Mennonite Bible School

Mennonite Bible School

WHEN A LEADER DOES NOT ADDRESS THE PROBLEM,
THE PROBLEM BECOMES THE LEADER.

Theological Education is an imperative for every minister of the Gospel.

Avail yourself and be taught!

Mennonite Bible School

A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE BIBLE

IT’S DIVISIONS, CHARACTERS, AND A BRIEF SUMMERY
Here is a very brief overview to help you understand and to familiarize yourself with Scripture. To first-time readers and students of the Bible, I would like to give an outline of the Bible its divisions, characters, and a brief summary.

THE DIVISIONS:
The Bible is a Book of books, sixty-six of them, divided into two main parts: The Old Testament and the New Testament.

In short, the Old Testament is the story of a Nation, and the New Testament is the story of a Man. The Nation was God's way of bringing the Man into the world.

The Old Testament describes the founding, preservation, and relationship God had with the nation of Israel. God promised to use Israel to bless the whole world (Gen.12:2-3). Once Israel was established as a nation, God raised up a family within that nation through whom the blessings would come: the family of David (Psalm 89:3-4). Then, from the family of David was promised one Man who would bring the promised blessing (Isaiah 11:1-10).

The New Testament details the coming of that promised Man. His name was Jesus, and He fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament as He lived a perfect sinless life, died to become the Savior, and rose from the dead.

The Old Testament primarily records God's dealings with Israel on the bases of the covenant given through Moses at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 24:1-8), while the New Testament describes the new arrangement of God with men through Christ on the bases of the New Covenant (Luke 22:14-20; 2 Cor.3:6-11).

The Old Covenant revealed the holiness of God in the righteous standard of the Law and promised a coming Redeemer. The New Covenant shows the holiness of God in His righteous Son, Christ Jesus.

THE CENTRAL CHARACTER:
Jesus is the central character in the Bible. The whole book is really about Him. The Old Testament predicts His coming and sets the stage for His entrance into the world. The New Testament describes His coming and His work to bring salvation to our sinful world.

Jesus is more than a historical figure: in fact, He is more than a mere man. He is God in the flesh, and His coming was the most important event in the history of the world. God Himself became a man in order to give us a clear, understandable picture of who He is. What is God like? He is like Jesus: Jesus is God in human form (John 1:14; 14:9) and creator of all things (John 1:3).

A BRIEF SUMMARY:
The Scripture is God's letter to humanity. God created man and placed him in a perfect environment; however, deceived by Satan, man rebelled against God and fell from what God intended him to be. God placed the world under a curse because of disobedience (sin) but immediately set in motion a plan to rescue man and all creation to its original glory.

As part of His plan of redemption, God called Abraham out of Babylonia into Canaan (about 2,000 B.C.). God promised Abraham, his son Isaac, and his grandson Jacob (also called Israel) that He would bless the world through a Descendent of theirs. Israel's family emigrated from Canaan to Egypt, where they grew to be a nation.

Around 1,400 B.C., God led Israel's descendants out of Egypt under the direction of Moses and gave them the Promised Land, Canaan, as their own. Through Moses, God gave the people of Israel the Law and made a covenant with them: if they would remain faithful to God and not follow the idolatry of the surrounding nations, then they would prosper. If they forsook God and followed idols, then God would destroy their nation.

Around 400 years later, during the reigns of David and his son Solomon, Israel was solidified into a great and powerful kingdom. God promised David and Solomon that a Descendant of theirs would rule as an everlasting King.

After Solomon's reign, the nation of Israel was divided. The ten tribes to the north were called "Israel," and they lasted about 200 years before God judged them for their idolatry; Assyria took Israel captive around 721 B.C. The two tribes in the south were called "Judah," and they lasted a little longer, but eventually they, too, turned from God. Babylon took them captive around 600 B.C.

Around 70 years later, God graciously brought a remnant of the captives back to their own land. Jerusalem, the capital, was rebuilt around 444 B.C., and Israel once again established a national identity. Thus, the Old Testament closes.

The New Testament opens about 400 years later with the birth of Jesus Christ in Judea. Jesus was the Descendant promised to Abraham and David, the One to fulfill God's plan to redeem mankind and restore creation. Jesus faithfully completed His work: He died for all the sins of the world and rose from the dead and is now exalted to the right hand of God, the Father. The death of Christ is the basis for a New Covenant with the world: all who have faith in Jesus will be saved and live eternally with Him.

