SECRET #74 OF FOLLOWING JESUS

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As you read the stories of the life of Jesus you will see something happen over and over. People kept bringing others to Jesus. Early in Jesus' ministry Andrew brought his brother, Peter, to Jesus. Because of this introduction, Peter became a follower and a prominent leader in the early Jesus movement.

Friends brought people to Jesus. Mark records: When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. (Mark 5:1-4) When Jesus saw the faith of the paralytic's friends, Jesus moved into gear. He quickly dealt with the paralytic's spiritual problem by saying, "Your sins are forgiven." This was shocking to everyone in the house. Jesus didn't do the obvious thing of healing the paralytic physically, but went straight to the man's heart, then He healed his paralysis.

Enemies brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus. They wanted to see what Jesus would do with such a case. Jesus again shocked them by standing with the adulterous woman and challenging her accusers to go ahead and stone her, if any of them was without sin in his own life.

People who were desperate for healing of their loved ones came in mass to Jesus. When Jesus landed on the Eastern side of the Sea of Galilee in a non-Jewish community, the people were so enthused about what they had heard that they brought to Jesus all who were sick.

Children were brought to Jesus. Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:13-14)

This brings us to SECRET #74: The follower of Jesus seeks to introduce Jesus to all who seem interested. If you are a follower of Jesus, then introducing Him in every way possible becomes a major part of your lifestyle. It's really quite easy. When you see someone doing something Jesus would do, point it out. Tell them that their act of kindness is something Jesus would do. You will be amazed how effective that can be. You might even let them know that you are doing the toughest thing you've ever tried to do in your life-to follow the teachings and principles of Jesus.

I am all about doing whatever I can do to advance the conversation of Jesus. This is really introducing people to Jesus without all of the religious baggage that tends to be hung around His neck. When someone is hurting, introduce him to Jesus; not to be converted into a certain religious faith or stance. When someone is looking for some answers, introduce him to Jesus. Rather than giving your friend all of your advice, how about encouraging him to ask Jesus for the answers he's looking for.

When Jesus shows up no one is the same again. The dead are brought back to life. The blind see. The lame walk. The deaf hear. The mute talk. Enemies and rivals become friends. Women's status is elevated. People with all kinds of leprosy are cleansed and made whole. The poor are made rich. The rich realize their poverty. The lost are found. The weak finds strength. The strong are made aware of weakness. The children are affirmed and empowered!

Now, here's my point. If Jesus brings positive transformation in every life He encounters, then doesn't it make sense for us to introduce everyone we can to this Jesus? You see, when Jesus shows up, no one is ever the same again! This is SECRET #74: The follower of Jesus seeks to introduce Jesus to all who seem interested.

SECRET #73 OF FOLLOWING JESUS

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One of the repeated themes and challenges within the teachings of Jesus is to have ears to hear and eyes to see. Jesus knows our human tendency to drift away, get off-message, become distracted, and to divide up and take sides. So, He warns us to be careful that we listen and see clearly. In the midst of His warning Jesus says that those who follow Him have been given ears to hear and eyes to see.

And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, 'YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;
YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.'" (Matthew 13:10-15)

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." (Matthew 13:16-17) This is SECRET #73: The follower of Jesus has ears to hear and eyes to see.

To have ears to hear and eyes to see requires that you remove your religious blinders, think and evaluate what you believe Jesus' teaching really is. Don't be afraid to go with His teachings, when they counter things you have believed all your life. It may be a little shocking at first, but when the light bulb clicks on in your head and heart, you'll know what is true.

Nowhere is this clearer than when Jesus presented His first seminar that is normally called the 'Sermon on the Mount'. As Jesus came on the scene as the new and radical Rabbi, people were asking the question: "Jesus, how do your teachings differ from what we've been taught?" If you are going to do your part in having ears to hear and eyes to see, you must focus on Jesus and His teachings. Don't just read His teachings, spend time with Jesus as you meditate on them.

There are three habits that will help you focus on hearing and seeing Jesus most clearly that come up for me: FIRST-The habit of practicing the presence of Jesus in you! When you commit yourself to be a follower of Jesus, understand that you are entering into a partnership with Jesus. You are in Him and He is in you.

SECOND-The habit of practicing the power of Jesus with you. With your partnership with Jesus you can know the confidence of being empowered by Him in whatever you do. Wherever Jesus guides, He will provide the strength to get through it.

THIRD-The habit of practicing the potential of Jesus in others. It's seeing Jesus in others. You know, Jesus never saw a prostitute. He saw a troubled woman with great potential. As you follow Jesus more closely, you will see people much differently.

Jesus without religious baggage is awesome, attractive and even irresistible! The only thing Jesus requires of you and me is to be interested-to have ears to hear and eyes to see. SECRET #73: The follower of Jesus has ears to hear and eyes to see. And with these open ears and eyes, you will experience a whole new focus on the only thing that has ever mattered-Jesus.

