Jesus said, Follow thou me (John 21:22); and that says it all. It is God’s will for us to follow Jesus; and to follow Him means, “Watch me continually; keep your mind on me; attend closely to me; walk in step with me.” Do not follow the world; follow divinity. Only then can God liberate you from being concerned about many unnecessary things. In every situation that troubles you, you must hear Jesus saying, “Follow thou me.” God wants that to be a song in your heart now and forever.

Some of you give so much time and attention to other people. You dwell on those who are not doing right or try to figure out where people stand with God; but those things do you no good and waste your time. You cannot seek to understand everybody you see and try to discern them. When you do that, you begin to compare yourself to others; and Paul warned against that. For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise (II Corinthians 10:12).

You will never become perfect in the faith when you compare yourself to others because you will begin to think, “I’m as good as that person is.” That could be true, but that person may not be good enough to get into Heaven. Instead of looking around and saying, “I wonder what that person is doing,” or, “I’m not going to do any more for God than what they do,” you must follow Jesus.

You must only compare yourself with Jesus and the Word. Are you standing as tall as Jesus? The Bible says, Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).

As a true child of God, you must enjoy the things that are of God and never be in bondage to what man thinks or does. You must keep your mind on spiritual things. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual (I Corinthians 2:13). Only by comparing spiritual things with spiritual things will you be a winner in God. Listen only to the Holy Ghost, not to people and their opinions.

Be an Example of Christ

If we must look at people, the Bible tells us to mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace (Psalm 37:37). “Mark” means “to notice and observe.” If you give your attention to perfect ones whose end is peace, then you will have peace as well.

Who is a perfect and upright person?—one whom you can take to the Word and see that he or she measures up to spiritual things and has the fruits of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22,23).

People with the divine fruits are an encouragement, and the Bible calls them walking epistles. Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart (II Corinthians 3:2,3). We must be Heaven’s light to those who have never opened a Bible. People must be able to see the Word of God in us because that is how we will win souls all over the world.

At one time, Peter was too concerned about others; and one day, Jesus let him know about it. Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me (John 21:20-22).

Are you always looking at others in the work of God and asking, “Why are they in that position? Why were they allowed to do that?” If so, you may hear Jesus saying to you, “What is that to thee? Follow thou me.”

If you have questions about people or things going on around you, and your curiosity is consuming most of your time and thought life, then stop and ask yourself, “What is that to me?” Then remind yourself over and over again of the Lord’s instructions, “Follow thou me.” Jesus wants you to walk with Him and keep your mind on Him.

We have to be careful of how we look at and talk about other children of God. Jesus said we are to have love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus said, Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another (I John 4:11). He also told His disciples, By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another (John 13:35).

Judge Not

What profit is it to you to be judgmental of others? Do you have the power to change them? No. You must leave people in God’s hands because your judgment of them may be way out of line. Jesus said, Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye (Matthew 7:3)? A mote is a very small speck of something, and a beam is very large. So Jesus was saying, “You have a beam in your own eye, and yet you are looking at a tiny speck in another person’s eye.”

Keep in mind that when the Bible tells you something, it also tells you why it must be that way. Jesus said, Judge not, that ye be not judged (Matthew 7:1). Then He tells us why. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again (Matthew 7:2). You are not to judge your brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, and how others appear to be in your eyes doesn’t matter anyway. Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth (Romans 14:4). Only God can see what is truly in the hearts of others.

Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts (I Corinthians 4:5). The Lord will uncover whatever needs to be uncovered in His time. There may be things He will never uncover, but that is up to Him.

Seek the Things of God

Keeping your mind on people and the cares of life causes selfishness, anger and anxiety. When you try to impose your will instead of God’s will on others, you become like Martha instead of Mary. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him [Jesus], and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her (Luke 10:40-42).

Martha was interested in serving, and she asked Jesus why He didn’t care that her sister was not helping her get the meal ready; but He told her that she didn’t have the one thing that was needful. Mary was at the feet of Jesus, learning everything she could from Him; and Martha was talking to just the right person who could set her free from her wrong thoughts. He told her to get her eyes off the actions of others and do the one thing that is needful—“Follow thou me.”

You are not following Jesus when you are continually watching others and keeping your mind on what they do. When you are minding other people’s business and following them, you are out of step with Jesus.

