A Devotional by Pastor Cesar Castellanos

Today’s Bible Verse

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32

The Principle of Reproduction

Jesus did not choose the most brilliant men that He could find. The Lord chose simple men but with open and teachable hearts, although He still had moments of confrontation with some of them. However, through Jesus they were able to know the Heavenly Father, and they were willing to be shaped by Him.

Jesus focused on His twelve. He invested his time with them. He did not spend the best years of his life with multitudes, he reserved that time for his disciples. The time that he spent with the multitudes was sporadic; one day he saw a group of people, the next day another group. The only group that never changed was his twelve. Solomon said, “What is crooked cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted” (Ecclesiastes 1:15). If a rocket tilts, even slightly, when it is launched into space, it will always move further from its destination. In the same way, whoever determines to follow Jesus, must follow His path carefully without straying. When people do stray, they will return in the future and realize just how much they have missed. Peter said that Jesus gave an example for us to follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21). And Paul said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

What, may I ask then, is complete? The number twelve is. Think of a clock with eleven numbers, it is incomplete. If there are not twelve numbers you can not count the hours. Jesus said, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight?” (John 11:9). If a leader does not have twelve disciples, he is incomplete, and what is incomplete can not be counted.

I think the greatest challenge for every believer is to build a team of twelve disciples. His prayers must be directed to form this team, because according to Matthew 7:7, to the one who asks it will be given to him, and the one that seeks will find.

Even when we lead multitudes, the success is not due to our ability, but to the ability that God has given us to focus on twelve. Success in this Vision depends on focusing on twelve. If you are going to build a house, you need a foundation. That is why the Lord tells us to focus, to enter the narrow gate and to put aside everything else. Jesus did it. He put aside everything, His glory, His majesty, His deity to come and live among us. He became a man in order to focus on twelve people. He spent most of His ministry life with them, investing about 70% of His time in them.

Something to Think About

In his book “The Master Plan of Evangelism”, (1963) Robert E. Coleman makes reference to a question he asked Billy Graham. “If you were the Senior Pastor of a big church in a capital city, what would be your plan of action?” The well known evangelist answered, “One of the first things I would do would be to surround myself with a group of ten or twelve people, who were able to meet several hours during the week in order to pay the price. It will cost them some time and effort. For several years, I would share with them everything I know. This way I would have twelve ministers from the laymen that would take eight, or ten, or twelve others to teach them. I know one or two churches that are doing this, and the congregation is revolutionized. I think that Jesus established this pattern. He invested most of His life in twelve men. He didn’t spend this time with a big multitude. In fact, I think that each time he was among a great multitude; the results were not that significant. I believe He achieved greater results through His personal encounters and the time He spent with His twelve.”

Prayer

“Dear God, thank You for saving me and for giving me a clear understanding about the way I must reproduce in others. I know that with Your help I will do it, because those I must win are in Your hands. I ask for Your grace so that I could reach them with the message of faith and hope, because I want to have solid fruit for Your Kingdom. In the name of Jesus, Amen.”

Declaration

“I have known the truth and the truth has set me free. Now, I can reproduce myself in others.”

Today’s Bible Reading

• Old Testament: Isaiah 6-8; Proverbs 19:15-29
• New Testament: Luke 21:1-19; Hebrews 2:1-9