Why Did People Follow Jesus?

5 Reasons People Followed Jesus

There is no bigger leader on the planet than the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is still felt two thousand years after His brief earthly career; books have been published about Him; colleges have been named in His honor; churches assemble on a regular basis to worship Him; He was a leader among all leaders because people today continue to follow in His footsteps!
What motivated individuals to follow Jesus?
″And there followed him huge numbers of people from Galilee and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond the Jordan,″ according to Matthew 4:25.
There were a variety of reasons why people followed Jesus, as recounted in Matthew 4.

1. There Was a Clear Identification (Matthew 3:13–17)

The baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ is recorded in the book of Matthew.
Jesus was delighted to connect with the individual John the Baptist, with the message of repentance, and with the manifestation of the gospel of the kingdom that he had brought to the world.
When it came to connecting with what He believed and why He believed, Jesus was everything from ambiguous.
He was gentle and brave at the same time, silent and powerful at the same time, modest and confident in His baptism, which defined Him.
Leaders do not have the luxury of being ambiguous when it comes to identifying their followers.

It is vitally essential that if you have been called to leadership, you do not be scared to express yourself openly and publicly in terms of your identity and beliefs.People will not follow or appreciate an individual who is called to lead yet is fearful of revealing their true selves to others.On a side note, I’d like to point out that Jesus performed this act with complete humility.

Being aggressive, unpleasant, loud, and annoying will never be a result of following Jesus’ example of leadership.
None of these characteristics characterize Jesus as a leader.
Identify yourself with Christ, the gospel, the Bible, and the Christian religion in a humble manner, but do it with a humble heart.

2. There Was a Conquering of Temptation (Matthew 4:1–11)

Following His baptism, Jesus was led into the desert where He was tempted by Satan for forty days and forty nights.
Intriguingly, this identification of baptism was immediately followed by a testing to establish His identify, which has always struck me as odd.
When it comes to appropriately citing and interpreting the Scriptures, Jesus comes out on top in this examination.
Because of the purity of His life, Jesus was admired and followed by a large number of people.
People saw Jesus and recognized that He was the real deal.

Pilate went so far as to say that he couldn’t find anything wrong with Jesus.If spiritual leaders want to lead others, they must first overcome their own temptation.Many people are looking for role models who are living a life of purity and will not fall prey to the flaming darts of Satan.

When it came to purity and setting an example for those who followed Him, Jesus was deserving of our admiration and devotion.

3. There Was a Contrasting Illumination (Matthew 4:12–17)

In the course of his preaching, Jesus comes into contact with people who are spiritually in darkness.
A passage from the Bible reads in Matthew 4:16 that ″the people who were sitting in darkness saw tremendous light; and to those who were sitting in the area and shadow of death, light came forth.″ There was definitely something about Jesus that was different!
He gave light to the darkness, hope to the hopeless, trust to the doubt, love to the hatred, and life to the death!
He was the light of the world!
The impact of His presence was felt and seen everywhere He went.

Everyone He encountered noticed and felt the impact of His presence.Spiritual leaders should make every effort to leave people in a better state than when they arrived.Making a difference is impossible until you stand out from the crowd!

Jesus altered the world because the world was powerless to alter His character!

4. There Was a Confident Direction (Matthew 4:18–22)

In Matthew 4, Jesus invites His inner circle of followers to serve in a vocational ministry.
The entire time He was summoning them, Jesus was thinking about where He was going, where He wanted them to go, and how He was going to get it all done.
″And he says to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,’″ the Bible says.
—Matthew 4:19 (New International Version) Jesus felt secure in the path in which He was leading these guys at the time.
In contrast to a vague plan, He offered a thorough plan that includes them being ″created″ by Him in the first place.

They do not signpost the way; rather, leaders take the initiative and lead the way.If we are the last to arrive and the first to depart, we are not in a position to lead!As with Jesus’ involvement in the process of making His disciples become fishers of men, leaders are active in the process of making their followers into fishers of men.

We can’t force somebody to go somewhere we aren’t willing to go ourselves!
It is clear that Jesus was personally engaged with His disciples and gave them confidence direction since He knew exactly where He was heading.

5. There Was a Competent Compassion (Matthew 4:23–25)

I am continuously in awe of Jesus’ generosity and compassion.
Despite the fact that he was personally committed in caring to others, His compassion was competent.
His sympathy went much beyond a simple ″I’ll be praying for you brother″ sort of sentimentality.
Jesus was able to resolve the issues that were brought to Him by the people.
Leadership is not just about recognizing issues; it is also about finding solutions to those challenges.

Dr.Tom Malone once told me, ″The best churches and pastors are the churches and pastors that accomplish the Great Commission while also resolving the challenges that arise as a result of that fulfillment.″ I agree.Problems will always exist as a result of the fact that people will always have problems.

