Category: BiVo Ministry

Priority!

If all disciples are called to make disciples that make disciples that make disciples and on and on, then any disciple that is not doing that is missing out on some high level fulfillment in life!

“Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”” ‭‭John‬ ‭4:31-32‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Making disciples for any disciple of Jesus is like fish swimming in water! It can easily become your lifestyle. And there is tremendous joy involved in when you see people who were lost filled with the joy of being accepted by Jesus!

I got a call yesterday from one of our sisters in Chibiri, Nigeria. She was so happy that God used her to reconcile a lady back to Jesus and the lady got filled with the Holy Spirit.

Make disciple making your PRIORITY!

Are you fulfilled?

Today is Sunday!

Hundreds of millions of people would attend hundreds of thousands of gatherings all over the world today. They would celebrate the Lord Jesus and worship Him! We would give thanks to our Heavenly Father for loving us so much.

Some already worshiped on Friday and others on Saturday. Some think that if they don’t worship with their group on Sunday, their worship is not the same.

Some cannot even worship freely. While some have to meet on Mondays because that’s the safest day.

Some shout and dance! Some think that dancing is unholy. Others dare not make too much noise or else they would be imprisoned.

No matter how bad you have it, if you are reading this post, you have a lot of reasons to rejoice.

You and I also have an obligation to live fully and truly for Jesus. We must not allow the cares of this life stop us from baring fruit and being fulfilled.

“And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”Mark‬ ‭4:18-19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

My fellow disciple are you fulfilled?

“Go and Tell” or “Come and See”

What model of church is more effective? It depends on where you are and your goals.

For all my ministry I have always believed that all disciples of Jesus are called to make disciples. However, what I saw all around me was the come and see model. So I did the “come and see” model until the Lord opened my eyes that if we are going to reach all the people that want to know Jesus we must add the “Go and Tell” model. The book Contagious Disciple Making by David and Paul Watson was what God used to help me see this need.

Come and see – This is when you go out to talk to people about Jesus and invite them to church meetings. There are people who will only come to Jesus like this. If you are gifted and do things right, you will get some fantastic results with this model. The limitation of this model is that when the people initially don’t come to church meetings, many of us do not have a clear plan of what to do with them and how to continue to work with them.

This challenge becomes more evident when they come for the first time and they don’t return. Many of the people I invited to church meetings and some that prayed prayers of salvation just walked away and I don’t know where they are now.

“Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”” John‬ ‭1:46‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Go and Tell – In this model, you go out as a minister with the mind of leading the people to Jesus and showing them how to follow Jesus by obeying scriptures. You don’t plan to invite them to church until they are saved and following Jesus. You go with a long term plan of engaging, introducing the people to Jesus and training them to share what they are learning!

The challenge with this model is that you may feel alone at the beginning of the journey. Sometimes you may work with a group for a while and it seems as if nothing is coming out of it.

The “Come and See” model requires a lot of work of experts, because the pastor and church staff are expected to take over from you once you bring them to church. However with the Go and Tell model, you are empowered to help the new disciples become disciple makers!

“Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:3-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

With the Go and Tell model also called DMM model, we can reach a lot more people for Jesus on the long run!

Will Jesus call you a disciple?

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? It means to obey the commands of Jesus and to be devoted to His goals, mission and vision.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Matt 16:24.

For a disciple, her greatest joy is that the master is pleased. The disciple is fully committed and devoted to the cause of the master!

Why is it then that making disciples who make disciples is not our priority? Why would a disciple of Jesus be satisfied with themselves when they are not consistently engaged in disciple making?

Could it be because we have convinced ourselves that the little we are doing is the best that we can do? Even if we suppress the conviction of the Holy Spirit, the truth remains the same! We love something more than what Jesus called us to do.

Disciple making should be your lifestyle and mine too! I have devoted my life to making it easier for you! Will you take some time to learn and take action? Get into a group of disciple-makers? Will you devote more time to this than you devote to losing weight?

Will you ask questions and see disciples being made? Don’t wait another day! Start by taking the BiVo Minister Course. It’s self paced and I am sure you will become a more fruitful disciple as a result of this course.

Do you know the joy of loving your enemy?

Whenever I think of enemy, I think of the devil! But beyond that I think of the man and his gang that killed my dear mother (Story here). So when I read what Jesus says about loving your enemy I am so happy that I now know what it means!

““But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:27-28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Naturally, it is absolutely impossible to love your enemy who wants you dead or who spits on you during a pandemic. It is impossible to do good to those who hate you. To do good to people who are trying to get you fired from your job. It is impossible to bless those who call you names, make fun of you and enjoy seeing you humiliated.

All these are impossible when you think that these people are different from you. When you think that these people are wicked and you are better. These things are impossible when you have not experienced the unconditional love of a Heavenly Father.

Friends, although this words are commands from Jesus, they are also what Jesus does inside us. This is a description of the kind of love that is available when we are united with Jesus.

