What Is a Disciple?નમૂનો

‘Truly I tell you there are some standing here, (some reading this), who will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power’ Mark 9:1

Do you hear what Jesus is saying?

Discipleship – the discipleship that involves ‘deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me’ leads directly to ‘seeing the kingdom of God has come with power’.

And not at some distant point in time just after we die and ‘the fiery chariot’ rushes us off into the sky.

No, Jesus said it would happen now, in our lives, ‘before we taste death.’

The New Testament is clear,

‘The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.’
1 Corinthians 4:20.

The kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink (whether or not you should eat pork, or crayfish or lobster), but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).

Paul warns Timothy about those who have a form of godliness, (lots of attention and busyness going on in formalised religion) but deny the power of the Spirit to change and transform lives to be like Christ.

Discipleship leads directly to the kingdom!

How does the kingdom come in power? By denying ourselves, taking up our crosses, and following Jesus (Mark 8:34 – 9:1).

Stories from the Kingdom

Sometime earlier this year, I was at a meeting with about eight others. We were sitting in the garden having tea and cake and we had invited a prophetic person to minister to us. The prophetic person (who had been invited at short notice and was unaware of the details of the lives of those seated around them) began with two ‘words of knowledge.’ First, there is someone here who has someone very close to them who has blocked fallopian tubes. Immediately, a hand went up. Yes, that’s my wife. The second word was that someone was facing a tribunal and court sitting. A second hand immediately went up. Yes, that’s me. The person then described the situation they were facing. The prophetic person then brought specific prophetic messages for each person present. We then joined the prophetic person, laying hands on and ministering to and praying for the two people who had responded to the two words of knowledge.