People are not the problem; rather, people are the source of the problem.
Jesus never ran away from a problem; instead, He was compassionate and involved in finding solutions to the issues that developed while ministering to the needs of those around him.
Despite the fact that I am grateful for every book I have read on the subject of leadership, I have yet to come across a bigger leader or book published on the subject of leadership than Jesus Christ and His Word.

Let us make an effort to lead like Jesus today!

Matthew 4:18-22: Why Did They Follow Him?

Matthew 4:18-22 describes Jesus’ call to be a disciple and his invitation to Peter, Andrew, James, and John.
All of them promptly abandon their family’s fishing business in order to join the Lord Jesus.
What motivated them to follow Jesus?
They were in well-paying occupations.
For what reason did they choose to trade them in for an uncertain future of economic insecurity?

After one of Jesus’ scribes expressed interest in following him, Jesus responded by saying, ″Oxes have burrows, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head″ (Matthew 8:20 NRSV).I could hear Jesus telling his buddy, ″There are times when I go homeless,″ he said.″Does it seem like the kind of life you actually want?″ Although they did not only accompany Jesus but also did so soon when he summoned them, the apostles Peter, Andrew, James, and John were astonished.

Why?
When I was in college, I was required to write an undergraduate thesis for my religion-related degree, which I did.
Another question posed by a young girl in my class was ″Why did they follow Jesus?″ One of the questions she wrote regarding the twelve disciples was, ″Why did they follow Jesus?″ I don’t recall her response in its whole, but I did recall her inquiry while I was reading Matthew 4-5 for my daily quiet time in the morning.

After considerable deliberation, I came to the conclusion that the Bible did indeed hold the answers I was looking for.So, what motivated the disciples to abandon everything in order to follow Jesus?That is because they considered Jesus to be the prophesied Messiah, the one who would reign over Israel and the rest of the world.

They believed that Jesus was the one who would bring Israel back to its former glory both before and after his death and resurrection (Luke 24:21; Acts 1:6).They wished to be in positions of power and influence.When James and John sought to be allowed to sit beside Jesus in his kingdom, they demonstrated this mentality (Matthew 20:21).So, did the disciples feel that following Jesus would result in a crown of righteousness rather than a cross of shame?

Their point of view on this appears to have evolved through time.The disciples criticized Jesus when he announced that he would be heading to Jerusalem to die.They shouted, ″God forbid it, Lord!″ ″You must never allow this to happen to you.″ That caused Jesus to refer to Peter as ″Satan,″ and he then delivered a sermon to his disciples on the need of picking up their cross and following him (Matthew 16:21-26).At first, neither Jesus nor the disciples seemed to be anticipating a crucifixion, either for Jesus or for themselves.In later years, when James and John begged for thrones next to Jesus in his kingdom, they were expressing their desire to share in the cup of suffering that Jesus was going to receive (Matthew 20:22).Peter said at the Lord’s Supper that he would die alongside Jesus (Matthew 26:35).

The disciples continued to anticipate to be elevated to positions of authority and prominence in Jesus’ kingdom, but they recognized that their deaths may come before that.
They, on the other hand, did not believe that death was a barrier for Jesus.
As recorded in John 6, when many of Jesus’ disciples deserted him because of his difficult teaching, the twelve remained at his side.
When Jesus enquired as to why, Peter said, ″Lord, to whom can we go?,″ and Jesus agreed.
″You have the words of eternal life in your possession″ (v 68).

According to Peter, Jesus, as the Messiah, has authority over both life and death.As a result, they were able to accept the potential of their execution while yet holding out hope that Jesus would grant them official status in his reign.In a same vein, the death of Jesus himself had no effect on the thief on the cross’s belief that Jesus was the promised Messiah (John 18:36).

Despite the fact that Jesus was dying directly next to him, the thief thought that he would gain strength once he joined the kingdom of heaven (Luke 23:42).As a result, the disciples followed Jesus because they believed he was the Messiah, and they believed that being with the future monarch would provide them with unrivaled benefits.But why did they believe he was the Messiah in the first place?This is a question for which the New Testament provides some answers.There are some additional details concerning Jesus’ calling of Peter, James, and John in Luke 5:1-11 that are not included in Matthew’s account.

At one point in the text, Jesus instructs Peter to toss his net into the sea.
In response to this, Peter says, ″Master, we have been working all night and have not caught anything.″ Nonetheless, if you say so, I will lower the nets″ (v 5).
They immediately caught so many fish that the boat was on the verge of sinking!
As soon as Peter understood he was in the presence of a man of God, it became painfully obvious to him that he had failed in his own personal development.

″Please leave me alone, Lord, since I am a sinful man!″ he begged.
As a result, it’s possible that the miracle convinced Peter that Jesus was the Messiah.
However, there are a few more things to take note of.