Like Mary, we too must sit at Jesus’ feet and learn about Him. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls (Matthew 11:29). You have to spend time with the Lord if you want to have a heart to receive the things of God. All of us should be able to say as the Psalmist did, Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee (Psalm 73:25).

I get hungry for the Lord, and I have to get alone with Him. The time passes so fast when I am in His presence. I turn my mind over to Him; and I get so carried away with God, the Son and the Holy Ghost. You have to desire the things of God, and never be jealous of somebody who may be closer to God than you are. There is room for all of us to walk and talk with Him.

Ignore the Insincere

Spiritually lazy people want to go to Heaven and receive the benefits of salvation, but they don’t want to follow Jesus to get them. The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat (Proverbs 13:4). So many people want to do things their way, but they will never go to Heaven acting like that. When they die, they will go straight to hell. Jesus said, Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few [in comparison to all the souls on Earth] there be that find it (Matthew 7:13,14).

Jesus didn’t give answers to those with lazy minds; He only answered hungry hearts who truly wanted to be filled with truth. Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition (Matthew 15:1-3)?

Jesus let the scribes and Pharisees know that He was not fooled by their vain questions or their curiosity about what others did. Those scribes and Pharisees had walked all the way from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to ask Jesus that question, but He was not about to satisfy their vain curiosity because He knew that they didn’t like Him or His answers. They only asked Jesus questions so they could carry His answers to others and criticize Him, but Jesus had the wisdom of God about it. Dirty hands won’t send anyone to hell, but a dirty heart like the scribes and Pharisees had certainly will.

If you lack wisdom in how to answer someone, ask God for it. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him (James 1:5).

We are not to cater to those who want fables. Paul told Timothy, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do (I Timothy 1:4). People who bring forth fables are ungodly and unedifying. We are to live in the faith of God and edify people wherever we go.

Paul went on to warn Timothy, And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (II Timothy 4:4). You can see this happening everywhere today, and that is a great sign to those who have an open heart that Jesus is coming real soon.

You Must Be Humble

Jesus didn’t pay attention to those who wanted status or position; and if people came asking for special privileges, He put them in their place. Then came to him [Jesus] the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father (Matthew 20:20-23).

James and John may not have been able to sit on the right or left of Jesus in His Kingdom, but they did drink of the same baptism and suffered some of the same things He did; and they had asked for it. You have to be careful what you say to God.

The other ten disciples did not like James’ and John’s request, and they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:24-28). Jesus put them in their place as well.

Jesus knew how unprofitable it was for the disciples to focus on others and what they were doing. If you are too curious about people and their affairs, you are not following hard after the Lord. The Bible says, My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me (Psalm 63:8). When you follow hard after God, His right hand will give you all the strength, all the help and all the victory you need.

Jesus came to preach the truth, and He kept moving for the Father no matter what others said or did. And he [Jesus] said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth (Mark 1:38). We must keep moving in the work of the Lord, too.

You Must Separate

The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single [if it looks only at the right things], thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:22-24).

Did you know that devils can take possession of people through their eyes? Think of your eye as a lantern, and what you focus that lantern on is what you will take in. So if you keep that lantern focused on Jesus who is the light of the world, your whole body will be full of light; but if you take your focus off of Jesus and start watching and listening to others, God will not be pleased, and you will be in darkness.

Jesus said He came to separate those who are right from those who are wrong. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household (Matthew 10:34-36). You have to separate from the world completely, no matter who you have to leave behind.

Jesus went on to say, He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me (Matthew 10:37,38). That means if you don’t separate from the wrong people, you are not worthy of Christ’s salvation. Many in the Christian world today never really take up their cross and follow Jesus. They may go to church when they feel like it, but they are not following Jesus; they are following their own selfish opinions. Therefore, Jesus never becomes living reality to them.

Paul said, Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you (II Corinthians 6:17). Once you become saved, you can no longer run around with sinners, not even your own unsaved family members. You have to change roads to be on your way to Heaven, and sinners are on the road to hell.

When you hang around sinners, you will begin to take on their spirits. Then soon, they will lead you out of the body of Christ. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us (I John 2:19). You can’t change people who don’t want to be changed, and even God can’t change them.