DON'T MYTH OUT ON JESUS THIS CHRISTMAS

As we all know, more wars have been waged because of religion than any other reason. Even more prevalent than the hellish experience of wars is the continual spirit of divisiveness. A deadly misunderstanding of Jesus and his teachings has caused most of these wars and divisions. We have been missing out on Jesus by embracing a variety of myths about Him.

A myth is passed on so frequently that you blindly accept it as THE truth and it becomes a vital doctrine in your religious beliefs. Therefore it is, at best, a legend, a sort of spiritual fairy tale that has become a sacred belief for you and your community, yet it is really a well-intentioned falsehood or misunderstanding. They have developed from one generation to another without questioning its veracity.

The result? Jesus has become distorted and misunderstood. He has been hijacked by a variety of religious groups and his teachings have been twisted. This is at the core of why fewer and fewer people are attracted to the Church. The greatest attraction ever is missing or minimized. Jesus.

There is a desperate need to re-introduce Jesus to those who have ears to hear and eyes to see.

FIRST-We desperately need to re-introduce Jesus back into our Churches and spiritual gatherings. The last two weeks I've listened to a pastor of one of the largest churches in the USA. Although the sermon was very good and delivered well, Jesus was never named. I'm sure it was not this man's intent, but without Jesus people can only identify as a member/spectator of some organization. Jesus came to launch a dynamic participatory movement. The messages of the Church tend to be less Jesus and more self-help in substance.

SECOND-We desperately need to re-introduce Jesus back into all forms of communication-newsletters, websites, blogs, small groups and conversations. Without Jesus being the emphasis, Jesus will surely fall through the cracks and will be greatly missed.

THIRD-We desperately need to re-introduce Jesus to our children. I've noticed Christian children don't know much about Jesus. They know lots about the Old Testament characters, which are highly interesting stories. But other than Jesus' birth story (with presents attached), the many stories and teachings of Jesus are just not part of the regular curriculum for children. Without Jesus, kids become turned off with the religious system of do's and don'ts and are leaving Churches as they are old enough to be on their own. If they do stay, it's usually because of some level of guilt and social obligation that has a grip on them.

FOURTH-We desperately need to re-introduce Jesus to our community-family, friends, colleagues and neighbors. Most people continue to demonstrate that they don't want to go to church-not yours, not any. The statistics tell the story very clearly. Without Jesus they are turned off and turned away by the religiosities that are presented to them.

Some of the most important things we must share about Jesus and His teachings are the following: * Re-introduce the name of Jesus. We talk too much about God, the Lord, Christ, or the man upstairs. It is the name of Jesus that embodies the power. * Re-introduce the idea of following Jesus. We talk too much about being a believer, accepting Jesus as your Savior, being a Christian or being born again. The most common tag Jesus and all of the Gospel writers used was being a follower of Jesus. * Re-introduce Jesus into our conversations. Talk about being a Christian or your Christian faith and people are put on the defensive, thinking you want to convert them. Talk about Jesus and there is an unusual attraction and irresistibility. We need to advance the conversation of Jesus whenever possible and appropriate. * Re-introduce Jesus as the Gospel, the Prince of peace, and the source of real joy.

You know what it all comes down to is this: Jesus unites; all other religious systems and teachings divide. Jesus is for everyone! Millions of Buddhist, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, agnostics and even Christians are becoming followers of Jesus today worldwide!

Don't myth out on Jesus this Christmas season. Get to know Jesus a little better and make Him known. Check out Mything Out On Jesus and His Teachings, where you can examine 32 myths that keep people from knowing and following Jesus. You can find it at www.timtimmons.com or on www.Amazon.com.

Remember: Jesus alone is enough. Jesus plus something is nothing. Jesus plus nothing is everything.

SECRET #72 OF FOLLOWING JESUS

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In most every profession of life, even in most interactions between people, there is usually a hook or an agenda. An agenda is usually when you want something from another. Most everyone has an agenda of some kind. If you are up front about it, then there are no surprises or disappointments. There are two basic problems with agendas. First-Many times agendas are hidden and then have a "gotcha" effect on your audience. Hidden agendas are fundamentally out of bounds, if you are striving to be ethical in your dealings. Second-Many times agendas are assumed or presumed. This keeps the conversation or interaction on more of a surface level. These are agendas that have been proven to be true so many times that you just can't imagine them not being present. It just comes with the territory.

Presumed agendas occur in the religious arena frequently and therefore eat away at the heart of authenticity. For instance, if a person identifies himself as a Christian, this tends to put others on the defensive, believing they are now a target for a series of conversion tactics. Or, when you attend a religious gathering, there is a real presumption that they have as their agenda to either extract some money out of your pocket or convert you into their flavor of faith.