After His resurrection, Jesus sent His disciples to spread the good news everywhere of His life, His sacrificial death, and His power to save. Jesus' disciples went in every direction spreading the good news of Jesus and salvation. They traveled through Asia Minor, Greece, and the Roman Empire. The New Testament closes with a prediction of Jesus' return to judge the unbelieving world and to free creation from the curse of Adam's fall.

Reuben Mgodeli
Mennonite Bible School

DO NOT JUST READ THE WORD OF GOD! FEED ON IT! DIGEST IT AS IT WAS FOOD FOR YOUR SOUL!

Mennonite Bible School

EMPOWERED BY JESUS!

Believers often hold back from witnessing or praying for people because they think the power of God is tied to their own cleverness or competence. I have great news for you—it is not!

If you speak to people with love from the heart—or pray for them with all your heart—I guarantee you, God will do the rest.

He will set your natural words ablaze with divine dynamite. He will pierce the hardest of hearts and banish the deadliest of diseases. His power is not limited by our limits.

Reuben Mgodeli

Mennonite Bible School

*RULES OF LIVING WITH PEOPLE*

1. When you meet young people - *INSPIRE THEM.*

2. When you meet children - *EDUCATE THEM.*

3. When you meet old people - *HELP THEM.*

4. When you meet wise people - *STUDY THEM.*

5. When you meet leaders - *HONOUR THEM.*

6. When you meet foolish people - *AVOID THEM.*

7. When you meet humble people - *TREASURE THEM.*

8. When you meet arrogant people - *IGNORE THEM.*

9. When you meet gracious people - *EMULATE THEM* .

10. When you meet aspirational people - *ELEVATE THEM.*

11. When you meet strong people - *SUPPORT THEM.*

12. When you meet godly people - *BLESS THEM.*

13. When you meet elderly people - *RESPECT THEM.*

14. When you meet weak people - *STRENGTHEN THEM.*

15. When you meet hardworking people - *ENCOURAGE THEM.*

16. When you meet kind people - *ESTEEM THEM.*

17. When you meet Honest people -
*PROMOTE THEM.*

18. When you meet virtuous people - *REWARD THEM.*

19. When you meet evil people - *EVADE THEM.*

20. And in all situation “ *Watch, Pray and wish everyone well.*

Mennonite Bible School

THE PULPIT
(2 Timothy 2:15)

By: Reuben Mgodeli

THE PULPIT IS A SACRED TRUST. Not a Free-For-All.

Pastors, let's talk about the pulpit. It's not a stage for amateurs, a platform for the untrained, or a microphone to be handed out like candy on Halloween.
The pulpit is a sacred trust, a responsibility entrusted to you by God to feed His flock with the nourishment of His Word.

It's not about the flock feeding the pastor; it's about the pastor feeding the flock. The weight of that responsibility should never be taken lightly.

THINK ABOUT IT: Would you entrust your child's health to someone who's never studied medicine? Would you let someone who's never learned to drive operate your car? The same principle applies to the Word of God. It's a powerful tool, capable of building up and tearing down.

The pulpit is not a playground for experimentation. It's not a place to try out new ideas or personal interpretations without proper grounding in biblical study and theological training.

When you delegate the responsibility of preaching to someone who hasn't been properly equipped, you risk:

1. Misinterpretation of Scripture: The Word of God is complex and layered. Without proper training, someone might misinterpret passages, leading to confusion and even harmful teachings.

2. Watering Down the Truth: The Word of God is powerful, but it can also be diluted or distorted by those who lack a deep understanding of its context and meaning.

3. Spiritual Harm: False teachings can lead to spiritual confusion, doubt, and even despair.

PASTORS, YOU ARE THE SHEPHERDS, the guardians of the flock. You are entrusted with the responsibility of feeding them with the pure Word of God. Don't delegate this sacred task to those who are not equipped to handle it.

INVEST IN TRAINING, mentor those who are called, and ensure that the Word of God is preached with accuracy, clarity, and power. The spiritual well-being of your flock depends on it.

Reuben Mgodeli
Mennonite Bible School

2 Timothy 2:15

Mennonite Bible School
Reuben Mgodeli

Control your anger, don’t be quick to act.
Choices made in anger can’t be undone.

Mennonite Bible School

LEADERSHIP IS NOT SUPERIORITY!

In the local church, there is leadership between the pastor and the flocks, not superiority; the pastor is not superior to the flocks, they are just different.

