Fifth Sunday of Easter
29 April 2018
| Second reading 1 John 3:18-24 |
|---|
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment: that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment: that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
Jesus said to his disciples, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
By Gary Tulabut
Be coachable. Follow the system.
These are just a few of the buzz words or phrases one will be told to do under a multi-level-marketing (MLM) business. I was once a member of such.
And I struggled. Why? Because I thought I knew better. I devised my own system. I had my own marketing plan. I made my own strategies.
I thought the people there, including my recruiter were no better than I was, especially that most of them were not even college graduates. I was full of pride.
And I failed.
But these people who I looked down at were bringing home victories after victories. And they just followed the system. They were just coachable. They just emptied their cups so they could be refilled.
MLM business is just like franchising. The difference is that in franchising, the franchisee must follow the methods of the franchiser as part of the contract. In MLM, it is not that strict. But if you follow the tried and tested methods of those who made it big before you, there is a better chance that you'll succeed.
Discipleship, Christ's marching order to every Christian during the great commissioning, is also like MLM. Just follow the methods of Jesus Himself. Yes one can preach in front of multitudes, but the Bible also teaches us to emulate Christ's own system. They're all in the Bible. But here are few examples:
- Making disciples, one friend at a time. Sometimes, we only need to show kindness to our friends and the Holy Spirit will do the rest. When these friends become disciples, it is then their turn to make disciples. Doesn't that sound like MLM? And if you know the power of exponential growth, you'll know that this is better than preaching to thousands without one-to-one relationship.
- Accepting sinners without judgment. Christ did not ask the tax collector to straighten his ways before He invited him for a meal. He did not judge the adulterer. He made simple fisherfolks as His first disciples. And He appointed a boastful Peter as the foundation of the Church.
"I am the vine and you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit" says the Lord.
Let us remain humble following Christ's ways. Let us follow His best known methods. These are tried and tested methods which will bring us Christ's victory. I cited some examples. The rest are found in the Bible.
Prayer
Be coachable. Follow the system.
These are just a few of the buzz words or phrases one will be told to do under a multi-level-marketing (MLM) business. I was once a member of such.
And I struggled. Why? Because I thought I knew better. I devised my own system. I had my own marketing plan. I made my own strategies.
I thought the people there, including my recruiter were no better than I was, especially that most of them were not even college graduates. I was full of pride.
And I failed.
But these people who I looked down at were bringing home victories after victories. And they just followed the system. They were just coachable. They just emptied their cups so they could be refilled.
MLM business is just like franchising. The difference is that in franchising, the franchisee must follow the methods of the franchiser as part of the contract. In MLM, it is not that strict. But if you follow the tried and tested methods of those who made it big before you, there is a better chance that you'll succeed.
Discipleship, Christ's marching order to every Christian during the great commissioning, is also like MLM. Just follow the methods of Jesus Himself. Yes one can preach in front of multitudes, but the Bible also teaches us to emulate Christ's own system. They're all in the Bible. But here are few examples:
- Making disciples, one friend at a time. Sometimes, we only need to show kindness to our friends and the Holy Spirit will do the rest. When these friends become disciples, it is then their turn to make disciples. Doesn't that sound like MLM? And if you know the power of exponential growth, you'll know that this is better than preaching to thousands without one-to-one relationship.
- Accepting sinners without judgment. Christ did not ask the tax collector to straighten his ways before He invited him for a meal. He did not judge the adulterer. He made simple fisherfolks as His first disciples. And He appointed a boastful Peter as the foundation of the Church.
"I am the vine and you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit" says the Lord.
Let us remain humble following Christ's ways. Let us follow His best known methods. These are tried and tested methods which will bring us Christ's victory. I cited some examples. The rest are found in the Bible.
Lord, grant me humility. Guide me in building relationships so I can win souls for You. Amen.
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