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2 Timothy 3:14-17 It has been said that a Bible which is falling apart is probably owned by someone who isn’t. What a marvelous observation. And how true. The word of God which is breathed out into the holy scriptures is designed to train us in righteous living and make us complete and equipped for every good work. When Paul wrote those words, he wasn’t only thinking about how to achieve moral purity or to do good deeds such as visiting the sick, sharing the gospel, or building a Christ-honoring marriage. He also had in mind how to handle grief, how to persevere through trials and periods of disappointment, and how to overcome seasons of depression and loneliness. The word of God is designed to teach us all we need to know about living a victorious life in Christ which will bring honor to Him. Yet, how often when rough times come into a life, we find even Christians first running to their doctor, visiting a therapist or ordering the latest self-help book on the market? And all the while, their Bible lies closed on the table - the very book which promises peace, guidance, and strength to endure everything which life has to offer, and to conquer through it all with the power and wisdom of God. Let me ask you: Do you have your own Bible - a good study or reference Bible? Do you know where it is? Some years back at one of our give-away events, a lady accepted a New Testament and said she would put it on the shelf with the rest of her Bibles. Hmmm? So, what does your Bible look like? Does it show some wear and tear? Is the cover worn in spots? Is the spine creased? Is some of the gilt or color worn off the edges of the pages? Is there some oil from your fingers on some of the pages from handling? Is there some highlighting or underlines? Maybe some notations here and there? Some verses and chapters marked? The condition of your Bible will tell a good bit about your spiritual journey and your effort to know your Lord. If your Bible were examined, what would the evidence reveal? What does it tell you?

Satan likes to make us feel small. He likes to make us feel like the world doesn't care about what we're doing and like the things we may accomplish don't matter. How many times have we all been in positions where people we look up to don't recognize the work we're doing? There are few things that feel better than being recognized by these people, but being ignored can have an equally as powerful effect, just in the negative sense. We are told throughout scripture that God sees us and that He sees what we are doing and what we are going through. Yet, it's still easy to feel small in such a big world that often feels like it doesn't care about you. My grandfather presented a lesson on a similar subject years ago that really stuck with me. So, I'm going to put out my own spin on a similar topic. I want to talk about a man who very easily could have felt this same way. I want to talk about a man named Thaddaeus. To the three people reading this that recognize that name, congratulations! For the rest of us, I'll give the run-down. Thaddaeus (also known as Judas, the son of James) was one of the Twelve Apostles. Most people who know Thaddaeus know him as a piece of Bible trivia more than anything else. So, how can someone as important as one of the twelve apostles be so obscure? Well, the answer to that is rather simple. Thaddaeus is mentioned in any comprehensive list of the twelve from the gospels and Acts (Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:16, Acts 1:13). Thaddaeus' first mention outside of these lists is in John 14:22: "Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?"" Jesus goes on to answer his question saying that He would be with those who love Him and His Father. And… that's it. That is the entire recorded history of Thaddaeus, one of the twelve apostles. So, that poses the question, is asking that one question the only thing of note Thaddaeus ever did? Don't get me wrong, some people have more eventful lives than others, but I don't think anyone believes Thaddaeus only did or said one thing of note in his entire life. After all, he was one of twelve! He was called personally by Jesus to be one of His disciples. He lived with, traveled with, and learned from Jesus directly for years. He, like the rest of the apostles, was commissioned by Jesus to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20). He, like the apostles we read about in the New Testament, likely founded churches and wrote inspirational letters. He surely taught many and brought even more to salvation. Yet, none of that made it into scripture. So, why does Thaddaeus get so little recognition? There's no easy answer to that. God knows what we need to know and, therefore, what needed to be in the Bible. For whatever reason, that didn't include Thaddaeus' work. Does that take anything away from what he was doing? Certainly not! Saving a life or a soul is an incredible thing, no matter how many people know about it. In God's eyes, Thaddaeus surely did incredible things. God's purpose for Thaddaeus was just different than the one He had for Paul or other people in that vein. The bigger question, I would argue, is how would Thaddaeus have felt about this lack of recognition? I suspect many of us would be very frustrated under similar circumstances. Yet, I don't think Thaddaeus would have seen the situation the same way. Scripture teaches us to avoid seeking the approval of man for our actions. Jesus tells us to "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 6:1). I don't know about you, but I would rather have God's reward than the approval of the people around me. Furthermore, Paul wrote that we can't seek the approval of man and serve Christ. "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10). This is all to drive home the point that our priority should never be to be recognized by our peers. God is bigger than that. He sees what we are doing, and He will reward us for it if our motivations are pure. We should never be seeking glory for ourselves. Rather, we want to bring glory to Christ. So, I don't think Thaddaeus would have been overly upset about his "minor" appearance in scripture. Instead, I'm sure he found comfort in knowing that God had a bigger reward in store for him than fame ever could. So, we should never be chasing recognition or fame. God has bigger things in store for us than a pat on the back. But, this shouldn't stop us from encouraging others for their good works. We are called to encourage each other (1 Timothy 5:11), even to do so daily (Hebrews 3:13), and to build each other up (Ephesians 4:29) in order to spur one another on towards good deeds (Hebrews 10:24-25). The next time you feel like you are going unnoticed, know that God sees you and that He has a reward in store for you. Then, turn that energy around and recognize and encourage others to drive them to do good. If we all do just a little better with these things, then there will be more than enough pats on the back to go around, and nobody will even feel like they need them! So we should try to pay a little more attention to what people are doing around us. When you notice good things that people are doing, let them know! Give them a pat on the back and don't expect one in return. God's will be way better, anyway.

