“Followim Teaching Bilong Mi”
“Sapos iufala followim teaching bilong mi, iufala nao olketa tru disaepol bilong mi.”—JOHN 8:31.
1. (a) Taem Jesus go bak long heven, wanem nao hem leavim long earth? (b) Wanem nao olketa kwestin wea iumi bae lukluk long hem?
TAEM Jesus Christ, Man wea Startim Christian Wei, hem go bak long heven, hem no leavim long earth olketa buk wea hem raetem, olketa building, or riches wea hem hipimap. Hem leavim olketa disaepol and tu olketa kliafala mark for kamap olsem wanfala disaepol. Tru nao, long Gospel bilong John, iumi lukim thrifala important mark wea Jesus talem for eniwan wea want for kamap follower bilong hem. Wanem nao olketa mark hia? Wanem nao iumi savve duim for kasem olketa? And hao nao iumi savve mek sure iumiseleva fit olsem olketa disaepol bilong Christ?a
2. Wanem nao wanfala important mark bilong wei for disaepol, wea stap insaed Gospel bilong John?
2 Samting olsem sixfala month bifor hem dae, Jesus go ap long Jerusalem and preach long pipol wea hipap long there for celebratem Festival Bilong Olketa Smol Leaf Haos. From diswan, midol long datfala festival, “planti pipol showimaot faith long hem.” Jesus go ahed for preach, gogo long lastfala day bilong festival “planti showimaot faith long hem.” (John 7:10, 14, 31, 37; 8:30) Long datfala taem, Jesus tanem go tingting bilong hem long olketa niu wan wea just start for biliv and hem talem wanfala important mark bilong wei for disaepol, wea aposol John hem raetem: “Sapos iufala followim teaching bilong mi, iufala nao olketa tru disaepol bilong mi.”—John 8:31.
3. Wanem fasin nao man needim for “followim teaching bilong [Jesus]”?
3 Datfala toktok bilong Jesus no minim olketa niu wan wea biliv no garem inaf faith. Bat, hem showim long olketa hao olketa garem chance for kamap olketa tru disaepol bilong hem—sapos olketa go ahed for followim teaching bilong hem, and sapos olketa go ahed strong. Olketa acceptim finis teaching bilong hem, bat distaem olketa need for go ahed for followim. (John 4:34; Hebrews 3:14) Tru nao, Jesus ting long disfala wei for go ahed strong olsem wanfala important fasin for olketa follower bilong hem. Dastawe, long last story bilong hem witim olketa aposol, wea stap insaed Gospel bilong John, tufala taem nao Jesus sei: “Go ahed for followim mi.” (John 21:19, 22) Planti firstfala Christian duim datwan. (2 John 4) Wanem nao helpem olketa for go ahed strong?
4. Wanem nao mekem olketa firstfala Christian fit for go ahed strong?
4 Aposol John, wanfala faithful disaepol bilong Christ for samting olsem 70 year, talem wanfala important point. Hem praisem olketa faithful Christian taem hem sei: “Iufala strong and toktok bilong God stap insaed long iufala and iufala winim finis datfala wicked wan.” Olketa disaepol bilong Christ hia go ahed strong, or followim toktok bilong God, bikos toktok bilong God stap insaed long olketa. Olketa barava tinghae long hem. (1 John 2:14, 24) Olsem tu distaem, for “go ahed strong kasem end,” iumi need for mek sure toktok bilong God hem stap insaed long iumi. (Matthew 24:13) Hao nao iumi savve duim diswan? Wanfala tokpiksa wea Jesus talem hem givim ansa.
“Herem Teaching”
5. (a) Wanem nao olketa difren kaen graon wea Jesus storyim long wanfala tokpiksa bilong hem? (b) Long tokpiksa bilong Jesus, wanem nao seed and graon piksarem?
