The big news this week has been about this year’s State of the Union address given by President Trump. This year, I chose to discipline myself by not watching or listening to the record-long speech given by the president. Time and again, he has proved he will lie to himself and the nation to look good and to make his supporters happy.
The Bible warns us to be careful about who and what we listen to (Proverbs 4:23, 2 Peter 2:1, 1 John 4:1). Despite what many conservatives believe, news broadcasters can’t put words in a person’s mouth, because our words come from our evil hearts (Matthew 12:34-35):
- Deception
- Pride
- Greed
- Selfishness
I don’t care how much a person talks about God or Christianity; if their actions contradict the teachings of the faith and our Lord Himself, then they can’t be following Jesus and do not know God (Matthew 7:15-20).
God’s people turn from their evil and sinful ways to follow the teachings of the faith (Ezekiel 33:11, Acts 3:19). One of the things everyone was watching to see you would happen at the State of the Union was how the Supreme Court justices would respond to the President’s Childish attacks and words over their recent judgment against his tariffs.
The president has made it clear that he only answers to himself and his own immoral judgments (Proverbs 12:15; 26:12). The president’s ego and pride prevent him from learning from others. A person who refuses to be humble and to listen will never be a true disciple of Christianity (James 4:6).
What Is a Disciple
Most of us think of disciples as the first 12 men whom Jesus called to follow andlearn from His ways, but there were many are than just those 12. A disciple is defined as “A person who is a pupil or an adherent of the doctrines of another; follower.”
Disciples multiply and make more disciples; that is how the church is supposed to grow and spread the good news. The 21st century church is a part of the original discipleship model Jesus set in motion over 2000 years ago.
The Great Commission commands us to make more disciples who follow everything Jesus taught those first 12 men (Matthew 28:18-20).
That is why the Bible has a lot to say about disciples and our roles (Acts 1:8, John 13:34-35, 2 Timothy 2:2). God’s people must grow in their faith and not stay spiritually immature (1 Corinthians 14:20, Ephesians 4:14-15, Hebrews 5:12-14).
Just like a student in school, God’s people must follow and practice the ways of God, not this corrupt and fallen kingdom. It is our responsibility to not just study God’s word, but to put it to work in our lives (Romans 2:13, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Philippians 4:9, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, James 1:22-25).
The apostles remembered their Jewish education about being a follower and disciple of God. We must study and practice what we learn to turn from our sinful ways.
Limmûḏ
The Torah tells us that after the fall, mankind followed their sinful hearts and walked away from God (Genesis 3:17-19; 6:5). The creation needed to be disciplined and taught how to follow the ways of God once again.
The Hebrew word in the Old Testament for disciple islimmûḏ and it can also mean, “Learned, taught, used, or accustomed,” depending upon the context it is used in. That is why God set His people apart from this fallen world to follow Himself and His ways (Leviticus 20:26, Deuteronomy 7:6).
God gave His people the law to help teach them how to be set apart and holy (Exodus 19:5-6, Deuteronomy 26:18-19). That is why Judaism emphasizes the need to study God’s word to learn His ways (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:1-2). Below are the main stages of the Jewish education system to help their children learns God’s law and ways:
- Bet Sefer
- Bet Talmud
- Bet Midrash
The New Testament tells us that Jesus also studied Scripture and taught in the Jewish synagogues (Matthew 13:54, Mark 1:21, Luke 2:46-47, John 18:20). Jesus Himself taught in the synagogues as a boy and as an adult (Matthew 13:54, Luke 2:46-47).
Our Lord gave His Disciples the Great Commission to go out and teach others everything He had taught them (Matthew 28:20). We even see Jesus rebuking and correcting His Disciples when they strive to be like this fallen world instead of following His teachings (Matthew 16:23, Luke 22:25-27).
Lent
As I write this, most Christians are celebrating the first week of Lent. We are in a season of preparation to remind us and help us follow the ways of Jesus.
This season is sacred because it helps wean God’s people off the worries and ways of this fallen kingdom. It is a time for us to prepare ourselves for the Easter season.
Even our Lord Himself needed to be prepared. He went to the cross for our sins. Jesus fasted and denied Himself for 40 days (Matthew 4:1-2). Lent is meant to help us remember and prepare us for Easter by helping us disconnect from the ways of the world:
- Fast
- Listen
- Learn
The problem with living in a fallen kingdom is that we have a hard time hearing God in discerning His will from our own selfish wants and the ways of this world (Jeremiah 7:19, Romans 12:2-4).
Too many believers want to hear God and study His Word, but don’t want to do what it says (Matthew 7:24-27, James 1:22). Like the religious Pharisees, they want the knowledge and the prestige, but not practice what they preach (Matthew 23:3).
The Great Commission doesn’t give us the option of only listening and teaching the parts of God’s Word that we want to. Lent helps discipline our minds and bodies to become a true limmûḏ
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