Like a whisper a serpent slithered across the dusty road to the other side. It slid up onto a rock where the blistery sun warmed its cold-blooded body. In the distance thirteen men lifted swirls of dust behind them as they moved down the road, deep in discussion. Jesus had begun the mission assigned Him by His true Father, God Himself. It began with these twelve men that He had personally chosen.

Jesus did not have forms of mass communication or means of rapid transportation, yet in three short years He brought the great teachings given Him by His Father to the nation of Israel. His teaching was neither popular nor endorsed by the religious leaders in the country, yet the people were enticed and captivated by what He had to say. He brought a fresh yet thought provoking interpretation of what God said through the prophets and writers of old.

He loved people. Many times it was said, “He had compassion on them . . . ,“ and by the power of God working through Him He healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons and worked some mighty miracles further displaying God’s awesome power. It was a fresh and new anointing for up until now, God had been silent for a period of about four hundred years.

Yet, when His teaching became deeper and even more challenging, He was left with only these twelve men and one of them was contemplating his betrayal. Still, from that humble beginning the Gospel was introduced. The Church was birthed. He proved Himself to be Whom He claimed to be when He rose from the dead after three days.

Today, in many ways people are still in need of challenge. By and large, the great Church that came into being after Christ’s resurrection and ascension has digressed into a form not unlike that of the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. In this time we now live, I believe that Christ continues to bring His thought provoking Gospel.

It is very likely that we are living in the last days before the second coming of Jesus Christ. If this is so, then we need to be renewed in His great and wonderful truths. It makes us feel uncomfortable. It may make us angry. But as we look at our lives as compared to the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels, particularly the Gospel of John, an honest heart search will reveal that we are not in the spiritual place we are supposed to be. We must re-examine ourselves and move our spiritual relationship with God into alignment with what Jesus Christ preached, taught, and displayed.

It is my prayer that this series of lessons will challenge and help you to see where you need to be in your own life. As we come into the place Jesus wants us to be in our individual lives, we will sense the refreshed anointing filling our very souls. We will be closer to our Master than ever before.

Let us walk those dusty roads with Jesus as we move through the Gospel of John and allow Him to mold us into who He wants us to be.  Jesus is not “into” masses but He is “into” individuals and He wants you for His service. Come with me and let’s see what He has to say.  If you are bold enough and if you have the courage to allow your own values and life to be criticized and very possibly exposed as falling short, then let’s take “The Soul Challenge” together now . . .

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.?  Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.