5 Jesus talem wanfala tokpiksa abaotem man for plantim seed, and disfala story stap insaed Gospel bilong Matthew, Mark, and Luke. (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23; Mark 4:1-9, 14-20; Luke 8:4-8, 11-15) Taem iu readim olketa story hia, iu bae lukim hao main part bilong datfala tokpiksa hem wei wea semkaen seed foldaon long olketa difren kaen graon, and samting wea kamaot hem difren. First graon hem strong, mek-tu hem no deep, and mek-thri hem garem staka rabis grass. Mek-foa graon hem difren from nara thrifala bikos hem “gudfala graon.” Jesus sei datfala seed hem Kingdom message wea stap insaed Word bilong God, and graon hem piksarem pipol wea garem difren kaen heart. Nomata pipol wea olketa difren kaen graon hia piksarem garem samfala samting wea semsem, olketa wea gudfala graon piksarem garem wanfala fasin wea mekem olketa difren from olketa narawan.
6. (a) Hao nao mek-foa graon insaed tokpiksa bilong Jesus hem difren from nara thrifala, and wanem nao diswan hem minim? (b) For showim wei for go ahed strong olsem olketa disaepol bilong Christ, wanem nao hem important tumas for man garem?
6 Disfala sem story long Luke 8:12-15 showim hao long fofala taem hia, pipol ‘herem datfala teaching.’ Bat, olketa wea garem “gudfala heart” duim moa samting winim wei for “herem teaching” nomoa. Olketa “followim and garem frut witim fasin for go ahed strong.” From datfala gudfala graon hem soft and deep, hem mekem rut bilong seed fit for go deep, and samting wea kamaot from diswan nao, olketa seed grow and garem frut. (Luke 8:8) Olsem tu, olketa wea garem gudfala heart minim, tinghae, and tingting strong long toktok bilong God. (Romans 10:10; 2 Timothy 2:7) Toktok bilong God stap insaed long olketa. From diswan, olketa garem frut witim fasin for go ahed strong. So, wei for garem heart wea barava tinghae long Word bilong God hem important tumas for showimaot fasin for go ahed strong olsem olketa disaepol bilong Christ. (1 Timothy 4:15) Bat, hao nao iumi savve mekem grow wei wea heart bilong iumi barava tinghae olsem long Word bilong God?
Heart Bilong Man and Wei for Barava Ting Raonem Samting
7. Wanem samting nao hem join long klos wei witim gudfala heart?
7 Lukim wanem kaen samting nao Bible evritaem joinim witim gudfala heart. “Heart bilong raeteous wan hem ting raonem hao for ansa.” (Proverbs 15:28) “Mi laekem samting wea mi talem and samting wea heart bilong mi ting raonem for mekem iu hapi, O Jehovah.” (Psalm 19:14) “Heart bilong mi bae ting raonem olketa stretfala savve.”—Psalm 49:3.
8. (a) Taem iumi readim Bible, wanem nao iumi shud stap klia long hem bat wanem nao iumi shud duim? (b) Wanem gudfala samting nao iumi kasem from wei for ting raonem Word bilong God witim prea? (Lukim tu box “Stand Strong Insaed Long Truth.”)
8 Olsem olketa hia wea raetem Bible, iumi tu need for ting raonem waka and Word bilong God witim prea and fasin for tinghae. Taem iumi readim Bible or olketa Bible pablikeson, iumi shud no duim samting olsem tourist wea hariap for go from wan ples go long nara ples, and tekem piksa long evriting bat no garem taem for enjoyim olketa ples hia. Taem iumi studyim Bible, iumi want for tek taem for stop firstaem and enjoyim datwan.b Taem iumi ting raonem wanem iumi readim, toktok bilong God affectim heart bilong iumi. Diswan bae muvim feeling bilong iumi and changem tingting bilong iumi. Hem muvim iumi tu for talem private tingting bilong iumi long God insaed prea. From diswan, wei wea iumi feel klos long Jehovah hem kamap moa strong, and love bilong iumi for God muvim iumi for go ahed followim Jesus nomata long hardfala taem. (Matthew 10:22) Tru tumas, wei for ting raonem samting wea God talem hem important sapos iumi want for stap faithful go kasem end.—Luke 21:19.