Luke 24:36-43 Recently in one of our Wednesday evening fellowships, we discussed this scripture from Luke. You are encouraged to read it before going further as you will need to know what is under consideration. Bear in mind that this incident occurred after Jesus was resurrected and had already appeared in different places to others. First, we note that Jesus just suddenly appears in their company. This startles and frightens the group as they think they are seeing a spirit. Jesus must convince them otherwise so He shows them His hands and feet which have His wounds, and He eats a piece of broiled fish in front of them. Contributing to their being frightened by Jesus’ appearance is also their struggle to understand the scriptures as the gospel writers noted in other places. Right after this (Luke 24:44-48), we see Jesus again affirming that He was to be raised from the dead on the third day, and that He had to help them understand the Scriptures about this. So, here we have Jesus standing in the midst of these disciples following His resurrection. The question which we want to consider is this: In which body is He standing before them? And you might say, “Jeff, what do you mean?“ To answer that we must go to First Corinthians 15:20-23. In affirming the resurrection of the dead in general and Christ’s resurrection specifically, Paul states that Christ is the “first fruits” of those to be resurrected to life. I think that most of us know that Jesus has been the first and leads the way for the rest of us to be resurrected from death to life. But we must move on to verses 42-45. (You may want to read those in between as well.) Paul explains for his questioners how the resurrection works. A perishable, natural body is placed into the ground. An imperishable, spiritual body is raised to life. Now if Jesus’ resurrection followed this order, then He was resurrected in His spiritual body. This means He still looked pretty much like Himself, was able to eat, had flesh and bones (of some kind) and had little trouble getting around. Which body? What do you think?

Matthew 16:13-16 To the astronomer, He is the Bright and Morning Star To the baker, He is the Bread of Life To the biologist, He is the Life To the builder, He is the Cornerstone To the sick, He is the Great Physician To the editor, He is the Word of God To the teacher, He is our Rabbi To the traveler, He is the Living Way To the farmer, He is the True Vine To the geologist, He is the Rock of Ages To the zoo keeper, He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah To the juror, He is the Faithful and True Witness To the jeweler, He is the Pearl of Great Price To the lawyer, He is the Righteous Judge To the accused, He is the Advocate To the philosopher, He is the Wisdom of God To the sculptor, He is the image of God To the sheep, He is the Good Shepherd To the suffering, He is the Comforter To the troubled soul, He is the Prince of Peace To the governor, He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords To the questioner, He is the Truth To the world, He is its Light To the transgressor, He is the Lamb of God To the sinner, He is the Savior and Redeemer To the worshiper, He is the great I AM To the church, He is its Head To the dead, He is the Resurrection To the believer, He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God – adapted from “House to House, Heart to Heart” ><> Jeff

John 15:1-6 Jesus uses the illustration of a vine and its branches to show the relationship which His disciples have with Him. If we picture a grape vine or a tomato plant (which many of us plant every year), they are designed alike. The branches are the part of the plant which bear the fruit whether grapes or tomatoes. And the branches grow out from the main vine or “trunk” of the plant. The branches receive their nourishment from the main part of the plant. If the branch is broken off from that main part, it dies and cannot bear fruit. Many spiritual truths can be drawn from this illustration, but the one we wish to look at here is from Jesus’ words, “...apart from Me you can do nothing.” The branch is totally dependent upon the vine for life itself and for fruit bearing. Disciples are totally dependent upon Jesus the Vine for life and for bearing fruit for Him. When Jesus makes this statement, He is not doing so with a great sigh as if to say, “You miserable humans are so inadequate that you must depend upon Me for everything.” On the contrary, He is sharing an eternal truth which tells the relationship of mankind with its Creator since the Garden of Eden. God has ever been the sustaining power for the human race whether for physical life or for spiritual well-being. That’s simply the way things are and must be for “...He...upholds all things by the word of His power.” (Hebrews 1:3) The problem comes, however, when we humans ignore our designed dependence upon God and try to live our lives without Him. The world sucks us into its mire, and we get so totally consumed in everyday affairs that we even lose sight of what this life is all about. We are cut off from our Life and cease to bear fruit for Him. Every man and woman needs to learn that being dependent upon God is a good thing and that the desire for independence from our Creator and Savior is a death wish. Being dependent upon God is humbling (that’s a good thing, too!), and it also gives us two more blessings: the peace and joy in knowing that our Lord is providing for our every need, and the power to bear fruit for His glory. Be diligent to stay attached to the Vine. ><> Jeff