First and foremost, Peter appears to have known Jesus before to his encounter with him, and second, he addresses him as ″master.″ Although Peter did not officially become a disciple (or, in Luke’s case, an apostle) until Luke 6:13-16, he nevertheless acknowledged Jesus as a figure of authority.Why?Some of the solutions may be found in John 1:35-51.Peter may have been acquainted with Jesus through his brother Andrew, who had first followed John the Baptist in his mission.According to the Gospel writers, John the Baptist understood that Jesus was the Messiah, and Andrew listened to and honored his tutor.Andrew’s admiration for Jesus may have rubbed off on Peter, to the point that Peter addressed Jesus as ″master″ even though he wasn’t a follower of Jesus.

Another possibility is that Peter appreciated something in Jesus but was not yet ready to leave all behind and follow him into the unknown.
The miracle, on the other hand, provided him the added motivation to follow Jesus as the Messiah.
In John 1:35-51, we see Jesus being received by other disciples as well.
Nathanael was amazed because Jesus had seen him (Nathanael) under the fig tree before Philip summoned him, however the narrative does not say why he followed Philip after he saw him.
Despite the fact that I’m not really sure what happened, it had to have been some sort of miracle!

Nathanael was wondering aloud if anything good could possibly come out of Nazareth at one point.
Within seconds of hearing Jesus tell him about the fig tree, he exalts Jesus as the new ruler of Israel and proclaims him to be the Messiah.
Consequently, Jesus’ miracles assisted in convincing the disciples of his Messianic status to some extent.
However, the Gospels make it plain that there is an extra aspect at play, and Calvinists will rejoice to learn that it is as follows: The disciples had a personal revelation from God that Jesus was the Messiah.
‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for you have kept these things concealed from those who are knowledgeable and educated and have revealed them to babes,’ Jesus said in his prayer (Matthew 11:25).
The response of Jesus to Peter’s confession that Jesus was the Christ was, ″Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah!

Because it was not my flesh and blood that revealed everything to you, but my Father in heaven″ (Matthew 16:17).
So what was it that compelled the disciples to follow Jesus?
A desire to be in a position of authority.
Miracles.

John the Baptist is held in high regard.
There was something about Jesus’ demeanor that seemed deserving of praise.
God has revealed something to me.
The majority of these were valid justifications.

Some of them, though, were not.
All of them embarked the disciples on a journey during which God employed them to a significant extent.

Why Did The Disciples Follow Jesus?

Tom: This is our Understanding the Scriptures part, and we’re now in the gospel of Matthew 4, where we’ll follow up where verse 19 leaves off: ″ As a result, Jesus tells them to follow him, and he promises them that he will make them fishers of men.
″And they immediately left their nets and followed him,″ they said.
Dave: The lesson we were discussing before has been summarized here: full surrender to the will of the Lord, whatever he may want.
In the song, we say, ″Take my life and let it be,″ which means ″consecrated to thee, Lord,″ which means ″take my hands and my feet.″ This is the second time that Christ addresses Peter as ″Peter.″ The earliest instance appears in John’s gospel, in chapter one.
So, here we have the very first instance in which Simon Peter was summoned.

13 Reasons Why We Follow Jesus

Have you ever made a mistake in your life?
I’m certain I have!
However, the following sentence provides me with comfort and allows me to refocus on my life priorities: Although I make errors, ″at the very least I did the most essential thing right; I embraced Jesus Christ as my Savior!″ says the author.

After much deliberation, I came up with a list of 13 reasons why I feel following Jesus Christ is the best course of action in life:

God can only be reached through Him, and he is the source of all life, truth, love, joy, and peace. He gives us a new identity, a life purpose, and eternal life
He forgives sins and sets us free from them
He comforts us in sorrow
He is the key to living a life of victory
He has prepared an eternal home for us. He is the source of all life, truth, love, joy, and peace
He is the source of joy
He is the source of

I pray that every individual who reads this chooses Him as their Savior and begins to follow Him (if they haven’t already done so)!

1. He is the Only Way to God

Many individuals believe that there are several routes to God.
However, our Lord’s words make it plain that this is a fabrication: ″I am the way, the truth, and the life,″ Jesus declared to him.
″There is no other way to the Father but through Me.″ – Revelation 14:6 It doesn’t get much more straightforward than that!

After hearing these words, you have the option of how you will respond to them, depending on your personality.
″Either you believe Jesus is a liar or a crazy, or you believe He is Lord,″ as the old adage goes.
He is neither a liar nor a madman; rather, He is the Lord of the universe.
When the Lord asked the apostle Peter a question after a particularly difficult time, he stated it best: ″What do you want me to say?″ Jesus then asked the twelve, ″Do you also wish to depart?″ he said.
Simon Peter, on the other hand, said, ″Lord, to whom should we go?″ You have the words of eternal life in your possession.
″In addition, we have come to accept and recognize that You are Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.″ – John 6:67-69 (NASB)

2. He is the Source of Life

In accordance with the following passage of Scripture, everything was created through and for Jesus, who is the living Word of God: ″In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
″ He was there with God from the beginning.
All things were created through Him, and nothing was created that was not created through Him.