God is angry with those who are rejecting Him today, so true children of God have to come out from among them and be separated unto the Lord. The Lord told me I would have to know the Spirit of God, the spirit of man and the spirit of the devil and be able to separate those spirits, and you must be able to do the same thing. The Lord wants to walk with us and in us just as He said He would. As God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people (II Corinthians 6:16).

Self Makes the Wrong Decisions

You have to set your affection on things above if you want God’s divine will down here on Earth. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossian 3:2). Keep your love focused on Heaven and on divinity.

If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they (Ecclesiastes 5:8). God sees everything and everyone, so don’t meddle in other people’s affairs. Follow Jesus and let Him work for you, and let God take care of others.

You can’t trust self to handle the affairs of others because self and seducing spirits will take charge of things the wrong way—they are too powerful for you to handle. Again, that is why in every situation, you have to hear Jesus saying, “What is that to thee? Follow thou me.”

Jesus was telling the disciples of His upcoming sufferings, but Peter reacted in self; and Jesus rebuked him for it. When you react in self, you leave an open door for Satan to use you the wrong way. But he [Jesus] turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men (Matthew 16:23).

Jesus rebuked Peter again when he cut off the ear of a man who had come to arrest Jesus. Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it (John 18:11)? Peter could fight with the sword, but he wasn’t following the teachings of Jesus. Peter became insulted over that and finally backslid because of it. If Peter had followed Jesus like he should have, he would not have received the Lord’s rebukes in the first place.

See Things God’s Way

Do you look only on the outward appearance of people? The Bible says, The LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart (I Samuel 16:7). God looks on the heart; and if the Cross does not light up in your heart, you won’t get into Heaven. The Cross is your passport through the gate of Glory.

Do yourself a favor and quit being concerned with the outward appearance of things and focus on the deep things of God. The Bible says, O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep (Psalm 92:5). You have to think God’s way to have His vision, and Paul tells us six things to think on. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Philippians 4:8).

Check your thoughts often because where there is no [heavenly] vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he (Proverbs 29:18). The people living in Old Testament times had the Mosaic Law; but today, we have the love law of Jesus. Those who keep the commands of Jesus Christ are the happiest people on Earth because Jesus brought a new and living way and showed us how to live it. By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh (Hebrews 10:20).

Never Yield to Temptation

You are going to have troubles and temptations in this life. Temptation in itself is not sin; but if you yield to that temptation, then it becomes sin. Of course, the devil will make you think that whatever he is tempting you with is not really sinful or that it won’t destroy you; but the Bible says, The soul that sinneth, it shall die (Ezekiel 18:20). God cannot look upon sin and favor it in any way. Thou [God] art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity (Habakkuk 1:13).

Man yielding to the devil’s temptation is what caused the fall of man to begin with. If Eve had stayed away from the temptation of sin, she never would have yielded to it. God had warned Adam and Eve that if they sinned they would die. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (Genesis 2:16,17). God didn’t mean physical death; He meant they would die spiritually, and that is eternal death.

That is why Jesus came to destroy sin. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil (I John 3:8).

Paul said, There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it (I Corinthians 10:13). We have all been to the place where we felt like we could not take any more, but God promised to deliver us. He also said He would supply all of our needs. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).

Finish Your Course with Joy

When you follow the Lord the way He wants you to, you can finish your course with joy. The Apostle Paul said, And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit [constrained by the Holy Ghost] unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:22-24). How was Paul able to finish his course with joy? He let nothing move him, and he did not count his own life dear to himself. Are these things in your heart today?

There is an awesome journey ahead of us, and we don’t know the full extent of the labor and afflictions that await us; but we do know that we can finish our course with pure, heavenly joy. The Bible says, The joy of the LORD is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). That joy is yours night and day; so no matter what you may suffer, you can still have divine joy.

Whenever you need more joy, you can sing your way into the arms of Jesus. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19).

Let’s go back to Acts 20:24 where Paul said, “None of these things move me.” That means he let nothing cause him to change his course and take him away from God’s mission. Paul was headed for Jerusalem, and he didn’t know what he would face; but his love for Christ and for souls, and the urging of the Holy Spirit meant more to him than the fear of the unknown.

Never worry about what may happen to you. There is a promise in the Bible for every need you will ever have, and your future is as bright as the promises of God.