Mark 16:15-16 Several years back, I was discussing evangelism with a minister who had been involved in several campaigns. The topic came up as to whether there were any special techniques or approaches to use, especially when knocking doors. His response was from experience but also coincided with the truth of scripture. The gist of what he said was that saving souls is a function of time and effort - the more doors knocked, the more people saved. Jesus said it another way: “...Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” - Mark 16:15 (NKJV). The key words are “all” and “every.” As human beings often do, we tend to look for short cuts, ways to make things easier, successful methods, special programs, etc. But if we reflect carefully after a thorough review of the New Testament, there were no special programs or fanciful techniques used. So what did they do? They did exactly what Jesus said to do! They went among the people and engaged them with the gospel. They began in the temple and went into the synagogues. To reach distant lands, some went on special missions and journeys (Philip, Paul, Barnabas, Silas, et al) while others simply shared the gospel wherever they happened to go (Acts 8:4). Jesus was in their hearts, and the gospel was on their lips, and they wanted to tell the good news. The love of God compelled them to do this (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). You and I have no way of knowing what is in another person’s heart. We don’t know what God has been doing in their life, but we know that He is always working. Every person needs to hear the loveliest love story there ever was, and be told about the greatest hope ever offered to the human race. Let us be joyfully engaged in Jesus’ work of telling “every creature” this exciting news: Someone came back from the dead! This changes everything! This one makes a net. This one stands and wishes. Guess which one gets the fishes? ><>Jeff

Ecclesiastes 12:11 Here’s another installment of the quotes and sayings I’ve collected over the years. Read, ponder and be blessed! > The truth needs no apology so don’t give it one. > You miss 100 per cent of the shots you never take. – Wayne Gretzky > He who dies with the most stuff is still dead. > God is consistent but never predictable. > ...rote, rut, rot, the three terrible r’s of mere traditionalism. – A. T. Robertson > It isn’t so much how busy you are, but why you are busy. The bee is praised. The mosquito is swatted. > If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. – African proverb > Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you aren’t willing to move your feet. > Four things you can’t recover: The stone ... after it’s thrown. The word ... after it’s said. The occasion ... after it’s missed. The time ... after it’s gone. > God will never love you more than He does right now. ><> Jeff

John 17:12-19 This world, the domain of the devil, maintains a system whereby it works to perpetuate itself through an emphasis on all that’s human. Clinics and hospitals are beehives of activity for the healing of the body and extending life. Government programs abound which help feed, house and clothe the populace to provide a better life. Public schools provide secular education designed to support the existing society: the word of God is not taught, and increasingly prayer and even references to God are being forbidden. Through the media (TV, the web, social media, etc) the world pushes to remove all moral constraints with its continual offering of violence, provocative sexual images, and “alternative” lifestyles. Heroes are people who get revenge by their own incredible intelligence and physical prowess. Godly people are seen as weak, out of touch, and irrelevant. The message clearly presented is this: This world is all that matters! In this milieu stands the church, the community of believers. In our text, we observe that Christians have been sanctified (set apart) from all that is the world (vv 18-19). The church is visible proof that there is another way to live based upon different values and goals. The church affirms that humans are spirit beings who are destined for yet another world, one which holds the promise of peace, rest and great reward. The church stands against the evils of this world for the church has another message: “Jesus Christ is all that matters!” It is no wonder, then, that this world hates those who are of another world (v 14), and the evil one lurks about with full intention of destroying those who are of God (v 15). The church stands directly in the path of a self-serving world with a Word which will bring an end to all that the world stands for. The church is clearly counter culture. It is the roadblock on the world’s highway to self-destruction. Sad to say that so many are going around the roadblock without pausing even to ask why it is there. The world sees the church as its arch enemy not realizing at all that it truly is its best friend. ><> Jeff