″In Him was life, and the life was the light of humanity,″ the scriptures say.
— John 1:1-4; 2:21-23 Many people indulge in addictions and other destructive habits in order to feel alive or as a diversion from the difficult aspects of life they are experiencing.
It would seem, however, that rather than running away from life, it would be more prudent to rush toward the Source of existence and connect with Him in order to make sense of it.
When we commit our lives to the Lord, we may rely on His knowledge and power to help us face the challenges of everyday life.

3. He is the Source of Truth

This world is replete with disinformation that is intended to mislead and fool the public at large.
God, on the other hand, is not the source of confusion.
The following is the path to clarity that we may find in the Bible: Afterwards, Jesus addressed those Jews who had accepted His teachings, saying, ″If you stay in My word, you are truly My disciples.″ ″And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,″ says the prophet.

– John 8:31-32 (NIV).
We are invited to seek knowledge from our Lord: ″If any among you lacks wisdom, let him inquire of God, who gives generously and without reproach to all,″ says our Lord.
The Bible says in James 1:5 Given that we do not know everything, it makes sense to seek wisdom from the One who does know all!

4. He is the Source of Love

This universe is loaded with disinformation that is intended to mislead and fool its inhabitants.
God, on the other hand, is not the source of perplexity.
Our guide to clarity may be found in the Bible.

″If you stay in My word, you are really My disciples,″ Jesus remarked to the Jews who had accepted His words: ″ ″And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,″ says the Prophet.
In John 8:31-32, the Bible states that Our Lord asks believers to seek knowledge from Him, saying, ″If any among you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
″ 15 – The Bible, James 1.
Given that we do not know everything, it makes sense to seek wisdom from the One who does know all.

5. He is the Source of Joy

In John 15: 9-11, the Lord’s love is expressed by the words He uttered.
This is the key to experiencing joy and gratitude: As much as the Father has loved Me, I have loved you as well; continue to dwell in My love.
In the same way that I have obeyed My Father’s commands and been able to stay in His love, you may do the same if you keep My commandments.

These things I have said to you in order for My delight to remain in you and for your joy to be complete.″ We are reminded by our Savior in Matthew 22:37-41, of the very essence of the commandments: ″You should love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind,″ Jesus instructed him.
The first and most important commandment is this.
This is similar to the second commandment, which states, ″You should love your neighbor as yourself.″ On these two commandments hangs the entirety of the Law and the Prophets.″ His happiness gives us strength.
The process of renewing our minds to truth, walking in it, and experiencing God’s kindness in all circumstances results in our being enthusiastic followers of our Lord and Savior.

6. He is the Source of Peace

God’s word promises that He will keep us in perfect peace as long as we keep our thoughts on Him and put our confidence in Him (Psalm 46:10).
(see Isaiah 26:3).
When Jesus offered his peace as a gift to us, it was our responsibility to accept and live in it.

″Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you,″ he said.
″Do not let your heart to be concerned, nor should it be terrified.″ – The Gospel of John 14:27

7. He Gives Us a New Identity

As a result of accepting Christ as our Savior, we are given a new life and identity through the power of His Spirit:

A New Life

If anybody believes in Christ, he or she becomes a new creation; the old things have passed away, and behold, all things have become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB) Nevertheless, if you have the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead residing within you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies via His Spirit that resides within you.″ – Romans 8:11 (NIV)

A New Identity

When you accept Jesus as your Savior, you are transformed into:

A Child of God

But as many as received Him, He gave them the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ″who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.″ ″Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.″ – John 1:12-13; 1 Peter 1:12-13

A Saint

″To all who are in Rome, beloved of God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.″ ″To all who are in Rome, beloved of God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.″ – 1 Corinthians 1:7 having faith in the fact that He who has began a good work in you will see it through to completion until the day of Jesus Christ;″ The Bible says in Philippians 1:6,

The Righteousness of God in Christ

In order for us to become the righteousness of God in Him, He made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf.″ 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) …and there is so much more in Him!

8. He Gives Us Life Purpose

Hallelujah, as Christians, we are citizens of the Kingdom of God!
We were given life not only to hang out, entertain ourselves, and earn a livelihood, but also to contribute to the advancement of God’s kingdom.
In order to know God, glorify Him (display His character), and communicate our trust in Jesus, we must first come to know God and then glorify Him (reflect His character).

It is only through My abiding in him, and I in him, that he yields abundant fruit; because without Me, you can accomplish nothing.″ – John 15:5 (NIV) This is how My Father is exalted, for you yield abundant fruit, and as a result, you will become My followers.
– John 15:8 (NIV) Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, on the other hand, are the fruits of the Spirit.
‘There is no legislation against such conduct.’″ – Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB) ″Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.″ ″Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.″ Amen.
• Matthew 28:19-20; •

9. He Gives Eternal Life

According to the teachings of the Lord, life continues after our time on Earth has ended.
We not only have authentic life today, but we will also have authentic life in the world to come because of our personal contact with Him: ″And this is everlasting life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.″ – John 17:3 (NIV) The opportunity to develop a personal relationship with our Creator is a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
You do not want to miss out on this opportunity.

