Multiplying Christians

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4

Focus Verses: Ephesians 4:11-16 

^"11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. ¹² Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. ¹³ This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
¹⁴ Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. ¹⁵ Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. ¹⁶ He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love."

Some day in the future this earth will pass away.  There are two things that will not pass away.  People and God's Word.  Both will last forever.  We know that the human soul will exist forever in heaven or hell.  God's Word will remain in heaven forever.

Why don't we spend our time on the things that are eternal?   If I tell someone about Jesus and disciple them, and that person tells someone else about Jesus, then I have multiplied myself.  This is how the world will be won for Christ.  There is no way that I can talk with everyone in Kenya about Jesus, but many of you can.  We can learn by Paul's example in the Bible to disciple others.

2 Timothy 2:2 "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."  Some other examples of discipleship are:  Paul discipling Timothy who had an important part in leading the early church.  Moses discipled Joshua for many years before passing Israel's leadership to him.  But the best example was Jesus who spent many hours teaching His disciples.  Then the disciples went out and changed the world.  That's multiplication of Christians.

I would encourage you to spend time in God's Word and learn the things God wants us to know to be more Christ like.  Then go and speak these truths in love to others.  The Bible says that God's Word will never return void.  Isaiah 55:11 "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

Find someone today that you can speak some truth from God's Word into their life.  This is how discipleship grows a church, a community, a fishing beach, and an entire world, one life at a time.

Bobby Johnson
Executive Director, Interlocking Ministries

Courage To Stand

Scripture Reading: 1 Peter 4

Focus Verse: 1 Peter 4:14
"If you are reproached for the name of Christ, Blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rest upon you.  On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified."

Throughout history many Christians have been persecuted for their faith.  Today we still hear of Christians mistreated in places like Sudan and China.  God gives a special grace and courage during these times.  These people are unwilling to renounce Jesus, and unwilling to deny the One who has changed their lives.  Some would say "what a tragedy that a person had to die for their faith."  In reality we are all going to die one day.  What an honor to die for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I would much rather die that way, than to die living for myself.  Those that have died for their faith not only knew how to live well, but knew how to die well.  Jesus said in Matthew 10:28  "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."  Jesus' disciples understood this, because many of them were killed for their faith.

You may not be sure if you could face persecution like that.  But if God allowed you to be put in that situation, then he would give you the strength to endure it.  As Christians we know that this earth is not our home.  Jesus is preparing us a home where we will live forever.  Not just any home, but a perfect home in heaven.  As children of God we have much to look forward to.  I hope that you can say that you are living well, and also some day you will die well.

Bobby Johnson

My Determined Purpose

Scripture Reading: Romans 12

Focus Verses: Romans 12: 1-2 "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."

This past February we saw 78 people come to faith in Christ during a trip to Kenya.  We praise the Lord for that.  The world is a very dark place and seems to be going from bad to worse.  I think Satan knows that his days are numbered, and he is doing everything he can to keep God's Kingdom from growing.  I believe there is only one way to live the Christian life during these times, and that is to be 100% sold out for Jesus, no turning back.  There are to many people living a half-way Christian life.  I was that way for 11 years after I got saved.  I took my faith for granted.  Then God showed me what I had been doing.  I committed my life to Him 100%.

If you are living the Christian life half-way, please don't tell anyone that you are a Christian.  You heard me right, "please don't tell anyone you're a Christian".  Because if you call yourself a Christian and live like the world, then unsaved people will look at you and wonder why they would need Salvation.  There is no difference between you and the world.

The apostle Paul said that his determined purpose is to know Christ (see Philippians 3:10-14).  What is your determined purpose in life?  When you get up in the morning, what do you live for?  I know you may have your job to provide for your family, you may go to school, or you may take care of your children all day.  But you can do all those things with a Christlike attitude, and live in such a way that people will see Christ in you.  The only Jesus that most people in this world will ever see is the Jesus that is lived out in our lives.  Can you say with Paul, "My determined purpose in life is to know Him"?  I hope so.  Think of how God used Paul: many people were saved, many churches were started, he wrote a lot of the New Testament that we hold as the very inspired Word of God.  Yet Paul realized he had so much more to learn.  It's hard to believe that Paul had the same struggles and temptations that we face, but he did.  Therefore, how much more should we be saying  "I want to be more like Christ this year."  Read Romans 12 again.  Paul gives us some good advice on how to be more like Christ.  As we seek to know Him, we will be transformed. (changed)

Let it be our goal to have someone look at our life and say "if that's a Christian, then I want to follow Christ too."

~Bobby Johnson

We Are Jesus Representative

Scripture Reading:  John 15

Focus Verse:  John 15:20  "Remember the word that I said to you,  A servant is not greater than his master.  If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.  If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.


It's hard for some new believers in Jesus to understand why their friends and family turn against them when they accept Jesus.  People they have been close to suddenly turn against them simple because they have decided to trust Jesus.  In our focus verse Jesus said we will be persecuted for our faith.  The world is against God, and against Jesus.  Remember when Saul, later to become the apostle Paul was persecuting Christians?  Then one day he met Jesus.  Jesus said "Saul, Saul why are you persecuting Me?  Acts 9:4.  Saul thought his fight was with the Christians.  But it wasn't it was with Christ Himself.

People will persecute you because you are God's representative.  Sometimes I talk with people and when they find out I'm a Christian they begin to tell me all these things they have against God.  That's because I'm God's representative, just as all Christians are.  It's a great honor to be God's representative.  But with that honor comes a great responsibility.  We should be careful how we are living our lives.  People are watching how we live.  We want to represent Christ well.  If you are attacked, persecuted, or criticized for being a Christian consider it a great honor.  If we are not being persecuted for Christ sake, then we may not be making a difference for His Kingdom.