Hebrews 2:14-18 When we consider the fact that it was God who became flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, we can easily be drawn into believing that He had little trouble in living a sinless life. After all, God is God, right? And nothing is too hard for God, right? The trouble with such a view is that Jesus wasn’t only God, but He was fully man, the Son of Man. The author of Hebrews says “...He had to be made like His brethren in all things...” Jesus was not a machine (a divine droid, if you will) which could override the physical demands of the body, ignore its emotional stirrings, and simply disregard the temptations of the flesh. He was fully man and had to be in order to stand as our Redeemer and High Priest before God. Observe these things from Jesus’ life, keeping in mind that He lived without a single transgression. Early in His ministry, Jesus became angry with those whose heart was hard and did not approve of His healing on the Sabbath (Mark 3:5). How easy it would have been to fly into a rage and strike down a couple of them. On another occasion, He became upset because His disciples could not cast out a certain evil spirit. He called their generation “unbelieving” and expressed exasperation: “How long shall I put up with you?” (Mark 9:19). During the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus wept over the city because of her inability to see what was happening at the moment and what was going to happen to her later (Luke 19:41-44). Then there was the cross. In Gethsemane, Jesus agonized over what was about to happen, His sweat becoming “like drops of blood” (Luke 22:40-44). The gravity of the hour, the impending ordeal, the knowledge of what was at stake - all this and more bore heavily on Jesus. No wonder He asked for that cup to be removed from Him. There was the betrayal, the mockings, the excruciating pain of the scourging and the cross. Jesus experienced all of these and more like any other human being. Yet, He did not sin. God in the flesh. Fully man. Perfect self-control. Absolute obedience. Faithfulness embodied. Overcoming sin. True love. Praise our Lord! ><> Jeff

Psalm 145 God is deserving of praise, and it is a good thing for the children of men to praise the Lord. Such do the scriptures teach. What, though, is the source of praise, the reason behind it? Is the praise of God something which we turn on and off like we do a CD or APP with hymns on it? When worshipers come together as God’s people, do they enter some kind of “worship zone” in which they begin to think about the Almighty and are moved to praise Him? What are the dynamics of God-honoring praise? Basically, two things are a must for appropriate praise for God. The first resides with the person of God. As one reads through Psalm 145, this first element of praise rises majestically from the text - the praiseworthiness of God! The glorious splendor and greatness of God are evident. His wondrous deeds done among mankind are well known. His character as a gracious and merciful Sovereign who maintains steadfast love toward His children is readily seen. His care for His creation and those in special circumstances of need are also well known. This is a God deserving of praise. The second element needed for this praise is the worshiper who has observed all of these things about God and even meditated on them (v 5). He is overwhelmed by the greatness of God. He is so moved by God’s majestic splendor that praise flows from his heart on a daily basis (v 2)! He sees the works of God in creation and knows those revealed in scripture. And He sees the hand of God moving in his own life and in those around him. He must even praise God “forever and ever.” When the church assembles, the true worshipers are not waiting for some song to stir their hearts, or for some word of prayer to move them, or some thought of the preacher to excite them. They are already moved by the greatness and majesty of God for He has blessed them all week, and they have seen Him at work in the lives of others. They are more than ready to join with their brothers and sisters in the assembly to give praise to their God.

Ecclesiastes 12:11 Here’s another installment from the quotes and sayings I’ve collected over the years. Learn and enjoy! > Love is lovely when it’s easy, but it’s truer when it’s hard. > The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. – Elie Wiesel > Everybody thinks of changing humanity, and nobody thinks of changing himself. – Leo Tolstoy > Life is a series of choices which reveal what you really want. > “One who talks a lot may hear nothing.” – Old saying of the Native American Abenaki tribe of northeastern U.S. > Time is what keeps everything from happening at once. > When you have nothing important or interesting to say, don’t let anyone persuade you to say it. > In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; in all things, charity. – Richard Baxter > None of us can do what all of us can do. ...Jesus works in community. – Max Lucado > Experience is a hard teacher. It gives the test first and then the lesson. ><> Jeff

Proverbs 15:23 We’ve all heard this adage: “Engage brain before opening mouth.” We all know that it’s true, and we’ve all been embarrassed more than once for failing to do that! Here are some actual incidents of this taken from real life. I didn’t make these up. Actress, model - “Smoking kills. If you’re killed, you’ve lost a very important part of your life.” Miss America contestant, 1994 - Question: “If you could live forever, would you and why?” Answer: “I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever; that is why I would not live forever.” University of Kentucky basketball player - “I’ve never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body.” Then mayor of Washington, D.C. - “Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.” Former Vice President - “It isn’t pollution that’s harming the environment. It’s the impurities in our air and water ... doing it.” Former Vice President - “I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix.” NFL quarterback & analyst - “The word “genius” isn’t applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.” Australian Cabinet Minister - “Traditionally, most of Australia’s imports come from overseas.” Wow. No comment necessary. Engage your brain. ><>Jeff