How to do the Most Important Things in Life: 2. How to Become Jesus' Disciple

By John Talbot

As I write this it is September 30 2009. Exactly thirty-five years ago an event took place that changed my life. On September 30 1974 I came home to have lunch with my wife. Two months earlier an incident had occurred that aroused my interest in The Bible. From that time on I had carried a bible with me to read in my spare time. As I was waiting for lunch to be served, I read Luke Chapter 18. It tells of a meeting between a certain ruler and the Lord Jesus, in which the ruler asked Jesus, “Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” You all know what happened; if not, you may read it in that chapter. Jesus' final words to him were, “Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.”

The ruler became very sorrowful for he was very rich. Jesus then remarked to his disciples that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. The disciples asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied that things that are impossible with men are possible with God. Peter said that they had left all to follow him. Jesus' response was, “Verily, I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.”

When I read that, I thought that if I had been in the place of that ruler, I would have considered that Jesus had made me an offer that I could not refuse. Look at what He was offering: manifold more houses, parents, brethren, wives, and children, and, the biggest prize: in the world to come, life everlasting.

At my work that afternoon, I was designing an instrument, but my mind was on the ruler's encounter with Jesus. Then the thought occurred to me, what if I am that ruler and the Lord Jesus is making me that offer? I took a sheet of paper and listed all my assets and how I would distribute them to the poor. As I did so I was becoming elated. Having completed the list, I stood up and started walking toward the door. My intention was to phone my broker and tell him to offload all that I had. There was no phone in the drawing office and I had intended going to my office to phone. As I stood up I felt a tremendous elation. It felt like something filled the whole room and permeated my body. When I looked up I saw that the Lord Jesus stood in the doorway, in a vision. He was smiling at me. For about five minutes I just stood and basked in his smile. Then he spoke to me. He told me that I had become his disciple, since I had complied with the three conditions (Luke 14:26, 27, 33). He baptized me in the Holy Spirit, healed my hiatus hernia, and showed me in visions an outline of my future ministry.

For thirty-five glorious years I have followed him and never looked back.