Christians-Today Ministry

Do you understand what Communion is? In 1Corinthians, chapter 11, while Jesus was seated amongst his apostles sharing the ‘Last Supper’ with them before his crucifixion, he left them with instructions on how believers should regularly gather together in his name and share the Lord’s Supper (also known as communion). In the following scripture, the Apostle Paul touches on what Jesus said at the Last Supper and discusses the manner in which communion was introduced to the early church. Also, notice how at the end of this scripture, the Apostle Paul issues a warning to those who receive communion in an unworthy manner.

1 Corinthians 11:23-34 (NIV)

The Lord’s Supper

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. 34 If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.

You see, in the Church of Corinth, many believers were excluded from communion, some were there only to eat the feast, and others were there to get drunk on the wine. Paul brought order to communion with his instructions on how a man or woman should spiritually examine themselves before taking communion and that the body of believers should take communion in unison.

In the Lord’s Supper, according to Christ’s own Word and institution, it is his true body and blood that physically exists in the consecrated bread and wine. Trusting in the promises of their Savior, communicants who repent of their sins receive from Jesus the forgiveness of their sins as well as the blessings that flow from this forgiveness. However, as Paul warns in 1Corinithian 11:27-34, those who commune in an unworthy manner, without discerning the Lord’s body, sin against Christ’s body and blood, and eat and drink to their own judgment. Participating in the Sacrament of communion is a very serious matter.

Mutual participation in the Lord’s Supper is an outward manifestation of our biblically based oneness in the Christian faith. As the church communes together, they remember Jesus Christ and everything he has taught and accomplished for our salvation, therefore proclaiming the saving Gospel of Christ in unity.

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Are you searching for someone or something that you don’t even know if they or it exists? Do you ever find yourself feeling like you have a huge hole in your heart and nothing or nobody can fill that empty space? If you can relate to these questions and you are feeling lonely and without direction, I can tell you how to fill that gaping hole in your heart.

Earlier in my life, I had always been searching, hoping to find somebody, anybody who would make me feel complete. I went from relationship to relationship, from activity to activity, but always coming up short, and feeling emptier than I did before. Then, one night, when I was at my all time low in life, I met a friend, a comforter, someone I could talk to who was always there waiting to hear my troubles. Someone who gave me peace in times of turmoil, someone whom I could trust with my life and someone who gave up his life so that I could live. If you are wondering who I found that is so perfect for me, well then I’ll tell you; It is Jesus Christ, that’s who. My life was completely falling apart, I was filled with so much loneliness and despair, that I was on a quick-moving downward spiral, with little chance of recovery on my own. The night I met Jesus, I was ready to go down a road of no-return, a road that could only condemn me to a place that I wouldn’t want my worst enemy to be. Hell. I was ready to take my own life and I didn’t think that God would send me there had I succeeded in taking my own life- but now I know differently. That night, before I could dispose of my own life, Jesus came to me; filled me with his love and his peace and I have never been the same since. Family and friends noticed the difference in me immediately. I was happier and filled to the brim with joy. Now my life is devoted to teaching others about the joy and peace they too can know when they turn their lives over to Jesus.

Not only does Jesus restore the joy and peace in your life, he restores order. He gives you a reason to get up every day and a reason to press on even in times of trial. The loneliness and despair that I once knew, now seem like they belonged to someone else – a part of someone else’s life. I now feel complete and am no longer searching for someone else to complete me. Jesus has already done that for me – and he can do that for you as well.

Do you want to know Jesus; to enjoy a life with joy, peace, happiness and direction? I am not saying that once you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, that you won’t have times of trials, but you will be better equipped to handle those trials. It is through Jesus Christ that you are given the strength to handle whatever trials that come your way and it is through the word of God that you are able to defeat the enemy, Satan.

See previous post: The Prayer of Salvation

If you would like to learn more about Salvation, here is a website that will teach you more about accepting Christ into your life: http://www.salvationprayer.info.

