Learn from those who DO not the talkers

Jan Boshoff

I was in business and in manufacturing for many years. I also earned University degrees, through night school and part time studies. I learned how to run a business from champions of industry, people that I worked for and with, but I did not learn much of value from Universities. One thing that I learned was that the professors and lecturers were mostly academics, people who were not successful in real life. I had wasted a lot of good time and money on useless education. When Jesus called me to follow Him I discovered that the same situation exists in the Christian churches. They can teach you the Bible, doctrines and theories, but they cannot teach you about following Jesus, because they do not know Him and have no practical experience of following Him. Their teachings are all academic, useless for the kingdom of God. Most of the preachers have no knowledge of God. How can a person that has no practical experience of discipleship, teach you about following Jesus. If they do not know His voice, how can they teach you about hearing Jesus, listening to Him and following Him? If they do not live by faith, but live in the church parsonage and on the church payroll, how can they teach you about living by faith? If they themselves practice sin and fornicate with the world, how can they teach you repentance and holiness without which no man shall see God?
Jesus did not teach His disciples the Bible. He taught them righteousness, His commandments, the words of eternal life. He commanded them to follow Him as Lord. After He was crucified and resurrected, before He ascended to heaven, He said: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe ALL that I have commanded you.”Matthew 28:18-20. The words of Jesus, are the words of eternal life, His commandments, His teachings, as also recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The only way to have the HOPE of eternal life is to OBEY Jesus. He commanded His disciples to make disciples who OBEY ALL His commandments, not just some of them. He said:”teaching them to observe ALL that I have commanded you.” Jesus did not just tell them to believe or to teach others just to believe in Him. He said:“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16WHOEVER BELIEVES AND IS BAPTIZED will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”Mark 16:15,16. If you believe in Jesus you must OBEY Him, repent, be baptized in water and OBSERVE/OBEY ALL that He commanded, or else your faith is in vain, you will be condemned.
Be careful who you listen to. If a person is not leading you to Jesus and not teaching you to obey and follow Jesus, then that person is leading you to hell. Work out your own salvation, with fear and trembling. Trust nobody. Get on your knees before Jesus. Obey His words, His commandments, repent, stop sinning, be baptized, be holy. Seek Jesus and He will disclose Himself to you. He will teach and guide you. He will guide your footsteps. If you stay with Him until the end, you will have LIFE. May Jesus bless you.