There is great power in this kind of love. There is freedom, there is joy! To love your enemy is to want them to experience a heart that is free from hatred! These days, because of what Jesus has done in my heart, I know that I could be the one hating another person. If not for Jesus, I could be the one fighting for positions at work!

If you allow Jesus to love through you, and allow Jesus to reveal the truth about your unregenerate heart to you, love will flow from your heart to anyone who doesn’t know Jesus! You would pray for them and bless them because hatred and every other thing apart from love is poison!

Oh! It’s so good to experience and share the unconditional love of God!

BiVo Or Marketplace Ministry Discussion with Tobi Omotayo

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My guest on the BiVo Podcast this month Tobi Omotayo is another Project Manager. When I first met him in Kingston Ontario, as a Masters Student at the Queens University, I was impressed by his love for God and for the things of God.

Since then he has gotten married to his beautiful wife Egy and they have a son! He still loves the Lord very much and I am sure you will be blessed by his story.

Are you doing the works of an apostle?

An apostle is one sent out for a special mission. A missionary is an apostle. They go from place to place to plant churches and break new grounds.

So how does an apostle equip the church? What does an apostle do that we all can do and should do?

An apostle is specially gifted in starting things that continues when they are no more there. Because an apostle usually starts new churches, they have considerable strength in all of the other works of ministry! The apostle is a muti-purpose minister.

To do the works of an apostle, you should be able and willing to share what you have learned with a group of people who will be able to continue without you!

For many years I thought that only an apostle is gifted enough to plant churches regularly but I knew and taught people that every disciple of Jesus could start a small group within the local church!

I also taught people that these small groups should be considered as smaller churches!

What I did not realize was that I was asking people to do the work of an apostle. You may not be an apostle, but you can and should do the work of an apostle.

“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” ‭‭II Timothy‬ ‭2:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Start discovery bible study groups every where you have the opportunity to do so! Do not teach the group, lead the group to discover and obey the truth in the Bible. When you do this you are doing the works of an apostle!

If you would like to know how to start a discovery bible study group please let me know in the comments section below.

Are you doing the work of a teacher?

Teachers are very precious to us in all works of life. And they are even more special in the body. Teachers are gifts to the body of Christ.

They make complex doctrines and scriptures simple and easier to obey! They help us see more clearly what God has done for us in Christ Jesus! Not everyone in the body is a teacher but we all can and should teach one or two people what we have learned!

“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” II Timothy‬ ‭2:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Every disciple of Jesus Christ is expected to teach another disciple to obey every thing the Lord Jesus commands.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28:19-20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Tomorrow I will complete this series on the gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11-12. The Apostles, Prophets, Evangelist, Pastors and Teacher are to equip us to do the work of ministry as well as edify us!

Are you teaching someone all that you are learning about obeying Jesus?

Are you doing the work of a prophet?

Prophets are gifts to the body of Christ just like everyone. A prophet is specially gifted to know the mind of God concerning the church, the world and people around them. They spend quite an amount of time with God daily. And the speak the mind of God to the people of God.

Are all prophets? Of course not. But we are all expected to do the work of a prophet to some extent. Every disciple is called to spend time with God and learn to hear from God. We are also encouraged to speak words of encouragement, edification and comfort to the people around us.

“Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” ‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭14:1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

When you spend quality time with God, you are investing in your spiritual development. You also learn to discern God’s voice and His plans for you and for the people that He placed around you. And God will give you words of encouragement for them.

“But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.” ‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭14:3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We cannot all be prophets, but we can all do the work of a prophet in some little way or the other. The prophets are gifted to us by God to equip us to do the work of the prophet and to train new prophets. Glory be to God.

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:11-12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Are you doing the works of an evangelist?

Sharing good news is normal to us as humans! That’s why we have viral videos and posts. If you get something very good or very bad or very funny etc you don’t want to keep the experience to yourself! Even very quiet or reserved people share things with people who are close to them!

As a believer and a follower of Jesus, the best thing that has happened to you should be your salvation through Jesus! And I’m sure you were excited to share it with some people when it happened.

But then, maybe many people thought you were crazy or you got too busy! Whatever the case, it is important to remember that there are many people all over the world that are just waiting for someone to introduce them to Jesus! They want to meet Jesus in you! The need the love and acceptance that Jesus has for them.

“But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” II Timothy‬ ‭4:5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

As a disciple you are expected to share the good news of the kingdom of God! You don’t have to be an evangelist to do the work of an evangelist. The very life of Jesus is in you and you can expect the grace on you as you share your story or the scriptures with people that live or work around you.

For years I was of the wrong opinion that I needed to convince people to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Now I have learned that I am not expected to convince them! I am called to love them, share the truth with them, and trust that if I continue to water the seed with love, the word is powerful enough to convict them because the Holy Spirit continues to work long after I have shared with them!

Have a goal of having a meaningful spiritual conversation with those who are not saved every week and pray for the lost every day!

This is how to do the work of an evangelist!

If you want to learn how to do the work of an evangelist with ease, take my free BiVo Minister Course!