Click here to learn more about the life of Jesus: http://www.jesusmysavior.info.

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Do you understand the meaning of Salvation?

A Question: Friends, here I ask you the most important question of your life; in fact, your joy or your sorrow for all eternity will depend upon your answer. The question is: Are you saved? This is not a question of how good you are, nor if you are a church member, but are you saved? Are you sure you will go to Heaven when you die?

The Answer and Solution: Have you ever heard of the Prayer of Salvation, the Salvation Prayer or the Sinner’s Prayer? You see, because God loves you so much, Salvation is a gift from God that will enable you to spend eternity in Heaven. In order to receive this gift from God, all you need to do is accept Jesus Christ into your life and repent, and turn away from your sins. Also, you will need to begin living a life that is pleasing to God, rather than the worldly ways in which you are accustomed to. Right now, I can almost hear you saying, “I can’t change the way I am right now. I have lived my life too many years this way and I have done too many bad things for God to forgive me.” If you are remotely thinking in such a way, you are so very wrong. Whether you are elderly or young, rich or poor, a liar, a thief, an adulterer, a murderer and so on, if you truly repent of your sins and in your heart, accept Jesus Christ, YOU WILL BE SAVED. God considers sin to be sin, no matter what it is. Below is scripture (John 8:1-11 NIV) that will help you to understand how Jesus felt about sin:

John 8:1-11 (NIV)

1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11″No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

You see, even though in the laws of the world, the woman was to be stoned to death. But once you have become a believer in Christ, your sins are forgiven, no matter how badly you have sinned. Of course you must repent and as Jesus said, “Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.” The stipulation is that you need to leave your life of sin once you’ve accepted Jesus and repented. If you think it will be too hard to change, think again! Once you accept Jesus into your heart, a dramatic change begins to take place inside of you. The Holy Spirit starts to work on you and you become a New Creation in Christ.

If you would like to accept Jesus into your heart and into your life, please pray the Salvation Prayer below. If you would like to ask Jesus into your heart in your own words, please feel free to do so, as our prayer is only here to help guide you:

The Salvation Prayer

Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness.

I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin.

You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess the Lord our God and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we shall be saved.

Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved.

Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins. I thank you Jesus that your grace never leads to license, but rather it always leads to repentance. Therefore Lord Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself.

Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.
Amen.

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Wow, the Fourth of July is already upon us! Seems like I was just posting about Memorial Day. It sure is a shame how quickly time flies when you least expect it. I didn’t mean to be away from this ministry for over a month, but I have been working on a Children’s ministry and some of my other websites, that I just lost track of the time. Please forgive me for that.

Anyway, the Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day, Is one of the United States of America’s most important holidays. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed, making this a free nation. We were no longer under the King’s rule, but had the freedom to govern ourselves independently.

Here is Wikipedia’s definition of Independence Day:

In the United States, Independence Day commonly known as the Fourth of July is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Congress approved the wording of the Declaration on July 4 and then sent it to the printer. Whether John Hancock, as the elected President of the Second Continental Congress, or anyone else signed the document that day is unknown, because that document has been lost — presumably destroyed in the printing process.^[1] On August 2 in the following month, an engrossed document^[2] was signed by Hancock and other delegates.

Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, picnics, baseball games, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States, but is often also viewed as simply a summer festival, apart from its patriotic overtones.

read the rest of the Wikipedia article

The United States of America is a strong nation that was founded on Christianity and freedom. We are a nation that stands proud and will fight to preserve that freedom at all costs. With that being said, it is no wonder that it is the American Eagle that is our national symbol. How much do you actually know about the eagle?

It states in Isaiah 40:31(NIV):

But those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

You see, the eagle is a mighty creature and durable by nature. In fact, the eagle has qualities that we need in our daily walk with Christ. For example: How the eagle trains its young, how they don’t move from partner to partner because they mate for life, and eagles have a legendary boldness and tenacity. The eagle is strong and not fearful and I believe that all Christian Americans should possess these same qualities in order to walk the righteous path that God has laid before our feet.