10. He Forgives Sins and Sets Us Free From Them

Sin hardens our hearts, both against God and toward others.
We have no ability to conquer it while still in our body.
Our sin debt, on the other hand, was paid for by our Lord’s sacrifice on the cross.

He forgives us of our sins when we accept in our hearts that He is the Son of God, confess our sins to Him, and profess Him to be our Lord.
And not only that, but His Spirit also comes to live inside us, giving us the ability to conquer sin.
In obedience to God’s Spirit inside us, we shall walk in righteousness as a result of giving to His Spirit and walking in obedience.
For the reason that we love Him, we hear His Word and put His Word into practice in order to keep our paths clear.
God has raised him to the right side of the throne to serve as Prince and Savior, and to bring Israel to repentance and remission of sins.″ The Bible says in Acts 5:31 Do you not realize that whoever you offer yourselves as slaves to serve is the one whose slaves you are, whether you are obeying the law of sin that leads to death or the law of obedience that leads to righteousness?
But God is to be praised for the fact that, despite the fact that you were slaves to sin, you followed from the heart the form of doctrine to which you were given.

Following your deliverance from sin, you were transformed into slaves of righteousness.
Because of the frailty of your flesh, I must communicate in human terms to you.
In the same way that you previously presented your members as slaves to uncleanness and lawlessness, which led to even greater lawlessness, you must now present your members as slaves to righteousness and holiness.″ – Romans 6:16–19 (NASB)

11. He Comforts Us in Sorrow

Jesus understands what it’s like to lose someone you care about, to be lied to, and to be rejected.
As a result, we may turn to Him when we are grieving or in sadness.
We are not alone in enduring these dark seasons because we have the light of life shining on us!

Men disdain and reject him; he is a man of sorrows and anguish, and he is well acquainted with suffering.
And we turned away from Him, as though hiding our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not regard Him.″ – Isaiah 53:3 (KJV) Let us, therefore, remember that we have a great High Priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, and that we should keep our confession firm.
Because we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our infirmities, but who was ″tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.″ In Hebrews 4:14-15, the Bible says: ″To comfort those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of gladness for sorrow, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be praised.″ – Isaiah 61:3 (NASB)

12. He is the Key to an Overcoming Life

By the grace of God, we have faith that we will be able to face and conquer any problem.
He provides us with all we require for triumph as a result of His grace.
No matter how large the task, our God is greater!

These things I have spoken to you about so that you may find peace in Me are important.
You will have difficulties in this world; but, be encouraged because I have overcome the world.″ – The Gospel of John 16:33

13. He Has Prepared an Eternal Home for Us

In our position as God’s children, we have reassurance that the Lord is with us now and that we shall spend eternity with Him: ″There are many mansions in My Father’s house; if that were not the case, I would have informed you.″ I’m going to go set up a space for you.
Moreover, if I depart to make a place for you, I will return to take you into Myself, so that where I am, you may be as well.″ – John 14:2-3 (NIV) Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.– James 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation.
The list of 13 reasons why following the Lord is the best thing to do should strengthen your faith, or if you haven’t already, I hope it will inspire you to take the first step toward following Him today.

Please feel free to share your reasoning in the Comments section!
Success will come to you, I pray.

Faith: Why follow Jesus?

Some weeks ago, after a round of golf at Tobiano Golf Course, I went to supper with a buddy at the course’s restaurant, which was a nice touch.
We were joined for supper by the young couple with whom we had been partnered that afternoon.
Some weeks ago, after a round of golf at Tobiano Golf Course, I went to supper with a buddy at the course’s restaurant, which was a nice touch.

We were joined for supper by the young couple with whom we had been partnered that afternoon.
Because the couple was new to Kamloops, my buddy and I used the opportunity to tell them about the things we enjoyed most about the city.
As we conversed, the young guy proceeded to ask us various questions regarding the Christian religion, as well as about life beyond death.
He also revealed his profound belief about what happens after death.
The young girl also related with us an experience in which she was urged to participate in a weekend retreat that required its members to think deeply about how they might best utilize their own gifts and talents.
I eventually shared my thoughts on why I feel individuals become disciples of Jesus Christ in the first place as a result of the dialogue.

The question, ″why Jesus?″ or ″why follow Jesus?″ has remained with me, despite the fact that I only stated a handful of my reasons that evening.
As a result, I’d want to share with you seven reasons that people have given with me as to why they first decided to follow Jesus.
As a starting point, some individuals are drawn to Jesus Christ because of the ideals he taught, such as the ″golden rule,″ which states: ″Do unto others as you would have them do unto you…″ As a result of this teaching, we are challenged to take the initiative in treating others in the manner in which we would like to be treated.

