The Disciple Part 1 – The Lamp & Light Post

Hunger, Faith and Love – abiding anointing.

Make disciples.

Matthew 28:19 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,

Believers vs Disciples.
Everybody loves Jesus.
The true disciple?
Do you love Jesus, in John 14:15, Jesus said then we will obey His commandments.

Jesus expecting his followers to be faithful while he is gone.

Luke 19:11–19 11 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. 12 Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ 15 “And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ 19 Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’

This passage talks about faithfulness that Jesus requires from those who belong to Him

between His first and second comings.

Historians have pointed out that at this particular time in the Roman Empire if there was somebody who was who wanted to or was destined to rule over a particular area of the Empire that he would travel to Rome to officially get those rights from Caesar and then he would return and then actually begin to Reign in that particular area.

So there was a traveling to receive rights for a kingdom and then a return to Reign
now in this particular Parable nobleman represents Jesus and the going to a distant country represents him going to heaven
Jesus is the one who’s going to go to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself and then return.
We are to be responsible stewards of what he has given to us.
and to be very much at work for him while He is gone.

Three Signs

Hunger

Sign of life
Start seeking more of through His Word.

Faith

The Holy Spirit gives us an inner knowing that we belong to Jesus.
We receive a God-given faith,
We don’t have to convince ourselves that it is real.

Measure/seed of faith

God puts a measure of faith in your life at salvation, and immediately you know He’s your God. This is the faith I’ve been talking about where you know the Lord Jesus is the Savior of your soul.

Fruit of Faith

God puts a measure of faith in your life at salvation, and immediately you know He’s your God. This is the faith I’ve been talking about where you know the Lord Jesus is the Savior of your soul.

Gift of Faith

This type of faith is different because it is not for your relationship with God. Instead, the gift of faith is for ministry to others. Every gift for ministry comes under the empowering anointing.

Love

The third thing that comes alive at salvation is that the Holy Spirit gives you a love for the Lord Jesus you have never known and
a desire to know the Lord,
a desire to walk with Him,
a desire to serve Him.
That is love.
When I got saved, no one had to tell me to read the Bible because the moment that oneness with the Lord Jesus takes place, there is a great desire to know Him.

This love leads to Hunger, which leads to fellowship or a relationship.

Psalm 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Recipes
Watch on TV, but not as good as being there, doing that

Psalm 103:7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.

The woman caught in adultery in John 8

John 8:11 ¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

This account demonstrates why you must develop your relationship with the Lord before developing your relationship with His Word.

Otherwise there’s no balance.
Fellowship with God is the foundation of life and ministry.
Then, on top of that, you develop your relationship with His Word.
Your hunger for Him leads you to know His Word, not the other way around.

Disciples Overcome

To motivate us to diligently live for Christ now and just think about the implications of what that means for our future.

We are going to look at what is the church’s relationship to Jesus’s coming kingdom.

Revelation 2:26–27 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— 27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’— as I also have received from My Father;

Overcomers in the Church

Jesus is telling the overcomer in the church “I will give power over the nations”
Jesus is actually going to share his kingdom Reign over the Nations on Earth with the overcomer.

Revelation 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Jesus’ Davidic throne

Hebrews 10:12–13 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.

Currently there.

Luke 1:32 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

Jesus overcame, Bible calls that victorious.

2 Timothy 2:12 12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.

This is similar to the messages to the Overcomers in Revelation.

This is the age for enduring.
this is the age of perseverance.
This is the age of pushing on in difficult times.
The reward if we endure is that we will also reign with him.
Christians who hold on to their faith are going to face difficult times in this world, in this age that we live in but,
one of the motivations that we are going to reign with Christ in the future.

Luke 16:10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.

So be faithful.

Auto Transcript

Praise the Lord, I’ve been teaching you for the last three Sundays on how the Holy Spirit is our teacher. I’m going to continue this teaching on the Holy Spirit, but with emphasis on us being a disciple of Christ. And today we’re going to learn how it is natural for us to have a hunger for Jesus Christ and a faith because he gives us faith and a love, not earthly love, but a love towards a brethren and a love towards him.

And it how it is natural. That is a sign of a true disciple of Christ. Jesus said make disciples,

not believers, not converts, make disciples. If you go to Matthew 28, 19 says, go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Again, believers.

Yes, you have to believe,

but I have to believe you pay the price to be a disciple. What is the price is to put away your agenda and take on God’s purposes and plans. See, everybody loves Jesus. Even if you ask someone from another religion, they love Jesus.