9. Hao nao iumi savve mek sure heart bilong iumi willing for lisin long teaching bilong God?
9 Tokpiksa bilong Jesus showim tu hao samfala hard samting savve kamap saed long wei wea datfala seed, or teaching bilong God, hem grow. So, for go ahed olsem olketa faithful disaepol, iumi shud (1) trae for luksavve long olketa hard samting wea nogud graon insaed datfala tokpiksa hem piksarem and (2) duim samting for stretem or missim olketa. Long wei olsem, iumi bae mek sure heart bilong iumi hem go ahed for willing for lisin long datfala Kingdom seed and go ahed for garem frut.
“Saed Long Road”—Busy Tumas
10. Storyim first graon insaed tokpiksa bilong Jesus, and explainim mining bilong hem.
10 First graon wea seed foldaon long hem, hem “long saed road,” wea pipol “step antap” datfala graon. (Luke 8:5) Graon long saed road wea go thru long wanfala garden bilong wheat hem strong fogud bikos planti pipol nao wakabaot followim. (Mark 2:23) Long sem wei tu, olketa wea letem evri busy bilong world for tekem tumas taem and strong bilong olketa maet faendaot olketa busy tumas so olketa no savve mekem grow wei for tinghae long toktok bilong God. Olketa herem, bat olketa fail for ting raonem. Dastawe heart bilong olketa no savve muvim olketa. Bifor olketa mekem grow love for datwan, “Devil hem kam and tekem datfala teaching from heart bilong olketa mekem olketa no biliv and kasem laef.” (Luke 8:12) Waswe, iumi savve stopem diswan?
11. Hao nao iumi savve stopem heart bilong iumi for kamap olsem graon wea strong?
11 Man savve duim planti samting for stopem heart for kamap olsem graon wea stap saed road wea no eniting grow long hem. Graon wea strong savve kamap soft and samting grow long hem moa sapos man houm and no eniwan wakabaot antap. Olsem tu, wei for mek taem for studyim and ting raonem Word bilong God savve mekem heart kamap olsem gudfala graon wea garem frut. Key nao hem for no kamap busy tumas witim evriday living. (Luke 12:13-15) Bat, mek sure iu markem taem for ting raonem olketa “samting wea moa important” long laef.—Philippians 1:9-11.
“Antap Long Rok”—Wei for Fraet
12. Wanem nao really reason why datfala plant hem dae long mek-tu graon insaed tokpiksa bilong Jesus?
12 Taem seed foldaon antap mek-tu graon, hem no stap antap long graon nomoa, olsem long first graon. Hem start for garem rut and grow. Bat taem sun kamap, hot bilong sun bonem datfala plant and killim dae. Nomata olsem, tingim disfala important point. Really reason why datfala plant dae hem no from hot bilong sun. Tru nao, datfala plant wea grow insaed long gudfala graon hem stap long sun tu, bat hem no dae—hem grow gud. Wanem nao difren long tufala hia? Jesus sei plant hia hem dae “bikos graon hem no deep” and “no inaf wata.” (Matthew 13:5, 6; Luke 8:6) Wanfala “rok” wea stap anda long graon hem stopem rut bilong seed for go deep for kasem wata and for strong. Datfala plant hem dae bikos graon hem no deep.
13. Wanem kaen pipol nao olsem graon wea no deep, and wanem nao main reason wea spoelem olketa?
13 Disfala part bilong tokpiksa hem minim olketa man wanwan wea “hapi long datfala teaching” taem olketa herem and strong for followim Jesus “for wanfala season.” (Luke 8:13) Taem strongfala sun bilong “olketa test and persecution” kamap, olketa fraet tumas gogo olketa lusim hapi and strong bilong olketa and givap for followim Christ. (Matthew 13:21) Bat, main reason why olketa fraet hem no from pipol againstim olketa. Tru nao, planti million disaepol bilong Christ kasem olketa difren kaen test, bat olketa go ahed for faithful. (2 Corinthians 2:4; 7:5) Really reason why samfala fraet and lusim truth hem from heart bilong olketa wea olsem ston mekem olketa for no ting deep long olketa samting wea buildimap man and spiritual samting. From diswan, wei for tinghae wea olketa garem for Jehovah and toktok bilong hem hem no deep and no strong taem olketa kasem test. Hao nao man savve stopem kaen samting olsem for happen long hem?
