The BiVo Minister Blog – Page 5

10 Reasons why disciple making should be your priority

Do you know any employee who only works when he feels like it? If you do, they are usually in between jobs 😀!

I have not met a disciple of Jesus (Christian) who thinks that there is no need to make disciples for Jesus!

What I see or observe regularly are believers who take disciple making as something you do when you have the time!

I also meet a lot of believers who say that it should be a priority, and they truly want to do it but they do not know how to do it with ease and with a busy schedule.

If you are in this group then you are the one that this website is designed for!

It is because of you that I was led to start the BiVo Partnership so that we can work together as a community of believers from different professions and I can show you the tips that I have learnt over the years about how to practice the lifestyle of disciple making!

Here are 10 reasons why disciple making should become your priority! This list is in no particular order.

It fills you with joy to see people transformed by Jesus.
You share in the joy of heaven that a lost child is found (Luke 15:7).
You experience a deeper sense of fulfillment because your Heavenly Father is glorified (John 15:8).
Your faith is strengthened because you experience another result of obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:18-20).
You sense that you are playing your role as a disciple of Jesus and it gives you confidence in other aspects of your life.
You develop more boldness to pray for people in need because you have more confidence that God is with you.
Your relationships get better because you are always expecting God to move through you to love people around you!
Your relationship with your family and especially your spouse is strengthened because you start working together for a higher purpose.
You pray more and become more attentive to the Holy Spirit and it affects your decision making even in business and finances.
You become a better and stronger leader because you will be working to encourage others to make disciples!

Let’s get to it right now! Seek first the Kingdom of God… (Matt 6:33).

If you want to work with other professionals (Engineers, doctors, profs, business owners, nurses) to strengthen your disciple making then become a BiVo Partner today. Click on the link.

https://adesobanjo.com/partner/

Do you think like a recruiter?

When you approach disciple making with the mindset of a recruiter your results will be very different! And even more importantly you will be happy to recruit all the time and anywhere.

For many years when I went out for “evangelism” I only thought about winning people for Jesus. I wanted as many people as possible to know and experience the love of Jesus. I did not think as if I was recruiting them as disciples (disciple-makers) for Jesus.

So I preached the gospel of the kingdom of God to them. I shared with them that Jesus is the way. I expected them to give their lives to Jesus and begin to enjoy eternal life. Some did and even among those that did, some drew back.

What I did not do was think like a recruiter.

After I was introduced to the disciple making movements that were baptizing millions of disciples all over the world it became so clear to me that thinking like a recruiter makes a big difference.

Remember that Jesus approached disciple-making like a recruiter. He called people to follow him so that they can replicate His ministry. (Matt 4:19)

Thinking like a recruiter means that:

You are thinking of both the disciple and Jesus.
You clearly articulate the truth that Jesus is calling them to follow Him and to join Him to make disciples.
You immediately start training people to reach out to their contacts and circle of influence.
You make sure that the people are truly interested in following Jesus.
You present the people to Jesus and let Jesus convict them and confirm them.
You immediately teach them how to listen to Jesus and to obey him.
You try as much as possible to show the new disciple that with the power of Jesus, they can do what you are doing.
You even tell them about the challenges that they may face without the fear that they would draw back. Jesus did this a lot. (Luke 18:22).
You take them through a process and even when they say the “salvation prayer” and get water baptized immediately, you let them know that it’s just the beginning.

When you think like a recruiter, the disciples you make have a much greater chance of remaining in the faith because from before their conversion, they knew that they would become sold out to Jesus! They would need to take on a new life. (Matt 13:44-45).

The difference is internal but it makes a big difference. When I am hiring workers, I never try to convince people to like the job offer, I look for people who have been praying for such a position, then check if they are qualified for the job.

When you go out with a recruiter mindset to look for disciples for Jesus, you find them. Sometimes they are the people you least expect but you find them! There are many all around you.

As you go out today, look out for potential disciples that the Lord will send to you!

A 15 year old boy’s one word prayer?

God will work with available vessels. I sense that we would experience more of God if only we can recognize how helpless we are without Him!

A fifteen-year-old boy named Donald was wonderfully converted and became an outstanding helper in the revival.
One day Campbell called at Donald’s home and found him on his knees in the barn with an open Bible before him.
Donald quietly said, “Excuse me a little, Mister Campbell, I am having an audience with the King.”
In a service one night this youth stood up, clasped his hands together and uttered the one word, “Father.”
Everyone was immediately melted to tears by the presence of God invading the house. And this extraordinary young man went on to play an important role in the Berneray revival.
Revival Fire by Wesley Duewel, pg 312.

I know you want this, we can see the move of God if we ask Him.

Let’s work together!

What about children in the house church?

We have been doing something called church in the home for a few years now. We take one Sunday and we have our meetings in the home. Thanks to the pandemic we have been having virtual church in the home every week for many months now.

Church in the home can be scary for some people because they wonder what would happen to the children. What we do now is keep the children in the same room with the adults and we worship together and involve the children.

The very little ones can paint or do some craft on the rug beside their parents. I know it’s a little more work for parents but I believe that children will do well in the church at home and the extra sacrifice is worth the effort.

Here are the reasons why I know that church in the home is a blessing for the children as well.