Put God First

Again in Acts 20:24, Paul said, “Neither count I my life dear unto myself.” Paul only counted his life dear for what he could do for Christ and for others. He said, God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world (Galatians 6:14).

Paul did not let those of the world bother him. People came out against him, but he didn’t care. Children of God should not care either because if people are not with us, they are against us. Jesus said, He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth (Luke 11:23). Paul said, What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?

Paul’s main concern was not to save his own life but to magnify Christ and finish the work that God had called him to do. It did not matter where it took him or what he had to suffer. According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:20,21).

Nothing mattered to Paul but what he could do for Christ. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ (Philippians 3:7,8). Dung is waste from the body, and that is as low as you can go in describing something you do not count dear anymore.

Paul went on to say, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death (Philippians 3:9,10). We must be dead to self and alive to God.

Put your hands together and say, “Both of my hands will be in your hands, Jesus, to finish your work the rest of my journey here on Earth.” Then He will give you the grace, power, divine blood and everything you need to do that work.

You Must Give All

Paul did count his life dear in what it could do for others. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved (II Corinthians 12:15). I always feel sorry when I read that. Paul poured out his heart to people, yet many of them didn’t care. Still, he had more determination than ever to win souls.

I don’t sit around and worry about my enemies either. There are too many people looking to me who need help from Heaven, and I have to be ready to pull down Heaven on them. I have to tell them about faith that works wonders, about love that gives good health and about the power from Heaven that the Lord is sending down daily.

Paul lived by divine faith. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20). That faith took Paul beyond himself and his feelings, and it will do the same thing for each one of you.

Paul said that he served the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house (Acts 20:19,20). Paul shed many tears, but he never slowed down. He kept delivering the truth, and he put his life on the line.

Paul said we are to look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others (Philippians 2:4). Paul was talking about blessings. We are not to be taken up with the material things we have but to rejoice in the blessings that other people are receiving.

Paul goes on to say, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God (Philippians 2:5,6). Having the mind of Christ will strengthen you and lift you up.

Have No Fear

Paul knew he would be persecuted, but that never stopped him. One time, he was stoned and left for dead; but God didn’t let him die. After his persecutors were out of sight, God raised him up; and he went forth like nothing had ever happened. And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe (Acts 14:19,20).

At another time, Paul delivered a girl from a fortunetelling devil through the power of God, and he and Silas were sent to jail for it; but even there, they sang praises to the Lord. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed (Acts 16:25,26). It seemed like the locks began to open by themselves, but Paul and Silas knew that God was doing it.

And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here (Acts 16:27,28). Paul would not let any of the prisoners run away. He knew what God was doing, and he wanted everyone to stay for the revival.

Then he [the keeper of the prison] called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house (Acts 16:29-34).

Paul was a winner. In his last letter to his son in the Lord, Timothy, he said, The time of my departure is at hand (II Timothy 4:6). He knew Nero was going to chop off his head. I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing [those who will live righteous and holy] (II Timothy 4:7,8).

Never run away from God’s power or let fear take you over. You can master all fear through Jesus. He is the Master of all your seas of life; so, like Peter, get off the boat and walk the waters. Then you will amaze people into believing.

Be Like Jesus

Jesus set a standard when He walked among men, and we are to follow His steps. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps (I Peter 2:21).

We must look to Jesus, the One who died on the Cross for the joy of seeing you and me saved. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (Hebrews 12:2,3). “Faint” here does not refer to passing out but rather to drawing back from the Lord.

Jesus knew He had a work to accomplish for His Father and for mankind—a baptism of suffering—and He could not rest in His spirit until it was accomplished. But I have a baptism to be baptized with [death, burial and resurrection]; and how am I straitened [constrained] till it be accomplished (Luke 12:50)!

Jesus also said, I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man [or woman] can work (John 9:4). We must follow in Jesus’ steps and finish our work, too. It hurts me to think that the time will come when I can’t win another lost soul.

Jesus lived a selfless life. His main concern was for you and me and the whole world. But [Jesus] made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:7,8). Crucifixion was the most shameful kind of death in that day. Jesus was so great in Heaven, yet He came down to Earth to live as a man and die on a cruel Cross for us. What a humble spirit He had.