14. Wanem nao man shud duim for mekem heart bilong hem no kamap olsem graon wea no deep?
14 Man need for mek sure no eni hardfala samting wea olsem ston, olsem strongfala wei for feel nogud, wei for interest long seleva nomoa, or olketa nara nogud feeling stap deep insaed heart bilong hem. Sapos man garem kaen feeling olsem, paoa from toktok bilong God savve aotem. (Jeremiah 23:29; Ephesians 4:22; Hebrews 4:12) Bihaen datwan, wei for prea and ting raonem samting bae “plantim datfala teaching” deep insaed long heart bilong man. (James 1:21) Diswan bae givim strong wea man needim for deal witim wei for feel wiki and for garem fasin for no fraet for stap faithful nomata hem kasem test.
“Long Nila Grass”—Wei for Divaed
15. (a) Why nao hem barava important for iumi lukluk long mek-thri graon wea Jesus storyim? (b) Gogo, wanem nao happen long mek-thri graon, and why?
15 Hem barava important for iumi lukluk gud long mek-thri graon, wea garem olketa nila grass, bikos long samfala wei hem semsem witim gudfala graon. Olsem gudfala graon, graon wea garem nila grass letem datfala seed hem garem rut and grow. Long firstaem, plant wea grow long gudfala graon and plant wea grow long graon wea garem nila grass grow semsem nomoa. Bat, gogo, wanfala samting hem happen wea blokem datfala plant. No olsem datfala gudfala graon, disfala graon hem garem staka nila grass. Taem datfala young plant grow long disfala graon, ‘olketa nila grass tu grow.’ For lelebet taem, tufala plant hia resis for kasem kaikai, laet, and spes, bat gogo olketa nila grass grow big winim datfala plant and “skwisim dae.”—Luke 8:7.
16. (a) Wanem kaen pipol nao olsem graon wea garem nila grass? (b) Olsem thrifala Gospel storyim, wanem nao olketa nila grass piksarem?—Lukim footnote.
16 Wanem kaen pipol nao olsem datfala graon wea garem nila grass? Jesus hem sei: “Olketa nao pipol wea herem, bat, olketa wari, richfala samting and hapitaem bilong laef distaem pullim olketa, and diswan barava skwisim olketa and no eni gud samting kamap.” (Luke 8:14) Long sem wei wea seed and olketa nila grass savve grow long graon long semtaem, hem olsem tu witim olketa man wanwan wea trae for kasem samting from toktok bilong God and long semtaem kasem “olketa hapitaem bilong laef.” Truth wea kam from God hem start for grow insaed heart bilong olketa, bat long semtaem wei for aftarem olketa nara samting tu hem go ahed. Tokpiksa heart bilong olketa hem divaed. (Luke 9:57-62) Diswan stopem olketa for markem inaf taem for prea and wei for ting raonem toktok bilong God. Olketa fail for kasem evribit gudfala samting from toktok bilong God and from datwan olketa short long wei for garem wei for tinghae wea kam from heart wea olketa needim for go ahed strong. Gogo, wei for aftarem olketa physical samting hem winim nao olketa spiritual samting and diswan ‘skwisim olketa evribit.’c Sorre samting nao kasem pipol wea no lovem Jehovah witim full heart!—Matthew 6:24; 22:37.
17. Wanem nao olketa samting wea iumi mas disaed for duim mekem olketa tokpiksa nila grass insaed parabol bilong Jesus no skwisim iumi?
17 Taem iumi putim olketa spiritual samting firstaem long olketa material samting, iumi stap klia long wei wea olketa nogud samting and hapitaem bilong disfala world skwisim iumi. (Matthew 6:31-33; Luke 21:34-36) Iumi mas nating lusim wei for duim Bible reading and for ting raonem wanem iumi readim. Sapos iumi mekem living bilong iumi simpol, iumi bae faendem moa taem for ting raonem samting witim wei for prea. (1 Timothy 6:6-8) Olketa servant bilong God wea duim olsem—wea aotem olketa nila grass from graon mekem datfala plant wea garem frut kasem moa kaikai, laet, and spes—olketa kasem blessing bilong Jehovah. Sandra wea hem 26 year sei olsem: “Taem mi ting raonem olketa blessing wea mi kasem insaed long truth, mi luksavve world hem no garem eni samting wea semsem witim diswan!”—Psalm 84:11.