Those who are already in grade one and above can participate in the meetings. Our children have been participating in our meetings since they could respond to questions. They are now 13 and 10 and they are doing well.
The children get to hang out with adults and see how God works with people. They also see other adults (closeup) with godly lifestyles to look up to.
They experience the manifestation of the Holy Spirit at the meetings and develop faith for these manifestations from a young age.
The older children can start to lead their own Discovery Groups when they get to high school because they have seen it modeled all their lives.
They don’t have to struggle to integrate back to the adult church after being in the kids church for many years.

There are some challenges which usually boil down to more work for the adults at first.

As it is, we are still in the pandemic and still having church at home and we are loving it. Our boys Demi and Damilola love it.

Two elderly ladies?

I am always blown away by the way God works. No one is too young or too old. See what God did with two elderly ladies. One of them was blind. Everyone can pray!

In 1949 in the village of Barvas, Rev. James Murray MacKay was the parish minister. For months he and his church leaders prayed for an outpouring of the Spirit.
In a small cottage lived two elderly sisters: Peggy Smith, aged eighty-four and blind, and her sister Christine Smith, eighty-two and almost bent double with arthritis.
They were unable to attend worship, but for months they prayed in their cottage for God to send revival to Barvas.
Revival Fire by Wesley Duewel, pg 306

They prayed for months for people in their village by name. And other members of the church prayed as well.

One morning after several months of praying, God gave one of the sisters Peggy Smith a vision of the church building filled with people including the young people. She saw hundreds of people being swept into the kingdom of God.

She told her pastor and he and the church elders invited a guest minister Duncan Campbell to speak for a couple of days.

Here is what happened

That night Campbell preached on “The Wise Virgins” and the following night on “The Foolish Virgins.”
The second service closed with intense silence. God was speaking to hearts.
At the close, Campbell dismissed the crowd and the building emptied.
But suddenly the church door opened again and an elder motioned for Campbell to come to the door.
The entire congregation was standing outside, so gripped by the Holy Spirit they did not want to leave.
Other people who had not attended were drawn from their homes by the irresistible power of the Holy Spirit.
Many faces showed deep distress. Campbell called everyone back inside the church.
The awesome presence of God was so profound that unsaved people began to groan with distress and pray in repentance.
Revival Fire by Wesley Duewel pg 308.

Many more wonderful things happened in that village.

When we pray with our whole hearts for a move of God’s Holy Spirit. He always responds.

Let’s pray please! Our Heavenly Father is looking for willing vessels. (Acts 1:14)

Excuses!

We make excuses for almost everything! Success or progress comes when we stop making excuses and start finding solutions.

We read this story today at our family devotion.

“As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭9:57-62‬ ‭ESV‬‬

What are my excuses for not making disciples? What are yours?

9 reasons why our next church plant is a house church

We sense the Lord wants us to plant a house church network in Cornwall! Here are some reasons why we are happy to do it. There are challenges as well, but this post is about the benefits.

“Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.” Colossians‬ ‭4:15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

It looks like what we read in scriptures (Philemon 1:2)
It is easier to start. You don’t need a big budget. You don’t need a budget at all 😀.
Everyone can participate in the meetings because there are usually less than 12 adults.
It’s easier to practice unconditional love for one another.
Leaders are always being trained because new leaders are always needed to lead new house churches.
It’s easier to train the members to receive and flow in the manifestations of the Holy Spirit because a smaller group is less intimidating.
It’s easier for friends and neighbors to attend because they already come into the house at other times.
The children get to participate in the church like they do in a regular family. I believe this helps them engage better.
The house churches replicate faster. This is one of the strengths of Disciple Making Movements.

Have you participated in a church that meets in the house? Please share your thoughts!

7 Reasons Why I Like Discovery Bible Studies

I recently came across this way of helping people connect with the Bible and with God called the Discovery Bible Study. Here are a few reasons why I like it and use it daily with my family.

It can be done with anyone who is interested in learning about God from the Bible
It makes the Bible the focus of the study and not a teacher of the Bible
Almost anyone can facilitate the study
It can be used to disciple people who are interested in following Jesus but are yet to make a commitment.
It helps the new disciples to learn 3 important habits very early: Love for one another, obedience to Jesus and sharing the gospel.
A missionary can train a person of peace to do it with his or her household.
It is a great way to lead groups to Jesus!

Have you tried the Discovery Bible Study? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Disciple Making is like raising kids for success!

Our first son is almost as tall as me. I’m happy to see that! I’m happy that he is developing well physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

I expect that he and his brother will find their wives and start their own families. Everything we do now to train them is to get them ready to succeed at building their own families.

That is how disciples are also! Disciples should make disciples that make disciples.

Churches should plant churches that plant other churches!

We should get worried when disciples are not making disciples and churches are not planting churches!

Are you making disciples?

Steadfast Hope?

Hope is what keeps us going when things look as if they are not working!

When Hope is lost all is lost.

We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭1:2-3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Hope in our Lord Jesus is spiritual hope. It is not just waiting for something that may or may not happen?

Hope in our Lord Jesus is knowing that our future and the project of disciple making is secured!

It is hope because it is in the future not because there is no assurance!

Steadfastness of hope is what the Holy Spirit gives us! He communes with us and works in us so that we continue to be sure of a secured future both on earth and in eternity!

Today as you read this dear disciple of Jesus, let the Holy Spirit in you help you to rejoice in the truth that with Jesus, you are safe. With Jesus as our leader disciples will be made and millions of people who are created by God will find rest in God through Jesus Christ!

When we listen to the news, one would be tempted to lose hope. People are really suffering and people are hurting one another!

But when we look at Jesus, and we know we can pray and love those who are around us and share with them in a DBS, then there is hope!