So Happy 4th of July and May God Bless America!!

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Memorial Day is a time to reflect on the lives of our soldiers, both past and present; and remember them for their courage, their dedication, and their ability to fight for the freedom of the United States of America. To me, freedom means everything; freedom to be a democratic nation, freedom to make our own individual choices, the freedom to worship God and the freedom to live without dictatorship.

I believe that this country was founded on Christianity and freedom, and for centuries, our soldiers have been fighting for both, keeping ours a free nation. Unfortunately, in the past century, it seems that Christianity has been taken out of the equation, and our soldiers are now fighting for freedom only. Even since the beginning of time, wars have been prevalent on this earth, both Godly wars and that of the Gentiles. There will always be war on this earth, at least up until the final war, which will be the war of Armageddon. After that, there will be peace on this earth under Jesus’ reign, and war will be no more.

Let us all take the time on this Memorial Day of 2008, to remember those soldiers who have fallen in order to stand up for Christianity, freedom and peace. Our soldiers are the true heroes in our nation who deserve our recognition for their bravery, and for their dedication to make this nation a FREE NATION.

Also, there is another soldier who I would like to recognize on this Memorial Day. His name is Jesus Christ. Although we set aside a special day each year, a day that we call Easter, and remember our Savior and how he died so that we might be free, I would also like to take some time to remember this special soldier who also died for our freedom and for our sins. Jesus Christ died so that we might live.

It says in John 3:16-17:

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him”

Romans 8:1-4 (NLT) says:

1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

Jesus was the ultimate soldier and he paid the highest price that any soldier could pay. He died for the sins of all mankind. So even though Memorial Day is set aside for the soldiers who have fallen to preserve our freedom as a nation, I feel it is only right to honor Jesus Christ as well, who has died so that we could be free and have eternal life. For all of our soldiers who have fallen and for those who are alive today, I say to you: May God Bless You for preserving our freedom both as a nation and for all eternity.

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I believe that God will touch each and every person on this earth and give him or her a chance for eternal life with Him. Although we, as many cultures, are separated by earth, water and language barriers, there are no limitations when it comes to God. God knows how to speak to each person’s heart and soul, no matter where they are located on this earth. Here is an awesome video of a man whom God chose to give a revelation of the spiritual realm, of Heaven and hell, and helped him to understand that God can and will communicate with each and every person, but they have to be willing to open their heart to God in order to be able to hear the Almighty. Heaven and hell are real my friends, and it is only a matter of time before the human race will experience first-hand, those truths of reality.

Check out this awesome video:

Excerpt from YouTube.com: The man you see died in a plane-accident and was on his way to hell. But by the grace of God he was given a chance to cry out to God to save him. God did, and now he tells people hell is real- he experienced that darkness- and heaven is real. Pleading with you to repent and choose the Lord Jesus Christ, the ONLY WAY (John 14:6) to heaven and eternal life!

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A while back, someone shared the following story with me by email. Today I shared this story with a dear friend of mine and it really blessed her heart. I hope this story comforts you and blesses your hearts as well ~ ~

Malachi 3:3 Says: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible Study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames where hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”

He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy – when I see my image in it.”

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you. (Author Unknown)

I think this is a wonderful story and I take comfort in knowing that God is sitting right there watching me through all my trials and tribulations – and that he will remove me from the fire – at just the right moment in time, so as not to destroy me, “But to refine me”.