18. Hao nao iumi savve followim toktok bilong God and go ahed strong olsem olketa Christian?
18 Tru nao, iumi evriwan, young and olo, bae go ahed for followim toktok bilong God and go ahed strong olsem olketa disaepol bilong Christ sapos toktok bilong God go ahed stap insaed long iumi. So iumi mas mek sure graon bilong tokpiksa heart bilong iumi hem mas soft, hem mas deep, and hem mas no garem nila grass. Long wei olsem, bae iumi fit for kasem evribit gudfala samting from toktok bilong God and “garem frut witim fasin for go ahed strong.”—Luke 8:15.
[Olketa Footnote]
a Long disfala article, iumi bae storyim firstfala mark. Bae iumi storyim nara tufala long olketa next article.
b For ting raonem wanfala part long Bible wea iu readim, iu savve askem iuseleva olsem: ‘Waswe, diswan hem showim wanfala or moa fasin bilong Jehovah? Hao nao hem join witim theme bilong Bible? Hao nao mi savve followim long living bilong mi or iusim for helpem nara pipol?’
c Long thrifala Gospel story abaotem parabol bilong Jesus, olketa nogud samting and hapitaem bilong disfala world wea killim dae datfala seed nao: “Olketa wari bilong disfala system,” “giaman paoa bilong olketa richfala samting,” “fasin for wantem evri nara samting,” and “olketa hapitaem bilong laef distaem.”—Mark 4:19; Matthew 13:22; Luke 8:14; Jeremiah 4:3, 4.
Wanem Nao Ansa Bilong Iu?
• Why nao iumi need for ‘followim teaching bilong Jesus’?
• Hao nao iumi savve letem teaching bilong God stap insaed heart bilong iumi?
• Fofala difren kaen graon wea Jesus story abaotem piksarem wanem kaen pipol?
• Hao nao iu savve faendem taem for ting raonem toktok bilong God?
[Box/Piksa long page 10]
“STAND STRONG INSAED LONG TRUTH”
PLANTI wea disaepol bilong Christ for longtaem finis pruvim each year hao olketa “stand strong insaed long truth.” (2 Peter 1:12) Wanem nao helpem olketa for go ahed strong? Tingim toktok bilong samfala.
“Mi endim each day witim wei for readim wanfala part bilong Bible and for prea. Then mi ting abaotem wanem mi just readim.”—Jean, wea baptaes long 1939.
“Wei for ting raonem hao Jehovah, wea hae tumas, hem barava lovem iumi mekem mi feel sef tumas and givim mi strong for stap faithful.”—Patricia, wea baptaes long 1946.
“Taem mi followim gudfala wei for studyim Bible and tingting strong long ‘olketa deep samting bilong God,’ mi fit for go ahed servem Jehovah.”—1 Corinthians 2:10; Anna, wea baptaes long 1939.
“Taem mi readim Bible and olketa Bible pablikeson bilong iumi goal bilong mi hem for lukluk gud long heart bilong mi and samting wea muvim mi.”—Zelda, wea baptaes long 1943.
“Best taem bilong mi hem taem mi savve wakabaot and story long Jehovah insaed long prea and talem hem wanem nao really feeling bilong mi.”—Ralph, wea baptaes long 1947.
“Mi startim day witim wei for tingting long text evriday and readim wanfala part bilong Bible. Diswan mekem mi garem niu samting for ting raonem long full day.”—Marie, wea baptaes long 1935.
“For mi, wei for storyim each verse bilong wanfala Bible buk hem really strongim mi.”—Daniel, wea baptaes long 1946.
Wanem taem nao iu markem for iu ting raonem word bilong God witim wei for prea?—Daniel 6:10b; Mark 1:35; Acts 10:9.
[Piksa long page 13]
Taem iumi putim olketa spiritual samting firstaem, iumi savve “garem frut witim fasin for go ahed strong”