There are some religions that pretend to know Jesus even better than Christianity. But does that make you a true disciple of Jesus Christ? How do you know? I can tell you 10 points, 20 points, 30 points. They’re good to tick off. They’re good to understand. But you need to check your heart. Are you a true disciple of Jesus Christ? I found that I want to be, but I’m not there yet. But I keep trying. And that is okay with God. But I keep my eyes on the things above, not on the things on the earth. Do you love Jesus?

Do you really love Jesus?

Everybody says they do. But then in John 14, 15, it says, “If you love me, you’ll obey my commandments.”

Jesus said that. How can you love him and not obey his commandments? Something is wrong somewhere. Something is not true. So is this love duplicate fake?

You won’t expect that from your spouse. God wants truth in a being. And our Lord Jesus Christ is expecting you and me to be faithful while he’s gone.

So let’s go to Luke 19.

And I’m reading from verse 11 onwards. Now, as I heard these things, he spoke another parable because he was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.

Therefore, he, that is Jesus, he therefore he said, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.”

Suppose Rome was ruling over the whole of earth,

which at that time of Jesus, in his place, Rome was the ruling kingdom.

And if he wanted authority to rule over Ernakulam district,

suppose I am the rightful heir for Ernakulam district.

How do I prove that to you?

A certificate.

Where do I get that from? From Caesar. Where’s Caesar? In Rome. So I have to travel to Rome, get that certificate, come back, and that is my authority.

And where is Jesus’s certificate? You find that in Revelation chapter five. He opens the seal. He’s the only one found worthy to open the seal of the earth.

And when he opens the seal, there were judgments.

Do you understand? Yes? So a nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. That means he’s going to get a kingdom. Yes?

And he’s going to return. So he called ten of his servants,

they’re part of his household, and delivered unto them ten miners. And he said to them, “Do business till I come.” So he gave them what is needed to do business. Like that, God has blessed you with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus.

Where do you find that? In Ephesians one, three.

And if you say, “I don’t have it, I don’t have it,” God says, “Pray. Get it from heaven into earth. Bring it from the spiritual into the natural.” Do you understand this principle?

The Lord is my shepherd. You shall not lack. Do you understand? Having your pastor on Sprit Dal is not the answer. It’s your relationship with the Lord. But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him saying, “We will not have this man to reign over us.”

Servants are trying to enforce the Lord’s law. But his citizens saying, “Nah, I don’t want this.” So what they do, they send a delegation saying, “We don’t want this guy.” Isn’t that exactly what the world is doing? Where are you in this?

And verse 15 he says, “And so it was when he returned having received his kingdom, he then commanded these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.” Judgment starts in the house of God. If it was me, I would have taken care of the citizens and I would have punished them for not listening to me. But here he did the exact opposite of that. He went to his own house to whom he had given his money. And he said, “Okay, what have you done with that,

with the money I have given? You can read more later.

If you have found faith a little, you will be faithful with many. Don’t expect magical, miraculous thing. Oh, that’s okay.

This is Kaliwali.

You’re doing whatever and then expect God to reward you. No. If you’re faithful little, you’re faithful with many.”

Then came the first saying,

“Master, your minor has heard ten minors.” And he said to him, “Well done, good servant, because you were faithful in a little half authority over ten cities. I think they’re little cities,

because we’re called to reign and rule with Christ.” And verse 18 says, “And the second came saying, Master, your minor has heard five minors.” Like what he said to him, “Therefore, also be over five cities. The master doesn’t condemn him. Be faithful with what is being given to you, what is in your hand.”

See this passage talks about the faithfulness that Jesus requires from those who belong to him. You can love him all you want, but are you doing what he wants you to do? So those who belong to him, he’s given a task between his first coming and his second coming. That is now. And we walk by faith, because you don’t see that. Not by sight.

Do you understand? Yes?

So there is a traveling to receive the rights for a kingdom, and then a return to reign. Right now, Jesus is doing the traveling. In John 14, one onwards he says, “No, don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in me. Trust also in God, yes? For I go to prepare a place for you in my father’s house.”

Do you understand? Continues. Do you understand? Yes?

Come back.

What are you doing with your life?

In this particular parable, the nobleman represents Jesus,

and is going to a distant country, represents him going to heaven.

Are you clear about that? Yes? Jesus is the one who is going to go to a distant country and receive a kingdom for himself, and then return.

We are to be responsible stewards of what he has given to us.