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What does it mean to be an Ambassador for Christ or a Soldier of Christ? Becoming either an Ambassador for Christ or Soldier of Christ means that you are willing to put yourself out there in the world and do the work of Jesus. You are willing to fight for the Word of God and sacrifice your time and yourself to the ministry of Jesus Christ. You will live a life that is transparent, a life that reflects that Jesus is living on the inside of you for the whole world to see. Your life shows the goodness of God and will cause others to want what you have. They will want the peace, the goodness, the hope and the freedom that you possess just from having a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Once you are out there in the world, as a believer, you will sow (plant) seeds; meaning that you will provide information to those who do not know the Lord; information about salvation and the love of Jesus. Once you have planted the seeds, either you, or somebody else, will come along and water those seeds. The seeds (God’s Word) that have taken root in fertile ground (a man’s heart and soul), will produce full grown plants (mature Christians) in preparation of the harvest. Here are some examples to show you how it works:

Sowing seeds: You are going along, minding your own business, when you stumble upon a woman sitting on a park bench crying. Some people would just pass her by, minding their own business. But no, not you. You stop, you sit down on the bench with the woman and ask her if there is anything you can do to help. She tells you that there is nothing that anybody can do to help because her life is a mess, and the situation is hopeless. You tell her that there is always hope and you know someone who can help her. She asks you “Who?” and you say, “Jesus”. Many times people will tell you to shut up and leave them alone, but if God is calling that person and their heart is ready, they will continue to listen to you. If their heart isn’t ready and they want you to go away, simply say, “I know you are hurting, and I will go away if you like, but just know that Jesus Christ loves you and will never leave you nor forsake you.” Then go ahead and leave if that person still wants you to. If not, continue to comfort her with God’s Word and by sharing the love of Christ with her. Either way, YOU’VE JUST PLANTED OR SOWN A SEED IN THAT WOMAN’S HEART! Hopefully it will fall upon fertile ground and begin to grow…

Watering the Planted Seeds: If the seeds you planted fell upon fertile ground and have begun to take root, then it will be necessary for somebody to water those seeds. It may be you, if you come across that person again, or it may be somebody else who happens to cross their path – lending a word or scripture that will cause the seeds to take root and grow even more. Let’s say that after you encountered the woman sitting on the park bench, and on a different day, she was sitting there again pondering on what you had said to her. Along comes another Christian, who asks the woman if they can share the bench with her. Carrying a notebook that they had been taking notes in during Sunday’s service in church, the Christian opens up the notebook and begins to write. The woman on the park bench asks, “What are you writing about?” and the Christian answers, “I was in church this week and my pastor was talking about how Jesus loves me so much, that he died for my sins. I am just trying to capture as much of what he said on paper, because what he talked about is so important to me.” The woman responds with, “Somebody else told me the other day that Jesus loves me so much. Can you tell me more?” Then the Christian goes on to tell her about Jesus, and even invites her to come to church the following Sunday. She doesn’t accept the invitation, but now has a better understanding of who Jesus is, and how he loves her so much. The seed that you planted has just been watered and hopefully, somewhere down the road, this woman will begin to understand that she needs Jesus in her life and will go on to attend church and change her life.

The Harvest: The Harvest is actually a time near ‘the end’ of the world when Jesus’ return is eminent and it is imperative that the Word of God is out there in the world. During those last days, many seeds will have been sown and watered, and God’s Word will have been heard all over the earth. It will be a time of evangelism and a time of Christian maturity. It will be an awesome time for Christians, but a sad time for those who do not know Jesus and have turned away from him. I believe that every man, woman and child on this earth will have a chance to know Jesus, but it is up to each individual to either accept or deny him. Woe to those who deny the Son of God.

It states in Acts 2:17 (NIV): “In the last days,” God says, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”

Here is what the Book of Revelation 14:14-16 (NIV) says about The Harvest:

14 I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one “like a son of man” with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

It will be a glorious and awesome event for the Kingdom, when the time comes for the Lord to harvest the souls on Earth! I can only imagine. . .