It is a different anointing that is upon him, a unique anointing as a shepherd.
There is an anointing upon the member of the church to function as members of the Body of Christ; at home there is leadership between the husband and the wife and children, not superiority.

Leadership exists in the society between the government and governed, not superiority. There is never superiority between the same class of beings, only leadership.

Of course, there is superiority and inferiority between different classes of beings such as human beings and animals. It is correct to say that man is superior to animals or plants. God created both plants and animals for man.
Indeed, man is superior to angels, animals, and plants. Man is inferior only to the Godhead as man was made in the class of God.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO STRESS THAT ONE MAN IS NOT SUPERIOR TO ANOTHER MAN.

Never! Not on the basis of colour, gender, age, education, possession, and opposition. That is so important: the white man is not superior to the black man; male is not superior to female; the aged is not superior to the younger; the strong is not superior to the weak; the rich is not superior to the poor.

This is so important; the issue is leadership based on the factor of function and not creation, based on factors or expertise and not birth.

Regarding an engineering problem, the engineer will take leadership over the doctor or lawyer and that does not mean the engineer is superior to the doctor or lawyer; but when it’s a medical case, the doctor will take leadership. When it’s a legal case, the lawyer will take leadership. If a doctor has a case in court, he can’t argue his case, he will get a lawyer;
that does not mean the lawyer is superior to him, but he gives leadership to the lawyer because of training and expertise.

In the issue of home administration, the man is the leader over the woman; the woman takes the lead in the issue of getting pregnant and producing children—a man can’t get pregnant.

The same way, when you are dealing with the Body of Christ, the apostle operates in leadership in the fivefold offices. In the local church, pastors operate in the leadership just like the husband operates in leadership in the home.

For example, if an apostle attends a local church for Sunday services, he has to submit to the leadership of the pastor out of understanding, because the pastor is the head of the local church. God has equipped the pastor to help the local church; God has equipped the apostle to provide leadership in the Body of Christ.

If I’m a pastor and visit the home of a church member, I will submit to his leadership at the dining table and allow him to pray because he is the head of his home. There is such a thing as spiritual jurisdictions; problems come when people cross their jurisdiction and try to do what God has not sent them to do. There are people who want to assume the role of the head of the body of Christ. It is only Jesus who can say the whole Christian in a town should fast for three days;
nobody else can do that. For example, it is the head that can say “I want Christians in Kenya, etc, to fast”.

But nobody can say, ‘I’m calling Christians to come and fast’; no government can decree that. You can’t control my finger to move because you are not the head of my body; also, I can’t do the same thing to your leg.
If my church member now allows me to pray, of course I will pray; but if his wife is sick, the pastor comes to pray only if the man of the house allows the pastor to pray. When we understand different roles, we know that we need each other in an understanding of unity that the devil can’t break.

Now, if there is a sick person in the church, and there is a brother in that church who carries an anointing of healing, then he takes the lead in the issue of praying for the sick. But if his pastor does not have the anointing of healing, then the pastor will submit or give leadership to that brother/sister to pray with the anointing of healing on that single occasion. That single occasion does not make that brother/sister a leader over the pastor. The pastor’s authority is an ongoing one. It is only in the area of his anointing that the brother can have occasional leadership, but the pastor has the perpetual leadership in the church because of his calling.

When people understand this, we will be willing to yield to leadership without losing the integrity of our passion or without feeling inferior.

Following leadership is not the same thing as feeling inferior. Following leadership is something that comes with understanding, knowledge, and maturity.
So in the local church, you see the pastor holding perpetual leadership by calling; but the brother/sister with the anointing of healing operates occasional leadership by gifting, by appointment, or by expertise, and that is when the sick is present.
Similarly, in the home, the husband holds perpetual leadership by creation and assignment by God, but the wife operates occasional leadership by expertise and by assignment given by the husband.

In the Body of Christ, two offices that must understand their roles are the apostle and the pastor. Sometimes, the apostolic office that wants to take over a local church is not biblical. The pastor is equipped to help the church and the apostle operates in the general Body of Christ. We need to understand the difference of function and allow each other to express our gifts from God within hindrance or complexes—inferiority or superiority.
Earlier we reviewed 1 Corinthians 15:10; we would return to it:
"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me".

Shalom
Reuben Mgodeli
Mennonite Bible School
SA MENNONITE COUNCIL-SAMC