Living with Jesus on the Earth is really quite simple. God only wants you to do three things - everything else comes from these - and here they are. God says; listen to me, believe me, walk with me. There that's it, in fact this is the way Jesus lived. He said, I say what I hear the Father saying and I do what I see the Father doing. Everything written in the gospels was a conversation that Jesus had with his Father. God spoke it to Jesus and Jesus spoke it to us. He did this so much that when the disciples asked him to show them the Father he said; If you have seen me, you've seen the Father.
Listening
The first thing is listening. For those who have believed and surrendered to Jesus, you have been born again, born of the Spirit, and Jesus himself lives inside you - you know that. He is always talking to you, teaching you, telling you something. Have you heard him? Are you listening? Do you recognize his voice? Are you aware of his presence? Everyone who is born of the Spirit can hear the voice of Jesus - the key is recognizing him and then acknowledging him. Stop what you are doing and pay attention. Turn yourself toward him and listen to what he is saying to you.
Believing
The second is believing. Believe that Jesus is speaking to you. Believe what he is saying to you. Do not doubt him. You know it is impossible for him to lie so everything he says is true. Count on him. When he reveals something different than what you have previously been taught ask him to explain it to you - engage him in a conversation, let him teach you, and receive the teaching. Simply believe him. Jesus said, When the Son of Man returns will he find faith on the Earth?
Walk With Him
Now honestly this to me is the hardest part. You can listen and believe and then you must do what he says. So many of us do the first two things and fail to do the third. Why? Because that takes courage and boldness. Jesus said, The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. But he knows that and he will not give up on you. Obedience is like hitting the nail into the board. You listened and believed and by obeying you take those two things and you build something with them. Follow through. Jesus says, If you continue in my word, then you are truly my disciples.
Everything Else
Now most of us have believed that living with Jesus on the Earth is very very hard, difficult and complex. But Jesus said, Take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. The problem is we've been putting on a different yoke and struggling with a different burden - things that are not from him - and that my friend is hard. Many of us have believed that we have to learn thousands of truths and insights and wisdom first before we can walk with Jesus on the earth. If that is true then who can walk with him? Very very few, certainly no one from a third world country. But we know that that is not true, right? Anyone can walk with Jesus. The first disciples healed people and cast out demons and they didn't know much at all. But they listened and believed and obeyed and that was enough! So I ask you to set aside all the stuff, all the striving to become educated and competent or become an expert. Instead sit at Jesus' feet and become his disciple. After all if those three things were good enough for Jesus to do in relationship with his father as he lived on the Earth, then how in the world do you think you are going to improve on that? God says...
"listen to me, believe me, walk with me."
Listening
The first thing is listening. For those who have believed and surrendered to Jesus, you have been born again, born of the Spirit, and Jesus himself lives inside you - you know that. He is always talking to you, teaching you, telling you something. Have you heard him? Are you listening? Do you recognize his voice? Are you aware of his presence? Everyone who is born of the Spirit can hear the voice of Jesus - the key is recognizing him and then acknowledging him. Stop what you are doing and pay attention. Turn yourself toward him and listen to what he is saying to you.
Believing
The second is believing. Believe that Jesus is speaking to you. Believe what he is saying to you. Do not doubt him. You know it is impossible for him to lie so everything he says is true. Count on him. When he reveals something different than what you have previously been taught ask him to explain it to you - engage him in a conversation, let him teach you, and receive the teaching. Simply believe him. Jesus said, When the Son of Man returns will he find faith on the Earth?
Walk With Him
Now honestly this to me is the hardest part. You can listen and believe and then you must do what he says. So many of us do the first two things and fail to do the third. Why? Because that takes courage and boldness. Jesus said, The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. But he knows that and he will not give up on you. Obedience is like hitting the nail into the board. You listened and believed and by obeying you take those two things and you build something with them. Follow through. Jesus says, If you continue in my word, then you are truly my disciples.
Everything Else
Now most of us have believed that living with Jesus on the Earth is very very hard, difficult and complex. But Jesus said, Take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. The problem is we've been putting on a different yoke and struggling with a different burden - things that are not from him - and that my friend is hard. Many of us have believed that we have to learn thousands of truths and insights and wisdom first before we can walk with Jesus on the earth. If that is true then who can walk with him? Very very few, certainly no one from a third world country. But we know that that is not true, right? Anyone can walk with Jesus. The first disciples healed people and cast out demons and they didn't know much at all. But they listened and believed and obeyed and that was enough! So I ask you to set aside all the stuff, all the striving to become educated and competent or become an expert. Instead sit at Jesus' feet and become his disciple. After all if those three things were good enough for Jesus to do in relationship with his father as he lived on the Earth, then how in the world do you think you are going to improve on that? God says...
"listen to me, believe me, walk with me."