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An Appetizer for Making Disciples When the Lord saved me, I had already attempted to succeed in the world's system with everything that I had. I was 39 years old, it was 1979, and although on the surface things looked okay, inside I knew that I was not making life work. The Lord made some changes in my life, both in my relationships and in business, in order to put me on His path for my life. Even then, I knew that I did not have the resources to make life work. I cried out desperately to Him for help with finances, family relationships, and ministry. I knew He had a calling on my life, but had no idea what that meant. I knew that God wanted me to have the "abundant life," and all I could do was to believe and invite Him to take over 100%. I loved the Word of God and spent hours every day consuming it. It began to change my life in many ways. |
An Appetizer for Making Disciples
By Larry Chkoreff
Version 1.5
Copyright © 2009 by Larry Chkoreff
Published by International School of the Bible (ISOB), Marietta, Georgia, U.S.A.
For information on reproducing this book contact ISOB at:
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version Bible Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. When quoted by verse with numbers, the original quote marks were left in place without editing.
Forward and Credits
Pastor Benjamin Tomah
Much credit must go to my good and lifelong friend Pastor Benjamin Tomah of Liberia Africa. Pastor Benjamin discovered value in what we had written long before we did. I often call him "The co-founder of ISOB." In 1998 Pastor Benjamin saw some of our writings before they were even books. I was intending to help him make disciples by sending him books by some famous authors. While he appreciated those books, he said he preferred what we had written. That shocked me! Pastor Benjamin has discipled many people and planted several churches, which expanded the Kingdom of God. Many have been saved as a result.
This in no way is meant to neglect hundreds, perhaps thousands, of other anointed ministers of God who have and are tirelessly publishing the Word through our books all over the world. While I do not have room here to write all their names, they know who they are and God knows how much their work has meant to the Kingdom of God.
From Thorns To Fruit
An Appetizer for Making Disciples
When the Lord saved me, I had already attempted to succeed in the world's system with everything that I had. I was 39 years old, it was 1979, and although on the surface things looked okay, inside I knew that I was not making life work. The Lord made some changes in my life, both in my relationships and in business, in order to put me on His path for my life.
Even then, I knew that I did not have the resources to make life work. I cried out desperately to Him for help with finances, family relationships, and ministry. I knew He had a calling on my life, but had no idea what that meant. I knew that God wanted me to have the "abundant life," and all I could do was to believe and invite Him to take over 100%. I loved the Word of God and spent hours every day consuming it. It began to change my life in many ways.
I will never forget watching a minister on television teach on Mark chapter 4, and how the Word of God planted in a human heart would bear fruit for everything we need, for life and godliness, 2 Peter 1:3. I grabbed that idea and lived by it. Little by little I could see God producing His fruit in my life, and that it would produce things and situations that I would not have had the power to do on my own. I knew this was Truth.
I also saw how this fruit did not grow quickly. Satan would war against the production of fruit in powerful ways. There was much suffering, but my wife Carol and I would not give in or give up because we knew that God meant what He said. Actually the suffering for the Words sake was part of entering into the Kingdom of God.
Acts 14:22 says,
“strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.””
Eventually things got better, little by little, and God showed up in marvelous ways. Now as I write this, 30 years later, I can testify not only by the Word of God, but also by my own experience, that living life by bearing fruit is indeed the mystery of the Kingdom of God.
Best of all, during these past 30 years, by focusing on hearing God speak and keeping my relationship fresh and vital with Him, my personal intimacy with Jesus has become very deep and satisfying. Even if I had nothing else in this world, just knowing Him at this deep and intimate level is more than enough!
-- No blurred distinctions.
-- The mystery of the Kingdom of God.
-- Jesus came to return us to normal.
-- The New Testament Sabbath.
-- We must stay connected.
-- The Rich Young Ruler and the One-Hour Man.
-- Look at the dialog.
-- Wait for the fruit of Isaac instead of producing an Ishmael.
-- We cannot bear fruit without hearing God speak and obeying what He says.
-- Why is it that some cannot hear?
Jesus said to go make disciples.
-- We have the privilege of confronting people with such good news!
-- Making disciples is our mission.
-- What is a disciple as Jesus meant it?
-- Being a disciple means being a fruit bearer.
-- Being a fruit bearer brings joy and pleases Jesus.
-- What kind of fruit?
-- The Ark of the Covenant gives us a peek.
-- One of the fruits of a disciple is to plant new bodies of believers, or churches.
-- God is a fruit bearer.
-- To make a disciple means to cause someone to live his or her life as a fruit bearer.
-- If you are a fruit bearer you will experience God's math!
-- Disciple making by Situma Benson.
-- Disciple making by Maurice Odhiambo, Nairobi Kenya.
[1] This is covered in detail in our book Grow or Die. http://www.isob-bible.org/openlessons.htm