For a minute, picture living in a society where everyone treats others the way they would like to be treated themselves.To put it bluntly, it would be a ″taste of paradise,″ and that is exactly what Christ’s teachings will accomplish for those who accept them..He is correct in saying that his teachings challenge our tendency to be self-centered and ask us to live a life that tries to assist other beings in flourishing.Looking back on my own life, I can say with certainty that it was the ideals I discovered in the Bible that spurred me on to become a disciple of Jesus.Second, some individuals believe that they are drawn to Jesus because of the joy and tranquility he brings into their lives.Several years ago, I heard the tale of a young mother who became a follower of Jesus as a result of the example of another young mother who, despite the fact that she was raising four little children, always appeared to be wonderfully joyous.

When she approached this mother and inquired as to where her joy originated from, she was told that ″it comes from Jesus,″ which prompted her to accept Jesus as her personal Savior and disciple of Jesus.The third point is that I recently heard a lady discuss with a gathering of people that she was pulled to Jesus when she realized how much he cared for her.Her experience is not exceptional, as many individuals come to faith in Jesus as a result of the unconditional love he extends to each and every one of them.It has been my privilege to see how this lady’s personal encounter with God’s love has encouraged her to love others and, more importantly, how God’s love has assisted her in coping with a variety of terrible circumstances that have come into her life.

Fourth, some individuals become Christians because they discover in Jesus what they have been searching for all of their lives: the forgiveness they have been seeking.It is true that everyone, at some point, has felt guilty about something they have done, and it is also true that everyone has had regrets about not doing something they know they ought to have done.We are all aware that we require forgiveness.While it may be a common need, I believe it is one that Jesus is uniquely equipped to meet on a personal level for each of us.In the fifth place, people become Christians because Jesus assists them in discovering their life’s purpose and meaning.They have realized that they were designed to love God and to love others as much as they love themselves as a result of their commitment to Christ.

Another reason many people claim to be disciples of Jesus is his promise to offer eternal life to everyone who place their belief in him (see number six).According to the book of John, Jesus said, ″For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only son, that whomever believes in him will not perish, but shall have eternal life.″ According to my understanding, everlasting life entails both a ″new quality of life″ and eventually living forevermore in the presence of God in an atmosphere of love, where everything operates as it is supposed to.For this reason, when you consider the fact that the typical Canadian lives for just 82 or so years, the promise of everlasting life becomes a very appealing promise, one that drives many people to follow Jesus.Finally, there are individuals who would claim that they are following Jesus because they have never met anyone like him before in their lives.According to the words of one of my favorite authors, Jesus is the essence of everything that is good in the world.

According to the opinion of a close acquaintance, Jesus is a very handsome and captivating individual.Likewise, I can affirm from personal experience that Jesus is worth following because of the things he will do in your life.I Take a look in the New Testament if you’re interested in finding out the answer to the question, ″why Jesus?″ for yourself.You might also enroll in an Alpha course, which will be held this autumn at various churches across the city.Call 250-828-1333 if you want to learn more about the Alpha course.Summit Drive Church is led by Harry Bicknell, who serves as an associate pastor.

Submissions for KTW’s Faith page are always welcome.Contributors can send their columns to [email protected], where they should be between 600 and 800 words in length.Please provide a very brief bio as well as a photograph.

What Do We Gain For Following Christ?

In heaven, you will get a large reward because they persecuted the prophets who came before you.
″Rejoice, and be very pleased, because great is your recompense in heaven.″ Matthew 5:12 (KJV) (KJV) Rather than being earned, salvation is a gift from God that is received through faith in the accomplished work of the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph.
2:8, 9; Jn.

3:16).
Each disciple receives rewards in accordance with his or her deeds.
Christ is the only one who can provide a solid basis for proper labor.
1 Corinthians 3:8–15 states that everyone will be compensated according to his or her own labor, depending on the quality of services offered rather than the amount of services rendered.
There are two types of construction materials available to us: the eternal materials of ″gold, silver, and precious stones″ or the temporal resources of ″wood, hay, and stubble.″ Each of us may choose between the two types of building materials.
It is possible to obtain a reward for a disciple who builds on Christ using everlasting elements.

Those who construct their foundations on Christ using transitory materials will receive no benefit.
At the judgment seat of Christ, such actions will be destroyed, and those who do them will lose their eternal reward, rather than being saved, as a result.
These followers will be humiliated of their quantitative efforts, which will not stand up to the test of time when exposed to fire.

In the New Testament, rewards are referred to as ″crowns.″

THE CROWN OF LIFE (Jas. 1:12)

Alternatively, the recompense in this text might be described as a lover’s crown since the disciple in this text finds the strength to face temptation and endure adversities because of God’s love.
Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ is guaranteed eternal life, but not everyone will be awarded the crown of life.
It is specifically developed for individuals who are committed to the cause to the end (Rev.