You say you’re a disciple of Christ, then be a responsible steward, and be at work for him while he’s gone. There are three signs.

When I was young,

I’m still young,

when I go to the doctor, first thing he asks is, “How is your appetite?” Now he looks at me and says, “No, I’m not going to ask that question.” Yes? But the hunger that we have is a sign of life. No one had to tell me to read the word through his Bible, his word, when I was born again. All that Bible reading plants, all that is good,

but don’t let it become mature.

When I was engaged to Anu,

no one had to tell me to be in contact with her, because she called me all the time, yes?

But what I’m saying is that is love.

Do you understand? Do you have that true love, then obey his commandments?

What is faith?

The Holy Spirit gives us an inner knowing that we belong to Jesus. Is the author of our faith? Yes?

We receive a God-given faith. We don’t have to convince ourselves that it is real.

That is why I don’t get into arguments.

If people don’t think it’s real, and if the Holy Spirit is not convincing them, what can I do?

Do they know enough to talk about the real Jesus? Are they a disciple of Christ? If there’s a doubt, an area, the Lord will settle that, and then we speak the truth in love. But we must have faith. A measure of faith.

God puts a measure of faith in our life at salvation.

Understand this carefully, and immediately know he’s our God. This is the faith I’ve been talking about where you know Lord Jesus is the savior of your soul. This is the abiding faith, yes?

And that abiding faith causes you to have a fruit of that faith. If you have faith, it’ll come out.

Then you have a gift of faith. This type of faith is different because it is not for your relationship with God. Instead, the gift of faith is for ministry to others.

Every gift for ministry comes under the empowering anointing. Again, I’m trying to make you understand the difference between both anointings, inward and for ministry, yes?

Now we come to love. The third thing that comes alive at salvation is that the Holy Spirit gives us a love for the Lord Jesus like we have never known. Today during worship, I was filled with this love. Nobody had to give it to me. I didn’t find it in a jar or peanut butter or jam or jelly or whatever. Do you understand?

The Holy Spirit gave me that love. I decided to know the Lord. I decided to walk with him. I decided to serve him. This is love and that causes you to be holy. Like I said, when I got saved, no one had to tell me to read the Bible. The moment that oneness took place between the Lord Jesus and I, I had to decide to know him.

This love leads to hunger and this hunger leads to fellowship and a relationship.

You can’t fake it.

Go to Psalm 34 verse 8. It says, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in him.” I can tell you all about the recipes that I cooked in Switzerland. You can watch about it on TV, but it’ll do you no good, especially if you’re hungry and it’ll do you no good reading about it. Understand me very clearly.

Then someone who makes it for you and then you can taste and see that, “Oh, okay, this is good. That’s good.” You understand, this is what a veal syrup is supposed to taste like. Earlier, when I used to order burger in Cochin,

they used to give me meat patties with cabbage on top. I said,

“What are you doing? Why are you putting cabbage?” Then later I understood,

“Cabbage looks like lettuce.”

It’s not a substitute for lettuce.

At that time, it was very difficult to find lettuce.

To an Indian who grew up with that, a burger is made out of cabbage and a little meat.

Nonsense. It’s not a cabbage patch burger, yeah?

That gives my heed away. But again, go to Psalm 103 verse 7. He made known his waste, Moses,

and his acts to the children of Israel. What do you want to be?

Do you want to know his God’s ways, what he’s going to do, or his acts?

Oh, he’s done that. See, the problem is, if you know the word by heart and the Bible, all you know is the acts of God. You need to have a relationship with the Lord to know his ways.

Because the Pharisees excelled at knowing the acts of God. According to the word of God, if you were caught in adultery, what happened to you? You were stoned to death. They bought such a woman who was caught in adultery to Jesus.

Here’s what Jesus did. He not only knew the acts, but he knew God’s ways. Remember, the devil tried to tempt him with this. The word says this, so jump.

But God knew the heart of God, yes? Jesus knew the heart of God, yes? He made known his ways to Moses.

So the woman caught in adultery in John 8. Go to John 8.11. So Jesus asked her, like a lot of people were condemning her, he said, “Okay, he who has not sinned, let him cast the first stone.” So they are left one by one, yes? That itself is a miracle. But the anointing does that. And then Jesus looks up at the woman and says, “Well, where are those people who condemn you?” He says, “They are all left.” He says, “No one condemns me. No one, Lord.” Jesus said to her, “Nay, they do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.”

That is the heart of God. If he had just known the ways,

and if he had just known the Bible, the Old Testament I’m talking about, he would have killed that woman.