We face the agenda problem in our work nearly every day. You see, because people underwrite our work financially through a non-profit from month to month, we are free to be available to help anyone, any time, without ever having to deal with the financial issues at all. It is the most amazing privilege we've ever known.

We are free to live out the question: "What can we do to help?" and mean it! We approach our work with people in a five step progression: 1. We have no agenda. (We don't want anything from you.) 2. We have no answers. (We don't know anything. By the way, before following Jesus, I thought I knew everything.) 3. Jesus is the only answer we know. (Jesus knows!) 4. Jesus is the only agenda that works. (Jesus works with anyone!) 5. Jesus is the best Good News for any bad news that presents itself!

Now, this brings us to SECRET #72: The follower of Jesus seeks to live with one agenda-Jesus.

Every day you have the option of living according to the man-made principles of the world, limited by the best man can do-your own agenda. Or, you can choose to live by the principles of the Kingdom of heaven, limited by the best God can do-the Jesus agenda. When you choose the Jesus agenda, you will find yourself wanting to walk, talk, think and love as Jesus would do. Living with the Jesus agenda also creates a new heart in you to share the peace, love and joy of Jesus with those who need it. You have an increased awareness factor about your life-to make a difference.

Jesus taught that in order to live on the Jesus agenda, it's important to see things differently. He talks about you being able to actually see the Kingdom of heaven-to be aware of living on a different plane than the rest of the world. He taught this to one of the most religious men of His day and He shared with him what was required to be able to see the Jesus agenda clearly.

Let's listen in on it: Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'" (John 3)

Now, don't be alarmed with the "born again" term. Jesus wasn't using "born again" as it is so frequently used today to denote whether you are in or out. What Jesus meant by this is that this religious man needed to become like a little child again-to unlearn the religious teachings that kept him from seeing and hearing and to learn all over again as a little child-to be born again spiritually. Then Nicodemus could be able to see the Kingdom-the Jesus agenda. SECRET #72: The follower of Jesus seeks to live with one agenda-Jesus.

SECRET #71 OF FOLLOWING JESUS

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The name of Jesus is easily lost, ignored or maybe just forgotten. When it comes to the holiday season of Christmas, to remember that Jesus is the reason for the season requires a constant reminder. I've noticed Jesus frequently comes up missing in messages, newsletters, church bulletins and religious conversation. It's amazing how easy it is to talk about God, Christ, the Lord or the man upstairs and leave the name of Jesus out. This brings us to SECRET #71: The follower of Jesus lifts up the name of Jesus above all names.

There is a great worship song that goes, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there's just something about that name." What is there about that name that is so important? In order to get this in perspective we must go way back to nearly 3500 years ago when Moses was being sent by God to face the people of Israel. Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you." (Exodus 3:13-14)

From the beginning God's name is very important. His name is I AM WHO I AM. This means that God exists and always has existed. It is spelled in the Hebrew language by four letters without any vowels. It is YHWH. Some ancient rabbis have described the name of God as like taking a breath. It is Yah-weh. And every breath you take is like saying His name. His name is revered so highly by the Jewish people that they wouldn't even pronounce it. Instead they would use the word for "lord" in its place. Even today, most Jews will not spell out the word, God. They usually write it with a hyphen, G-d.

When we come to the time of Jesus, there is a lot of emphasis placed upon the name of Jesus. In the first few verses of John it says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all people. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only.

Later in John Jesus says, "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." What is it about this Jesus that is so attractive? Well, in Acts 4:12 it says, Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved. There is something about that name.

Remember when the Lord spoke to Ananias about what he was to tell Paul, who had just been apprehended by Jesus on the road to Damascus. He said, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel."

When Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17, He makes an interesting reference about the name of God, "Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me."

So what is the name of God that was given to Jesus? It is the name of Jesus or "Yeshua" in the Hebrew. NOTE what this means. It is a combination of YE, short for Yahweh, and SHUA which means saves. So, the name is YAHWEH SAVES-Yeshua. It's a combination of the name of God given to Moses and the Messianic name given to God in the flesh-Jesus-God saves!

Even more specific is that Jesus makes several claims to being the I AM. When Jesus announced to His disciples He would be leaving, Thomas said, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

There is something about that name. The name of Jesus sets Him apart from all others, everywhere. As a Buddhist friend of mine said, "Jesus trumps everything and everyone else!"

This is why Peter and John were able to give the healing touch to the lame man in Jerusalem. It was all in the name of Jesus. This is why when two or three are gathered together in the name of Jesus, He shows up in supernatural ways. This is why we are to pray in the name of Jesus and He responds to our heart's cries.

SECRET #71: The follower of Jesus lifts up the name of Jesus above all names. In the name of Jesus. There is something special about that name. JESUS.