2:10).

THE INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN (1 Cor. 9:24–27)

This is the prize for those who complete the race without indulging in physical gratifications along the way. Those who daily deny themselves concentrate their eyes on Christ and run their race according to the regulations (Heb. 12:1–4) are the ones who will win the race.

THE CROWN OF REJOICING (1 Thess. 2:19–20)

This is the award given to the soul winner.
One of the most important things you can do for the Lord is to lead people to a saving knowledge of Christ as their personal Saviour, which is the highest honor you can get.
The number of lives you have assisted in bringing to Christ will decide the extent to which you will be rewarded in paradise.

As a result, it is prudent to win souls for Christ (Prov.
11:30).
This is not accomplished via actions such as just functioning as a professional preacher, but rather by serving as a witness whose life, lips, and loan of resources God has placed in your hands for the sake of contributing to this noble cause.

THE CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (2 Tim. 4:5–8)

The fact that we have earned a reward should not be confused with the righteousness of God that we received when we became Christians.
The redeemed can win the crown of righteousness if they are looking forward to the return of the Lord and are enthusiastic about the concept of the second coming.
This will have an impact on your entire life because it will motivate you to fight the good fight, complete your course, and maintain your faith till the end of your race.

THE CROWN OF GLORY (1 Pet. 5:1–4)

The crown of glory is a specific recompense given to those who are faithful, obedient, and who are called by God to be disciple makers and pastors.
When Christ, the Chief Shepherd, appears, He will present him with this gift as a reward.
Every disciple has a chance to partake in this crown of glory if he prays for and encourages his loyal, God-called disciple maker in his job, as well as provides financial support to his life and labor (Mat.

10:41).
Those who are qualified to obtain this award must be a role model for the flock, devoted to their feeding and keeping watch over them by exercising spiritual supervision on their behalf.
Not those professional clergy who are devoid of a righteous inner life and who preach in order to impress mankind rather than in order to satisfy God (Gal.
1:10).
After all is said and done, the prize for the just is certain and large.
Do your best to follow the Lord first in order to be made suitable for serving the Lord in an acceptable manner, and serve now before your eyes close in death or you are taken up into the presence of the Lord in the rapture.

It is profitable to serve Jesus because there is a payoff in the horizon.
Shalom!
Further understanding of REWARDS FOR FOLLOWING CHRIST as an essential quality of the Christian life can be gained by ordering a copy of the book Fundamentals of the Christian Life on AMAZON or contacting the author directly via this link: Fundamentals of the Christian Life.

