Difficulty is not something that any of us desire, yet anything that we do that is worthwhile will have some difficulties attached to it, so why should any of us think that following Jesus as His student (The word disciple means: “a learner.) should be as easy as “falling off a log”? I have often watched people work their way up the corporate ladder to become president, or vice president, of a company, but none of these would likely say that it was easy, nor would they say that they did not at first have to work a rather hard job. Getting to the top usually involves some discipline and hard work, but when it comes to following Jesus as a disciple, which is what all believers are, many suppose that it should be “like a piece of cake” to gain a priority position with God. Actually, God has often rewarded those who may never reach the “top of the ladder”, so to speak, in Christian circles. I have heard some of the best preachers and teachers on earth, in my opinion. Years ago, I heard in person many of the great preachers and teachers that some of you know. I heard Dr. J. Vernon McGee in person many times: I heard Dr. Theodore Epp; I heard Dr. David Jeremiah and his father in person; I heard Dr. J. Harold Smith; I heard Dr. R.G. Lee; I heard Dr. Vance Havner and a host of others. I have no claim to fame, however, in that I heard these great men, but that I heard, deep in my spirit, through their messages, the voice of the Holy Spirit instructing me concerning the way I should live and minister the Word of God.
I make no claim to have been the best disciple that Jesus has ever had, for I have not. I do claim, however, that I have had a desire to be a better disciple than I have been so far. I have at present a desire to be better than I am. I have a desire to walk more closely to my Savior; I have a desire to know more about His Word; I have a desire to win more to Him. I know, however, that just a desire for these things will not necessarily mean that I will have them, for I also must put forth the effort needed to learn from God’s Book, the Bible, exactly what God expects of a disciple. For those who have not read the first four parts of this series, I may need to say that the word “disciple” means: “a student, a learner”, and it does not necessarily mean that any of us could be like the twelve disciples, whom Jesus called apostles, for these twelve were chosen for a special position, and even one of them was a dud! Their ability to work miracles and even to raise the dead was not because they were more spiritual than the rest of us, rather it was because Jesus gave them that power, even giving to Judas, the one who was never saved, the same ability as the other eleven. Those who are always talking about the miraculous things they are experiencing might need to understand that the “lost Judas” not only saw such things, but evidently was given the power to do them, yet was unsaved, according to John 6:70-71. (Compare Mt. 7:22-23.)
We are living in a strange, dangerous day, for many want to talk about the miraculous things they, or their church, is experiencing, when Judas, a lost man did these things too. I am not discounting any of the miracles of Jesus or the apostles, I am only saying that the devil also can do miracles, which he will do in great numbers in the tribulation, thereby deceiving many. Our need in not to see miracles, but to sit at Jesus feet as students. If He chooses to do the miraculous through us, that is His prerogative, but if His does not, that is also His prerogative! I think that better than performing miracles would be our calling the names of sinners to God in prayer and working for their salvation by our witness and our way of living! More important than having a ninety year old sick person be healed would be having a nine year old child come to Christ for salvation. No, I am not discounting God’s ability to heal the sick, or to do anything He may desire to do, but I quote Jesus’ words in Luke 19:10: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” By J. Briggs King, Rainsville, AL (678) 451-0921