The heart of this message is found in this scripture. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). If we love God and souls like we should, we will give all we have, too.

You Must Serve

To follow Jesus and not count your own life dear, you must have a greater yearning for what God counts dear—souls, souls, souls. Jesus said, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). But you will never be the soul winner you should be if you do not follow exactly in His steps.

Jesus calls us to be His servants and to do His work just as He did His father’s work. Then said I [Jesus], Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God (Hebrews 10:7). To live a selfless life is to have great concern for others, to have an attitude like Jesus had that says, “I have come to do your will, Lord, and I won’t be happy doing anything else.”

Never ask, “What is in this for me?” If you do, you will miss the will of God entirely. Jesus said, For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it (Mark 8:35). When you lose your life for Christ’s sake, you have won.

We must live our lives for others to find Jesus. That has to be more important to you than anything else. Paul knew that; and he said, I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).

Are you quick to give a smile, a kind word or a helping hand; or do you always have to be on the receiving side? The Lord counts on His servants to help those who are weak and can’t help themselves. We must give them kind words and let them know that somebody cares and is praying for them.

Jesus said, Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom (Luke 6:38). That “good measure” is God’s measure; but you will not receive all that goes along with that good measure when you won’t serve others. Jesus said, For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again (Luke 6:38).

God’s children can help people in so many ways, but you are selfish when you won’t serve. We must keep self before the Cross and think about Jesus dying on it for us. We cannot remain selfish and indifferent to the Lord’s call to go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15).

Bring Forth Fruit

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me (Matthew 16:24). You can’t follow Jesus like you should unless you deny yourself and take up your cross, and there is a cross for each man and woman to bear.

When Jesus’ work was done here on Earth, He said, It is finished (John 19:30). That did not mean that the work for His Kingdom was finished but that His work in a body of clay was finished. Now, we have to pick up where He left off and finish His work, but we can’t do that without abiding in Him.

Jesus said, I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing (John 15:5). Jesus is the vine; and without Him, you can’t do anything. If there are branches that are not bringing forth fruit, they are dead branches; and He prunes them out just as grapevines are pruned so they will bring forth more grapes.

Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit (John 15:2). The purging may seem very trying, and it will hurt; but it will be worth it afterward. You will bring forth more fruit, and you will pray and fast more.

You must sit at the feet of Jesus and let Him work through you to bear fruit. Count your blessings and concentrate on the fruit of your labors—the salvation of men’s and women’s souls. Then no matter how many sorrows and heartaches you face, you will still have joy from Heaven deep in your heart. That joy will magnify hope, give you strength and let you know that everything will be all right no matter how you feel.

Sow and Reap

If you are focused on what troubles may come your way or what afflictions may await you, then you need more of God’s love. You need to yield to the Holy Spirit because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us (Romans 5:5).

The Holy Ghost came to serve us all that Jesus brought and to teach us how to use it and get the most for Heaven out of it. If you dwell on how much you are laboring, enduring and sacrificing, it will take the joy out of you. If you talk about your troubles, they will multiply and magnify.

The reason people say they can’t do something when the Bible says they can is because they are not living the Jesus life like they should. Every time a soul is saved, Heaven rejoices, the soul winner rejoices and the soul who is saved rejoices. Jesus said, I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance (Luke 15:7).

Our loved ones who are in Heaven know that we are winning souls, and there is nothing greater than winning souls. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of [eternal] life; and he that winneth souls is wise (Proverbs 11:30).

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy (Psalm 126:5). Those tears are the kind of tears Jesus shed at the whipping post and on Golgotha. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed [the Word], shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him (Psalm 126:6). Weeping may endure for a night, but [divine] joy cometh in the morning (Psalm 30:5). That is a great promise.

You must give your all to God’s work. But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully (II Corinthians 9:6). You can never faint or give up on God. And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (Galatians 6:9).

Be Strong in the Lord

Paul suffered much for the sake of Christ; but he said, Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evildoer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory (II Timothy 2:9,10).

Paul depended on the Word that endures forever. Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven (Psalm 119:89). The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever (Isaiah 40:8).

The love, joy and peace of every word God speaks can never die; and if you will hide the Word in your heart, it will keep your heart strong. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee (Psalm 119:11). The Word tells us everything we need to know; and if you study it, the Lord will bring scriptures to your mind that you need at a particular time and place.