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Jesus told his disciples shortly before being crucified, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
**See John 14:5-14 Below

Jesus is the ‘Way’. Jesus said that he is the ‘Way’. What do you think he meant by that? You see, Jesus is telling us that he is the “only way” to the Father. Nobody can reconcile with God the Father without going through Jesus first. Because Jesus is the son of God, and is also God (a hard concept to understand, I know), you cannot bypass Jesus to connect with God. Think of God in this way: God is a triune God and is made up of 3 parts: The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. God is like the head of the body, and Jesus and The Holy Spirit are extensions of the body – like arms. Without the head (the brain) sending a message to the arms to move, an arm can do nothing; it is paralyzed. The head always tells the arms what to do, and not vise-versa. Jesus loves you so much and is reaching out to you, won’t you accept him?

Jesus is the ‘Truth’. Jesus was and is without sin. Period. God cannot sin, and therefore, it was impossible for Jesus to sin; because they are one and the same. In Jesus’ sermons to the masses and to his disciples, many times he stated, “I tell you the truth…” before delivering an important message. You need to understand that whenever you are reading scripture in the bible, and you see that Jesus says, “I tell you the truth” before making a statement, you should know in your heart that Jesus always speaks the truth and that you can trust in his word.

Jesus is the ‘Life’. Jesus is the only way to eternal life. In his sermons he tells us over and over that it is only through him that we can live eternally. We read throughout the New Testament the many ways Jesus is called “The Life” by the authors. Here are a few examples: Jesus is the life, the water of life, the bread of life, the eternal life, the everlasting life, the life of the world, the light of life, the living waters, the author of life and the word of life. So basically, what it all boils down to is that “JESUS IS THE LIFE”, period. Without Jesus in your life, you are basically without the life that God planned for you from the very beginning of time. You are aimlessly wandering this earth, and you may not even realize it – YET. If you have not accepted Jesus into your life, and are feeling like there is something very substantial missing, won’t you please give Jesus a chance to make your life right? To put you on the path where you belong? If you are not yet ready for this wonderful life-altering event to take place, just remember, don’t wait too long because some day, it will be too late. You will have passed up this and other opportunities to make Jesus the Lord of your life, for he is the only one who gives you life.
Accept Jesus Into Your Heart Now

**John 14:5-14

Jesus the Way to the Father

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

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Some time after Jesus returned from being led by the Spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil for 40 days, he heard that John the Baptist was put in prison; so he returned to Galilee. He went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali. Matthew 4:17 tells us: From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

One day as Jesus was walking alongside the Sea of Galilee, he came across two brothers who were fishermen. These two brothers were to become disciples of Jesus. Here is what it says in Matthew 4:18-22:
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Notice that not one of these men hesitated to drop what they were doing to follow Jesus. Not only did they drop what they were doing, but they completely and immediately gave up their life as they knew it to follow Jesus. How could one explain why grown men would just simply walk away from the life they were accustomed to and surrender it to someone they barely knew… or did they actually know him? You see my friends, God’s chosen are not mere flesh and blood, they are spirit – living inside of flesh, waiting to return to the heavenly place that they came from. The bible tells us in 1 Peter 2:9-12:

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Christians do not just “stumble” upon their faith. They are actually drawn to God, with a calling that one recognizes only when the time is right. Jesus put it quite frankly in John 6:44: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.

So therefore, the answer to the question that I asked previously: “…or did they actually know him?” is yes, they did actually know him. I suppose you are wondering “how” they knew Jesus. Quite often, the followers of Christ have been referred to as “Sheep” and Jesus himself, referred to as “Master”. As followers of Christ, we are his sheep and he is our Master; and If you know anything about sheep, you will understand that sheep will only respond to their master’s voice – because that is the one voice they recognize. When we are drawn by the Father (God) to follow Jesus, we will recognize our Master’s voice and in turn will instinctively drop whatever we are doing and follow him. Following Jesus means to put faith in our Savior, even though we cannot see him; but because we recognize his voice and obey, our crooked paths are made straight and our salvation is at hand.

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