FOLLOW JESUS

Blessed be the name of the Lord who daily loads us with benefits. Our God is good. A very present help in trouble! (Psalm 46:1).

Welcome to this month of March. This is your month to march into your dreams, spiritual growth, good health, peace and blessings, in the name of Jesus.

The topic which we are going to deal with in this bulletin is a very important topic. It will set us free in the way we see God’s things and how we follow Him. Our God’s desire is for us to follow Him wholeheartedly. He wants our commitments in our relationship with Him.  I pray that you read it prayerfully and may God grant you a sincere heart that will lead you to true repentance, in the name of Jesus.

Prayer Points:

  1. Any veil covering my spiritual understanding; be roasted by fire, in the name of Jesus.
  2. O Lord! Open my spiritual eyes to understand your desire for me, in the name of Jesus.

18 “And when Jesus saw great multitude about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side 19 Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go”. 20 And Jesus said to Him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay His head 21 Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord let me first go and bury my father”. 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.(Matthew 8:18-22 NKJV )

In the above scripture, we saw two categories of Christian.  The first group is:

  1. The Selfish and Self Centered Christians.  You may ask ‘why did Jesus answer him like that’.He answered Him like that because He knows the heart of every man. He knows a sincere man because 9“Heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it? 10 I, the Lord search the heart; I test the mind; even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings” (Jer. 17:9-10).They only think about themselves. But when they are deciding to follow Jesus it always looks like they are ready to follow Him in hunger, thirst and nakedness.

Jesus knows everyone and you cannot tell Him about yourself. There are people who want to follow God for their selfish gain. They want to follow Jesus so that when they are sick, the Lord will heal them, and not because they want to be disciples of Jesus.

  1. 2.  The Follower of God but wants to do their things first.This group of people wants Jesus to follow them, but they cannot follow Jesus. They want Jesus to listen to them but they cannot listen to Him. They want Jesus to wait for them, but they cannot wait for Him. They want Jesus to do what they are telling Him to do but they are not ready to do what Jesus is telling them.

The second one says ‘Lord let me go and bury my father’. Jesus said, “Follow me and let the dead bury their own”. Allow the dead to bury their own dead.

Are you telling Jesus to wait for you to get married, finish your studies or to start your own business then you will follow Him? What is that excuse you are giving to Him that you cannot follow Him now. Brethren tomorrow may be too late! Whatever reasons or excuses you are giving to Jesus; those are dead things. Forsake it today and follow Him because you are going to give account of your life to Him. “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Heb 9:27). Jesus said that all these you are asking that your heavenly Father knows it already. He knows that you need them. Do not worry about who will marry you, who will help you, who will listen to your cries, who will love you, who will accept you but you must seek first the kingdom of God and Hisrighteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:31-33).

What are those dead things in your life? What is that bad habit in your life? Is it a habit of masturbation, evil thought, anger, hatred, jealousy, fornication, worldliness, adultery, etc? Whatever things that cannot glorify God is dead (Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:3-7). Whatever load you are carrying in your life is a dead thing. Jesus gave invitation to you, to come to Him as you might have labored and now you are heavily laden. He has already promised to give you rest. Are you laboring under a closed heaven? Are you laboring on the dry ground? Which area of your life is among the dead? Is it your finances, marriage, health, spiritual life,etc. The word of God said that the dead cannot praise God   “For Sheol cannot thank you, dead cannot praise you; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your truth” (Isaiah 38:18-19). In verse 19 says “that the living shall praise the Lord”.

Are you a living person? How lively are you in the things of God? How lively is your heart towards God? When you love Jesus, He becomes your main priority in life; He becomes your all. When you love Jesus; you will always work hard to obey Him. “Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

IF you have the desire to be the disciple of Jesus; (Luke 9:23-26)

  • (a) You must forget about yourself: You forget about your own ways, thoughts, will and follow His ways, thoughts, plans and purpose for you. In fact you become His property. He will use your life to glorify His name.
  • (b) Take your cross: For without the cross there is no way you can be able to follow Jesus.
  • (c) Follow Him daily: Every day walk with the Lord and victory will be yours.

Some want to follow Jesus so that they will receive things from God. About you! Why do you really want to follow Jesus? Is it to use Him anytime you have a problem? Many people make Jesus their private doctor. Their calls to him are come to my house and heal me. When they are giving offering they said they are paying for the service they receive. As you are reading this bulletin now, what kind of a Christian are you? In which category do you belong?

There are things in your life which you always look at and you think that they are more important than God. Everything you care of is regarded as nothing by Jesus.

As a child of God you might have friends that are not committed to God. A Christian is someone who hates what God hates and despise what God despises “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;” (Psalm 1:1). A Christian is someone who walks in the counsel of the Lord. “Not everyone who said to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven”. (Mathew 7:22).