To Be a Follower of Christ

To Be a Follower of Christpreviousnext To be a follower of Christ is to strive to conform our actions, conduct, and lives to those of the Savior. In my personal study of the scriptures, I have been impressed by the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who later became known as Paul, as described in the Bible. Paul was an active man in the persecution of the Church and the Christians. But because of the power of heaven and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, he was changed completely, and he became one of the great servants of God. His model of life was the Savior Jesus Christ. In one of Paul’s teachings to the Corinthians, he invited them to be his followers as he himself was a follower of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 11:1). This is a sincere and valid invitation from Paul’s time until today: to be a follower of Christ. I began to reflect on what it means to become a follower of Christ. And more important, I began to ask, “In what way should I imitate Him?” To be a follower of Christ is to strive to conform our actions, conduct, and lives to those of the Savior. It is to acquire virtues. It is to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ. I have studied some aspects of the Savior’s life, and I have retained, as part of my message today, four of His qualities that I try to imitate and that I share with you. The first quality of the Savior is humility. Jesus Christ was very humble from the premortal life. At the Council in Heaven, He recognized and allowed the will of God to prevail in the plan of salvation for mankind. He said, “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever” (Moses 4:2). We know that Jesus Christ taught humility and humbled Himself to glorify His Father. Let us live in humility because it brings peace (see Doctrine and Covenants 19:23). Humility precedes glory, and it brings God’s favor upon us: “Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). Humility brings gentle answers. It is the source of a righteous character. Elder Dale G. Renlund taught: “Individuals who walk humbly with God remember what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have done for them.” “We act honorably with God by walking humbly with Him” (“Do Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly with God,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 111, 109). The second quality of the Savior is courage. When I think of Jesus Christ at the age of 12, sitting in the temple of God among the doctors of the law and teaching them divine things, I note that He already had, very early in His life, a good sense of courage, a particular courage. While most would expect to see the young boy being taught by the doctors of the law, He was teaching them as “they were hearing him, and asking him questions” (Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 2:46). We served a full-time mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Mbuji-Mayi Mission from 2016 to 2019. The way to travel in the mission from one zone to another was by road. A phenomenon had arisen in that area with bandits armed with bladed weapons breaking onto the road and disturbing the movement of travelers. Five missionaries traveling from one zone to another as part of the transfer were victims of these disturbances. Having been victims of this phenomenon ourselves sometimes before, we began to fear for the lives and safety of all of us, even hesitating to travel on these roads to visit the missionaries and hold zone conferences. We did not know how long it was going to last. I drew up a report, which I sent to the Area Presidency, and I expressed my feelings of fear about continuing to travel when the road was the only way to reach our missionaries. In his reply, Elder Kevin Hamilton, who was our President of the Africa Southeast Area, wrote to me: “My counsel is to do the best you can. Be wise and be prayerful. Do not knowingly put yourselves or your missionaries in harm’s way, but at the same time go forward in faith. ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind’ (2 Timothy 1:7).” This exhortation greatly strengthened us and allowed us to continue to travel and serve with courage until the end of our mission, because we heard direction from our Father in Heaven through that scripture. In modern scripture, we read the inspired words of the Prophet Joseph Smith reflecting the Lord’s encouragement to us: “Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory!” (Doctrine and Covenants 128:22). Let us have the courage to do what is right even when it is unpopular—the courage to defend our faith and to act by faith. Let us have the courage to repent daily, the courage to accept God’s will and obey His commandments. Let us have the courage to live righteously and to do what is expected of us in our various responsibilities and positions. The third quality of the Savior is forgiveness. During His mortal ministry, the Savior prevented a woman who had been taken in adultery from being stoned. He charged her to “go, and sin no more” (John 8:11). This moved her toward repentance and eventual forgiveness, for as the scriptures record, “the woman glorified God from that hour, and believed on his name” (Joseph Smith Translation, John 8:11). During a Christmas devotional in December 2018, our dear President Russell M. Nelson spoke about four gifts we have received from the Savior. He said that one gift the Savior offers is the ability to forgive: “Through His infinite Atonement, you can forgive those who have hurt you and who may never accept responsibility for their cruelty to you. “It is usually easy to forgive one who sincerely and humbly seeks your forgiveness. But the Savior will grant you the ability to forgive anyone who has mistreated you in any way” (“Four Gifts That Jesus Christ Offers to You”, broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Let us sincerely forgive each other to obtain the forgiveness of the Father. Forgiveness sets us free and makes us worthy to partake of the sacrament every Sunday. Forgiveness is required for us to be truly disciples of Jesus Christ. The fourth quality of the Savior is sacrifice. It is part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Savior gave the supreme sacrifice of His life for us so that we would be redeemed. Feeling the pain of sacrifice, He asked His Father to keep the cup away, but He went to the end of the eternal sacrifice. This is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. President M. Russell Ballard taught this: “Sacrifice isdemonstration of pure love. The degree of our love for the Lord, for the gospel, and for our fellowman can be measured by what we are willing to sacrifice for them” (“The Blessings of Sacrifice,” Ensign, May 1992, 76). We can sacrifice our time to perform ministering, to serve others, to do good, to do family history work, and to magnify our Church calling. We can give of our financial means by paying tithing, fast offerings, and other donations to build the kingdom of God on earth. We need sacrifice to keep the covenants we have made with the Savior. My prayer is that by following Jesus Christ and drawing upon the blessings of His Atonement, we become more and more humble, we are more courageous, we forgive more and more, and we sacrifice more for His kingdom. I testify that our Heavenly Father lives and that He knows each of us individually, that Jesus is the Christ, that President Russell M. Nelson is God’s prophet today. I testify that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on earth and the Book of Mormon is true. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, amen.

Disciple (Christianity) – Wikipedia

This is not to be confused with the title Apostle.
In Christianity, the term ″disciple″ refers to a person who is devoted to following Jesus.
This phrase appears exclusively in the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament.

In the ancient world, a disciple is someone who follows or adheres to the teachings of a teacher.
The experience is not comparable to that of being a student in the current sense.
During the ancient biblical period, a disciple was one who actively emulated both the life and the teachings of his or her teacher.
It was a purposeful apprenticeship that resulted in the fully developed student becoming a living replica of his or her teacher.
During Jesus’ time, the New Testament mentions a large number of disciples of Jesus.
After the resurrection of Jesus and the giving of the Great Commission, some disciples were appointed to missions, such as the Little Commission, the commission of the seventy in Luke’s Gospel, the Great Commission after Jesus’ ascension, or Paul’s conversion, which elevated them to the status of apostles and charged them with proclaiming the gospel (the Good News) throughout the world.

Jesus made it clear that being one of his followers would be difficult and costly.

Background of the term

When we say ″disciple,″ we are referring to the Koine Greek word mathtas (), which means ″one who engages in learning through instruction from another″ or, in religious contexts like the Bible, ″one who is rather constantly associated with someone who has a pedagogical reputation or a particular set of views, disciple, adherent,″ respectively.
Despite the fact that the word ″disciple″ comes to us from the Latin discipulus, which means ″learner,″ it should not be confused with the more popular English word &Pr