We have to be strong in the Lord to take the Jesus life to people and to serve them Jesus night and day. When Jesus came, He loaded a big table with everything we need to serve the whole world; and we have to be connected with Heaven to be able to use what He brought.

Jesus was always connected with Heaven no matter how He felt. The Bible tells us in John 4 that Jesus was tired and thirsty from His journey as He sat resting at the well; but when He saw the woman of Samaria coming, He didn’t think about Himself. He preached the truth to her, and it saved her soul. Then it started a great revival in that city. The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did (John 4:28-30,39). That same Gospel voice can still be heard today.

Jesus was so revived in body and spirit after ministering to the woman that when the disciples returned from buying food, they thought someone had already given Him some. When they gave Jesus the food, He said, I have meat to eat that ye know not of…My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work (John 4:32,34). Again, Jesus said He had come to finish the work of God.

Let God Make You

You cannot finish God’s work by complaining. A child of God once said, “It is not so much the greatness of our troubles but the littleness of our spirit that makes us complain.”

The children of Israel complained a lot; and one time, God sent snakes among them. The people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died (Numbers 21:5,6). If God were to send snakes among people again, would there be snakes under your bed today? There will be no complainers going up with Jesus on Rapture Day.

Instead of complaining, you must humble yourself before the Lord and endure the potter’s house. The Bible says, The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it (Jeremiah 18:1-4).

The potter’s house is not the happiest, most joyful place, but it is where we are made into a better vessel. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel (Jeremiah 18:5,6).

The Lord needs many kinds of vessels today, and we have to be the willing clay so God can make us into a vessel who can serve His purpose at any moment.

Go Forth

The Bride of Christ must follow hard after Jesus. Like the Bride in the Song of Solomon, she must say, Draw me, we will run after thee (Song of Solomon 1:4). She will not run after the world or after people who do not have God; she will run after Jesus and rescue people from the paths of darkness and lead them into the light. Let the Lord know you want to follow hard after Him and be just like Him. Tell Him that you want to be used in ways you never thought you could be used to help bring in the harvest in this late hour.

We must take this Gospel to the world; and all the joy, peace and direction we need to do that are on the table. We also must be in one mind and one accord just as the Early Church disciples were, or we will miss souls. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart (Acts 2:46).

Child of God, reach out and touch the Lord for whatever you need, spiritually, physically or financially. If you have no peace, you can reach for it. If love is scarce in your home, you will find plenty of it at the Lord’s table of love.

Thus saith the Lord, I have come down. I have brought Heaven within your reach. It is power, power, power; and you can use it to defeat all the powers of darkness, saith the Lord.

Accept the Joy of Salvation

Sinner, you can reach for salvation; it is on the table for you. If you are unsure of your salvation, pray the sinner’s prayer with me now. It is time to come to God. Say, Oh, God, save my soul! I am so sorry that I sinned against you, but I have come home; and I am going to serve you, Lord, for the rest of my life. I believe that Jesus died for me, and I will live for Him. And I believe that the divine blood of Jesus washes away all my sins! Come into my heart, Jesus; come on in!

If you meant that prayer, Jesus has come. You have Him, and you have eternal life.

Accept Healing Grace

If you are sick and afflicted, the Lord has ordained me to take you before His throne of grace for miracles and healings. I put your diseases under the blood just like your sins were put under the blood, and whatever we put under the blood and leave there will be destroyed.

If you are bound with AIDS, it is a frightening thing if you don’t have Jesus. There is no cure for AIDS through medical science, but the Lord has the cure; and untold thousands have been delivered through the power of God.

Lord, here they are. I bring those with HIV and AIDS. I bring those with cancer, diabetes, heart trouble, lung trouble, TB, leprosy and all other diseases. I bring the crippled and those who are paralyzed. You are life, so give them life again in their bodies. Heal! in the blood name of Jesus. Heal! in the all-powerful, blood name. Amen and amen.

Take the great anointing that God is pouring out to you now; it is time to receive. Watch yourself and your loved ones get well, and give the Lord all the praise because He is the healer. Then write or email and let me know what happened to you. Send us your doctor’s report to let us know that you are completely delivered by the hand of God. The Bible declares, The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up (James 5:15).