As we grow in our understanding and our knowledge of the way, the truth, and the life, we all have a duty. “Faith without works is dead.” “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.”

Let me begin with this… When the 12 were chosen by Jesus, did they have any clue what they were doing? Did they fully even understand His teachings? It wasn’t until the Book of Acts, that we see the Messiah come to them. Then, He opened up all things unto them by His Spirit. The Lord takes us wherever we are in our journey of growth and specifically says, “Follow me.” How are we to be the same as the Lord if we don’t live as He did and walk as He walked? In our journey with the Truth, we grow in our own knowledge and understanding, as we are walking with Him. As days turn to weeks, and months into years, we are able to see more of His reflection is us. If… we let go of this world with everything in it. Some things are easier than others. Some take a long time. But in our walk, we all have a mission.

Throughout the New Testament, we see a pattern within the Word itself. An example will be shown to us of what we all should be doing. Words will than be spoken solidifying the example, of what we were just shown. And many times, it will be restated, proved again, and shown another way in the following verses. I will show you below. Let us begin with Luke chapter 5. We will make some additional ties with what the Spirit has shown me. This chapter begins with the calling of Peter, James, and John. And it is a story that most of us are familiar with. Why don’t we take a moment and refresh ourselves with the story.

“And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

Now, before we get into the similarities of what Jesus was doing with them, and the words that He chose, let us look at one more comparison from John chapter 6. “And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.”

We can now extract the similarities, comparisons, and lessons, from both of these teachings. Because, they are telling us the same thing. In Luke chapter 5, we are told that Jesus entered in to one of the ships and taught out of it. Peter launched off into the deep and dropped down his net at the very Word of Jesus Christ. When he had done so, he caught a great many fish. Then he beckoned unto those that were with him to help in catching the fish. Finally, they forsook everything, and followed Him. The two images below are the KJV Bible with the original Greek for reference. See what the words forsook and followed mean.

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Jesus showed us the example of what they were doing before He even spoke the words, “Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” Then the Bible says, “And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.” “He that forsaketh not all that he hath, cannot be my disciple.” In laymen’s terms, Jesus is at the helm of your “ship,” or your temple. When we are first coming to our understanding of the way, the truth, and the life, we start sharing what we know, and get those we know that are, “on board,” to begin doing the same. We forsake everything and follow the Lord wherever He leads us. Be it, social media, friends, acquaintances, online, websites, videos, articles, books, promoting what you have already been shown, sharing info from others who have this information, etc…

Let’s liken Luke 5 to John chapter 6 now. Jesus is up in the mountain with His disciples. You, dwelling in your temple, have been in the Word of Truth with the Spirit. He has been teaching you things, and sharing certain principles and understandings. “He saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” “There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes.” “Hey, there is this person sharing the Word of God, but it may not seem like a whole lot of information…” Jesus tells them to cause the men to sit down and listen, because there is much pasture to graze on, they just aren’t aware of it. Jesus, as in Luke, gives to the disciples. And then, the disciples give to those who are sitting down, waiting to dine on the Word of the Lord. Jesus finally tells His disciples to gather up the fragments so that no one would be lost.

Are you one who claims to know Jesus Christ? Are you one who can see and one who can hear? The Lord is calling you as His disciple, to walk as He walked, and do as He did. As the prodigal son, forsaking it all, willing to go to his Father just as a hired servant; we are told this, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” I would rather be least in the kingdom of Heaven than not there at all. Wouldn’t you?

None of us are Jesus Christ, and in this flesh, we never will be. We do the best that we can. We fall, we stumble, we make mistakes. But waiting for some perfect day or some perfect moment to begin sharing the truth will leave you like this at the end. “Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

As a servant of the Lord, we all have a job to do. “Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” It is time to let your lights shine before men brethren. It is time to be the salt of the earth. It is time to gather the lost sheep.

We needn’t focus on the events transpiring in the world. We are in the world but not a part of it. Get out there and feed the sheep. Get out there, and feed the lambs, as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Jonathan Heller – Lift Up A Banner