A Christian is not someone that lay hand on the people, a Christian is not the preacher, a Christian is not the usher. A Christian is not the prophet or prophetess. Do not call me a Christian because God used me to perform miracles.  RATHER, CALL ME A CHRISTIAN BECAUSE I OBEY GOD AND I DO THE WILL OF GOD. “46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, Look, Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with you.” 48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers? 49And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are my Mother and My brothers! 50 “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:46-50 NKJV)

For an example, my will is not to forgive the person that hurt me but God’s will is for me to forgive whoever that hurts me.14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, your trespasses. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15 NKJV).We do not ask forgiveness from God to be right before men, but it’s for us to be right before God. There are many people seemed to be Christians and when you look at them you might think that they are already in heaven; because of their works and howmany miracles are they seems to be performing, or how they speak in tongues. You must not be deceivedGod is not mocked and whatever you sow you will reap for he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption,but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life (Gal 6:7-8 NKJV). There are people who are following Jesus for their carnal desire and they will reap corruption. They don’t want what Jesus has for them but what they want for themselves.  Those who are sowing in the Spirit will reap everlasting life.

Brethren are you the kind of a person that follows Jesus for what he will do for you and not what you will also do for Him? “Then He said to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt 4:19).

We must not fall in the pitfalls of prioritizing material things than God. Let the dead bury their dead. God said he that is holy let him continues to be holy and let him who is unholy continue to be unholy. Do not compare yourself with other people. When you value your business or work than God; you are a dead man burying your dead. Do not meditate on your problems because your problems are dead things. If you are in need; tell God what you need, when you tell him, what you need. He will give you instructions what you must do. Until you follow his instruction no matter how you prayed,no matter how many demons you bind and there will be no solution to your situation.

Living people are not moved by the storms of life. The dead are those who shake in their storms. It is time for you to stop wasting your time or getting worried about your needs.

When a praise and worship leader worshiping the Lord and she is not covering her hair. Any pastor who is not teaching the word of God in truth and in Spirit in the sight of God; he is a dead pastor burying the dead congregation.

PulpitsMEANS: TO PULL OUT OF THE PIT. REJECTING THE TRUTH MEANS TO REMAIN IN THE PIT. ANYBODY WHO IS NOT GIVING YOU THE WORD OF GOD IS KILLING YOU. PEOPLE GO TO CHURCHES WHERE THEY ARE BEING KILLED AND BURIED EVERY SERVICE DAY AS THEY ATTEND WORSHIP SERVICES.

THE TIME WE ARE HAVING NOW IS TOO SHORT. LEAVE THE DEAD AND LET THEM BURY THEIR DEAD. WE MUST NOT WASTE OUR TIME TALKING ABOUT THE DEAD.  PASTOR I URGE YOU IN THE NAME OF THE LORD. TEACH THE PEOPLE OF GOD THE TRUTH THAT WILL FREE, HEAL AND RESTORES THEM. ONE DAY YOU WILL STAND BEFORE GOD TO GIVE ACCOUNT OF HOW YOU WORKED ON EARTH.

Counseling

DO NOT ALLOW THE DEAD TO KILL YOU. Isaiah 6:1. Do not allow the unclean people to make you unclean. Do not allow the polluters to pollute you. For an example, when the gossipers comes to gossip to you, tell them to keep their words to themselves. The only thing you can do is to intercede for the people.  You must hate what Jesus hate and love what He loves. Prov. 1:10 “My son if sinners entice you do not consent...” Many people are playing church, ha! I go to church there and there.  I want you to understand that there are many people who are in self-deception. They are not sincere to themselves they go to churches for socializing and they do not care about the second coming of Lord Jesus.

One thing I made up my mind is that ‘I will not allow anybody to make me lose my salvation. Many pastors always stand up against me but I will not allow the dead to kill me. Those that are alive let them follow the living Jesus. HE CALLED US TO FOLLOW HIM SO THAT HE WILL MAKE US FISHERS OF MEN, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD AND THE SALT OF THE EARTH. Hallelujah!!

I want to advise you today; do not be disturbed about the dead. The dead are speaking evil against you and you are now bothered because of their words? Jesus is telling you to follow Him. Jesus is also want you to know what is important in your life. Christianity is an individualistic thing, let others live the way they want to live, but you must not do it. Let others be anointed gossipers and liars; you must not do it. Let other women be rebellious and arrogant towards their husbands; you must not do it. Let other men be wicked towards their wives you must not do it. Let other children be disobedient to their parents but you must not do it. Let others be complaining about their salary, you must not. Let other employees be stealing from your boss you must not. Let other people indulge in all kinds of evil things; you must not. Life is about making correct choices. Stop comparing yourself with others and do what God is telling you to do. God bless you

In conclusion,20 “Then, Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had lean on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays you”? 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man? 22 Jesus said to him, “IF I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? YOU FOLLOW ME”

Prayer points:

  1. You the pollution in my environment; you will not pollute my life, in the name of Jesus.
  2. O God my Father! Give me the grace to abandon dead things and follow the living things.
  3. O God my father! Separates me from the dead and connect me to the living, in the name of Jesus.