies The Father (and proves us as His ‘talmidim’ (disciples) – John 15:8.
Engage in INTENSE TRAINING, called-out One. This is your purpose.
Assemble in Spirit and Truth.
Train in Spirit and Truth.
Educate/Dedicate in Spirit and Truth.
Be Complete and Equipped in Spirit and Truth.
Mereas Discipleship Course
If you are interested in BEGINNING A NEW LIFE GROUP in your home, consider my Discipleship Course for Leaders.
This is an intensive for small group leaders exploring the Hebrew (Biblical) customs of ‘making disciples’ and all it entails. We look closely at what COMMITMENT to Two Entities can avail as we (RE)discover BIBLICAL DISCIPLESHIP from a Hebrew perspective.
You will come away with a new understanding of your role as a Merea (a meaningful, instructive word found in the Old Testament), a deeper look into the Original Text (Hebrew/Greek word studies), and additional helpful concepts and ideas for Shepherding your group intentionally, effectively, and prayerfully. This is Biblical Discipleship REDISCOVERED! <– Click for the deets!
Shabbat Shalom!