Are you clear what I’m saying? So this account, this whole incident demonstrates why you must develop your relationship with the Lord before developing a relationship with His Word.

I’ll say that again.

Develop a relationship with the Lord.

Understand who He is before developing a relationship with His Word. That is how it was for me.

The Lord appeared to me. There was a deep hunger for Him. I didn’t fill myself up with seven versions of the Bible and then got to know Jesus. No, that’s foolishness.

All I’ll get to know is the false Jesus. I’ll say that again. Develop a relationship with the Lord before you develop a relationship with His Word. This word is important. I’m not denying that at all. But like I explained last year, what is the crucial, what is the pivotal event is death and resurrection on the cross. Without that, what is the word?

Am I clear on what I’m saying?

So you must develop your relationship with the Lord before developing a relationship with His Word.

This is how important it is. Otherwise, there is no balance.

Fellowship with God is the foundation of life and ministry. How do you know what you have to do? You just do it because you see other people do it or you see somebody on television or you feel you ought to do it.

How do you know not to do it and take rest?

That’s why fellowship with God is a foundation of life and ministry.

Then on top of that, you develop your relationship with His Word,

deep hunger for His Word.

I’m not entertained by the world, but by the Word.

Your hunger for Him leads you to His Word, not the other way around.

Overcomers in the church, no matter where you are, whatever happens, I will look to the Lord. Yes.

Where does my help come from? From the Lord. Yes. Jesus is telling the overcomer in the church, I will give you power over nations.

I will give you power because He’s coming back and He’s going to rule.

Do you understand? Jesus is going to actually share His kingdom reign over the nations with the overcomer. Go to Revelation 3 21. To Him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on my throne as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. Jesus is talking about His earthly throne, His Davidic throne. He already has a throne in heaven, but that heaven is going to come to earth in the form of Jesus.

You understand what I’m saying? That is Jesus’ Davidic throne. Go to Hebrews 10 12 to 13. But this man is talking about Jesus after he offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God from that time waiting till his enemies are made his footstool. So Jesus is now there sitting at the right hand of God. Yes. So go to Luke 1 32. This is a prophecy to Mary. He says He will be great. He is Jesus and He will be called the son of the highest and the Lord will give him the throne of His Father David, earthly father, descendant. That father means descendant of David. So the earthly throne is of David. You clear on that? Yes.

Jesus overcame and He sat with God.

What are you doing?

Because I follow me, overcome Him.

And Bible calls that victorious. Go to 2 Timothy 2 12. If we endure,

we shall also reign with them. If we deny Him,

He will also deny us. The Apostle Paul is saying that to Timothy. This is very similar to the messages that Jesus had in to the overcome in the book of Revelation of Jesus Christ.

So this age,

the age where He’s away and He’s returning soon is the age for enduring.

This is the age of perseverance.

Don’t get me wrong. This is not an age to suffer.

Jesus, the Lord has not given you suffering.

Ring if you wear is a wedding ring, yes, but not suffering.

You understand what I’m saying? Yes. But this age is for enduring. Hold on to your faith.

How can you have real faith?

Jesus is the answer, yes.

This age is the age of perseverance. This is the age of pushing on in difficult times.

And that’s what iron sharpens iron.

Do you understand?

You push on without discounting the miracles of God.

Paul said one thing I do.

That I do is italic as I’ve gone through this. But I press towards my higher calling. Push on.

The reward is a V endure.

What is the reward?

When I first met on shoe, I said to her, I am not doing all this for free.

She immediately grabbed a person.

I think she was planning to put it away from me.

No, there’s a reward that is not monetary.

One of that thing I consider a reward is that we will reign with them.

So be found faithful.

Do you understand? Yes.

Christians who hold on to the faith are going to face difficult times in this world, in this age that we live.

Have no doubt about that. The Bible says that if we want to live God, we will suffer what? Persecutions. Yes. But one of the motivations is that we’re going to reign with Christ in the future.

And the empowerment comes from the teacher who is the Holy Spirit, who teaches us to overcome.

Jesus himself said, don’t worry about tomorrow.

Think about the trouble that you have today. That’s enough. But what is the trouble that you have today? You’re not going to call to go through them, but overcome them with the Holy Spirit.

Hallelujah.

So be found faithful. Let’s go to Luke 16.

He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much, and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.

So be faithful.

I’ll continue this teaching on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. And the truth that you know will set you free.

It says not to condemn you, but to encourage you and to make you grow into Jesus Christ.