May 15th, 1960 "A True Disciple" Late Mr. N. Daniel
Matthew 16:19
"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Jesus was watching the progress of His disciples. To call and take on disciples is a great responsibility. I asked Sadhu Sundar Singh to take me as a disciple but he refused. Some saints refused to take disciples. It is one thing to ascend a hill alone and another to take disciples with you. Disciples who are careless and take false steps on the ice and slip are a great danger. They retard the progress of a Saint. Jesus took disciples. Angels cannot spread the gospel because they do not know sin. They are good for praising God. But men alone can spread the gospel. Sinners who have been rescued from sin and walk close to the Saviour are suited for this work. Such men know all in them is sin. They know that all that comes out of them can only be sin. The best motives with which they begin become the worst selfishness.
Jesus took 12 disciples. One was a determined thief. He did not want to budge from his position. Jesus was speaking to his disciples about the leaven of the pharisees. They did not understand His words. Jesus was warning them about a big show of religion without reality in it. Some are out of God’s will, but keep thanking God for saving them. Nothing good will come out of such lives. These disciples could not understand Jesus very often. When He took them for prayer to the mountain to pray, they slept. In Gethsemane, at the crucial hour, they were sleeping when they ought to be praying. Peter came out with a sword, to defend Jesus. This served to increase trouble for Jesus. Jesus bare the burden of the disciples. He was taking out from them every wrong idea, and putting in them the correct thoughts which would make them mighty men.
Do you want to make yourself happy by your own efforts? Be sure you will be unhappy. Do you want to make yourself rich? Be sure you will be poor.
There is a corner in your heart where the devil is lurking. God wants to drive him away. There is some wrong love, some wrong thought which needs to be removed. Peter got a strong rebuke from Jesus. It was very good for him. We need such rebukes. It is good that God gives us a strong hammer-stroke. In our meetings a man was converted and used to give witness and was useful in the work, but in his witness he used always to say one thing which was wrong. That wrong idea finally took him right back. Some where in our hearts the devil lurks. Peter did not give up his discipleship because of the rebuke, there was no pride in him. When the pride which we relinquish at our conversion comes back into us in some form, it will pull us back. We must be prepared to deny ourselves anything. We must be prepared for any disgrace and poverty. Peter was humble even after that terrible rebuke.