God’s Discipline
The present day New Testament Assembly Handbook describes “discipline as follows:” Wherever there is a group of people there must be order and rules of ethics. Because of the sinfulness of man and the imperfection of believers, the Bible has given some divine disciplinary standards for the church. Discipline then should be executed under divine authority by a spiritual leader, or where applicable by the entire church in accordance with the Holy Scriptures (Hebrews 12:5; 1 Corinthians 2:29-32; James 5:14; 1 Corinthians 4: 15-21; Matthew 18:15-20). (Third Edition, August 2003)
A dictionary may describe “discipline” as There may not be very many people who like to be disciplined, however, it is important and necessary, from the youngest child to the oldest adult.
Discipline can be corrective and restorative. Jesus endured and faced hostility, to the point of death. Yet He was so disciplined because He knew His purpose for being here on earth, that He did not dispatch legions of angels to get Him out of the situation when He was being betrayed and arrested. “Or do your think that I cannot now pray to My Father and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?” Matthew 26: 53-54. So, Jesus endured the assaults, and remained disciplined to God’s restorative plan for mankind.
Sometimes, (who am I trying to Kid!) a lot of the time, corrective discipline HURTS, yet, it is necessary, in order to safe guard us, teach us what is right and help us to be a better child or person because we a valued and loved. Every person who has consciously become a child of God, will be chastened/ rebuked/ disciplined of the Lord. God wants us to endure that discipline, and not be illegitimate (Fatherless). If we paid our parents respect for correcting and discipling us, God expects it to be more so. As the Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omniscient creator, and Father of spirits, God doesn’t want us to wallow in discouragement and self-pity. He does so because He loves us. He wants us to be profitable partakers of His holiness. God wants us to yield peaceable fruit of righteousness. (Right-living) How do you respond to discipline?, as / when you were a child?
How do you respond to discipline as an adult? Do you accept it with self-pity thinking “I don’t deserve this! ”?; Do you accept it with resignation? Do you become angry or resentful to God, or do you accept it with an appropriate response, gratefully?
During this weeks Prayer and Fasting Focus, Pray:
• That God will help you to accept His discipline, even when it hurts, and be strengthen by it. (Hebrews 12:12)
• Pray that God will help the members of your church family to do the same.
• Ask Father (God) to help you to see the truth and love behind His discipline, and not be blinded by self-pity or anger.
• As Jesus to help you and your church family, to be disciplined, in order to fulfil the assignment God has anointed/ gifted us to here.
Prayer and Fasting Focus: God’s Discipline.
Bible Reading: Hebrews 12: 3-13 Key verse: Hebrews 12: 6
” For whom the Lord loves Hew chastens and scourges every son whom He receives. “
the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behaviour, using punishment to correct disobedience.”