WOULD YOU STAY?

How do you become a disciple?

What does it take to be a disciple?

What does it mean to be a be a believer?

Let’s pause for a second and talk about the bible.

The bible is such a wholesome book. It literally has everything, every genre, every type of book you need is in the bible; Comedy, Horror, Musical, Intellect, Adventure, it’s all in there but how will you know when you don’t read your bible.

Speaking of comedy, I’m sure we are all familiar with the story of Jesus Christ, but something I always find funny is how Jesus called his first disciples, The 12; he saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee on a boat, fishing and he said ‘Follow me” and they went, leaving their father behind. WHY? Like why did they trust a stranger? Picture this, you’re with your dad and your sibling at the supermarket and “A man” you’ve never met before walks up to you and your brother/sister and says “Follow me” and both of you just leaves your father immediately and starts going with him, IN NIGERIA!! LMAO! Knowing my dad, he’ll give you a resounding slap to bring you back to your senses and probably alert the securities and that man will probably be beaten up and called a ritualist because why are you just going around calling people’s children without their parent’s permission.

Skip that, let’s say you actually follow this man, and your dad lets you, I mean, you’re grown and then your dad goes home to your mom and she asks for her children and your dad is like “A man called them and they followed him” and she’s like “which man?” and he says “I don’t know him, he just called them and they followed him”, picture how your mom will look at the love of her life.

But basically, that’s the exact way Jesus called the 12, just like James and John, he saw Matthew sitting in his tax collector booth probably counting money and he said “Follow me” and this man just left his business and followed him, Like, what happened to chasing the bag? That went down the drain real fast.

Similarly, he saw Philip and said “Come, follow me” and he followed him, he didn’t even stop there, this man looked for his friend Nathanael to give him the gist and they both decided to follow Jesus.

Personally, I believe it was so easy for Jesus to pick his disciples to fulfill all that has been written in the scriptures. These disciples gave up all they had, they left the bag, they left their families and they decided to follow Jesus, they trusted him, they believed.

When Jesus predicted his death and how he was going to die, he told his disciples they would go through all of that and worse. For context, Jesus Christ was flogged with a lead-tipped whip, paraded around the town, he was spat on, slapped, stabbed on the side, and was crucified, nailed to the cross. And he said his disciples will suffer worse than that. LOL! What could be worse than all of that and this man I just met when I was fishing is telling me I’ll go through all of that AND WORSE!!

I don’t think we talk about how the disciples died enough, I mean, we don’t even talk about it. I read an article explaining how the 12 died and all I can say is, Jesus was not joking when he said they’ll go through all he went through and worse.

Andrew was crucified, bound to an X-shaped cross, hung alive for two days.

Bartholomew was skinned alive and crucified, head downward.

James was beheaded with a sword.

James the half-brother of Jesus after he repeatedly refused to deny his faith in Jesu, was thrown off a 100 feet wall, he survived the fall and was beaten with clubs.

Talk about HORROR.

What I find very fascinating is, when Jesus told them they’ll go through worse, THEY STAYED. They stayed with him, they continued, they followed him.

Being a true disciple is not about posting prayer links online everyday (*criminal offensive side eye*) and posing to be a Christian, would you do these things, would you give up everything? Would you give up family? would you give up your life? would you lay everything down for him? Would you stay after hearing all the horrible things the world will do to you if you do not denounce your faith? Would you do all these things for someone you’ve never met? Jesus did all of these things, he gave his LIFE for you and I, what else do you want for someone after he has given up his life for you. He died your death the least you can do is to Live for him. LIVE HIS LIFE.

Are you a disciple?

Do you have what it takes to be a disciple?