Do you realize that everyone who is a christian that is born again is actually a disciple or is called a disciple of Christ? I don't about you but most things that I have seen in my short life on earth so far, have both genuine and counterfeit types.
Would you please allow me to look naïve with this topic?
Maybe you are one of those Christians who are satisfied with your spiritual
life and walk with God. I can now understand why you think that this topic
sounds childish. All the same before you draw your conclusions let us try again
to define the key words. We will lay emphasis on three words-TRUE,
IMPACT-MAKING, AND DISCIPLE.
DISCIPLE
The word disciple has many meanings, but the most important
definition is the one I want to talk about next. A disciple is defined by the
Encarta dictionary as a follower of a person or an idea, especially one who
believes in and follows the teachings of a leader, a philosophy or a religion.
Another definition of a disciple is one of the twelve original followers of
Christ.
The word disciple can be seen in the Old Testament Book of
Isaiah, chapter 8 and verse 16, and it goes as follows:
16 “Bind up the
testimony, and seal the Law among my disciples…” ,
Here, the Lord God Almighty
was speaking to all his followers through his servant Isaiah the Prophet, and
He called them including me and you- disciples. This was a prophecy to ancient
Israel though, and especially to His obedient followers in ancient Israel.
However I believe that the first definition covers all of us who believe in
Jesus Christ today, but were not originally amongst the first twelve and that
makes this article applicable to everyone who is a Christian today!
TRUE
The word true is a very important word in our discussion- it
has a number of meanings depending on what you are talking about. It could mean
1) to be real or correct-conforming with reality or fact. 2) Genuine (this is
the most important word here)-it means not pretended, insincere or artificial.
3) Personally faithful-showing loyalty (faithfulness) to another person. 4)
Committed-faithful to a cause, purpose or a religious belief.
There are probably up to ten other explanations of the
meaning of the word true, but the above definitions are okay for the purpose of
our discussion.
How then can somebody be a false disciple of Christ? Another
person will say to me, once you are born again, you are a child of God and so
can no longer be false or fake, but I have all the explanations to these questions
or arguments from the word of God. Firstly, Judas was a disciple of a Christ
and obviously a false disciple of Christ.
Judas Iscariot pretended to be a follower of the Master,
simply because he was called by the Lord and was following the Lord, but his
mind was not on the mission of the Lord. Judas was the treasure and he was only
after the money. He stole money from the bag. This is the same place that many
preachers and teachers and Christians live today. They will be willing to do
anything because of money.
Judas’ greed latter drove him to sell the master for thirty
pieces of silver and when his sin was exposed, he committed suicide. There are
many Judases in the ministry and in our churches today who have sold themselves
out to many different things to make money at the expense of their souls. Some
have entered into certain strange covenants, to be performing spurious signs
and wonders so as to deceive the gullible elect of Christ. These are some of
the people to whom the Lord will say on the last day, “Get thee thence, I never knew you, ye workers of iniquity”.
Concerning these folks again we read in the book of Romans
chapter 16 and verses 17 and 18, where we read as follows:
17 “Now I beseech
you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the
doctrines which ye have learned; and avoid them.
18 For they that are
such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words
and fair speeches, deceive the simple.”
Again concerning these false disciples of Christ, we read in
the book of Philipians chapter 3 and verses 18 and 19, we read as follows:
18 “For many walk, of
whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the
enemies of the cross of Christ:
19 Whose end is
destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is their shame, who mind
earthly things?”
These are the false disciples of Christ. There are
Christians today who have destroyed so many other believers, their faith,
finances, relationships, ministries, career/jobs. Yet they approve themselves
as people who are ready for heaven. They have set up pastors and other
Christians for destruction, and they have been doing these things happily, they
think that they are on their way to heaven but they are the enemies of Christ
and of His cross.
Someone will say, but how can you blame me, life is about
survival of the fittest! If I have to survive in ministry by setting that other
Pastor up so that the long hand of the law will catch up with him for
mistakenly omitting some of his taxes, well if he goes to jail, he will lose
his members to me and my church will triple in number. I have only tried to
help our society to become a better one by exposing a criminal. This is a good
idea, but is it really the best? God is seriously concerned about our motives.
Some preacher wants to bring down the image of his competitor?
So decides to use an electronic device to get his picture while he is naked is
his toilet and get some charlatans to publish and distribute it. When many
people saw the leaflets showing the popular television preacher naked in his
toilet, they were ashamed of the man and themselves, the preacher, and
whosoever that they did not know tried to destroy him. They decided to stay
away from him and his ministry.
Such are the things that we see the so called preachers do
today so as dominate the land and drive out competitors. The reason for all
this is the fact that the motives behind ministry today are not heaven, souls
and the kingdom. The motives are more like money, wealth, popularity and fame,
as well as influence and worldly glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment