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Ecclesiastes 12:11 Here’s another installment of the sayings and quotes I’ve collected over the years. Read, reflect, enjoy and be blessed! > The first step toward getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are. - John Pierpont Morgan > Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible, and looks for the impossible. > He became what we are that we might become what He is. - Athanasius > When all else is lost, God remains. > Truth is true even if no one believes it, and falsehood is false even if everyone believes it. - I’ Ching Thomas > Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced. - James Baldwin > You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was. - Old Irish proverb > We cannot fathom the mystery of a single flower. Nor is it intended that we should. - John Locke > The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the most of everything. ><> Jeff

Ephesians 5:20 Paul writes that Christians should be “always giving thanks for all things.” Usually, we do a fairly good job of being thankful to God for the “big” things, such as salvation, the church, the Bible, good health, family, job, etc. But do we remember to thank Him for all of His marvelous “little” blessings, such as... > the aroma of fresh baked bread > a hug from someone you love > morning light filling your bedroom; promise of a new day > the crunch of snow under your feet > the laughter and sounds of children playing > the sound of dry leaves skittering down the pavement > the fragrance of the lily of the valley > a stirring song played by a symphony > a zebra swallowtail grazing in your flower garden > voices raised together in praise to God Most High > a cool breeze on a hot summer day > a song sparrow’s serenade > the “Thank you so very much” said in earnest > the first daffodil in Spring > the smile on the face of someone who just opened your gift > a hot shower > a comfortable bed at the end of the day > a steaming cup of tea > a hummingbird at your feeder > stars on a moonless night > geese flying in “V” formation > a rainbow > a dinner table set with roast turkey, ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn and beans, mac & cheese, and several pies - to which you are invited Truly, can we say that any of God’s blessings are “little”? ><>Jeff

John 6:1-27, 35 Sin can corrupt anything. We would think that to seek Jesus would always be a good thing, but Jesus points out in the event recorded in our text that people can seek Him for wrong purposes. Initially we observe that people were following the Lord (vv 1-2) “because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick.” The signs Jesus did were, at least in part, to show that He was the Son of God. For a person simply to come around to be “entertained” by Jesus’ miracles would be to miss the point. Jesus was not a magician going around “wowing” people. Jesus saw the need of this large crowd of about five thousand which was following Him and fed them from the five loaves and two fish (you remember the story). He took care of their bodily needs. Following this miracle, Jesus separated Himself from them because they wanted to make Him king by force. First He went up a mountain to be alone, and then He started walking on the sea to cross to the other side. He joined the disciples in their boat, and “immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.” However, the crowd followed Him around the lake. At this point, Jesus stands up to them with this rebuke: “...you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.” Amidst all the wonderful signs which Jesus was doing, they could only think of filling their stomachs! They could not see that the signs were pointing to something greater. Jesus says, “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you...” (v 27). Today we can seek Jesus for all of the “goodies”: good health, decent job, protection, long life, etc. - even salvation. Although Jesus promises to bless us, to seek Him simply to get these things is merely to indulge our desires and miss the point. And note this very carefully. Jesus did not say to seek Him for eternal life, but for the “food” which endures to eternal life. That food is Jesus Himself! “I am the bread of life.” (v35). The Giver is the real gift. Seek the Giver. Get to know Him. He will take care of you. ><> Jeff

Luke 7:31-35 There is just no satisfying some people. They are just like Goldilocks. “This porridge is too hot. This porridge is too cold. This porridge is just right ... This bed is too hard. This bed is too...” Well, you remember. Some people want everything to be “just right.” Just right, that is, according to their personal likes, beliefs and feelings. Maybe you know someone like this. Maybe you are someone like this! At times we can all be this way, but, as Christians, we need to jettison that attitude as quickly as we can (1 Timothy 6:6-8). There are, however, some people for whom there is never a “just right.” They are just not satisfied no matter what you do or say. If the porridge is just the right temperature, then it’s not sweet enough, or it’s too lumpy, or it needs milk, or... There is no satisfying. Such people have learned to be and become complainers, grumblers, opposers, antagonizers, malcontents. You name it - they don’t like it! Jesus encountered such people during His time on earth. He said His current generation was like that. (See our text.) They were like children at play who expected their playmates to do whatever they wanted them to do. When John the Baptist came with his survival diet and a message of repentance, they said “He has a demon!” Then when the Son of Man came eating and drinking with sinners, they called Him “a gluttonous man and a drunkard.” One holy man was too restrained; the other too friendly. Just no satisfying them Jesus point? There could certainly be more than one, but this is plain: we are not put here to try to satisfy other people’s likes and dislikes because some people will never be satisfied. We are not to compromise the gospel or our way of living to please other people. Some folks don’t want the gospel message no matter what you say. You can tell them that God loves them and wants to give them eternal life, but they have a comeback for that. You can tell them there is a coming judgment, and they need to repent, but they have a comeback for that. There’s no satisfying them. Their defenses are up, and they won’t let the Lord in. The devil has them under his power. So sad. Keep sharing, praying, and loving. See what God will do. ><> Jeff

John 12:26 The last time I saw Jesus He was teaching about the kingdom of God. The last time I saw Jesus He was comforting a widow whose only son had died. The last time I saw Jesus He was feeding the hungry. The last time I saw Jesus He was calling people to repentance. The last time I saw Jesus He was praising a widow for her generous offering The last time I saw Jesus He was encouraging the faint hearted. The last time I saw Jesus He was teaching a man about the need to be “born again.” The last time I saw Jesus He was helping a couple celebrate their wedding. The last time I saw Jesus He was telling a woman with a punishing past and a bleak future that the Christ had come. The last time I saw Jesus He was assuring His hearers that He was coming back to take His own to be with Him. The last time I saw Jesus He was telling His disciples to go and make other disciples. The last time I saw Jesus He was carrying a cross. “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also...” ><> Jeff

Titus 3:1, 8 This past week I observed something which I’d seen before, but for some reason this time it really hit home to me. There was a lady walking on the sidewalk. She was walking her dog. So far, so good. But she had in ear buds which were connected with her mobile phone because she was talking as she walked. I was standing on our porch, but she walked by without so much as a glance, absorbed in her own little world. She seemed oblivious to what was around her. Walking like this is dangerous when one considers tripping hazards, traffic when crossing streets, etc. I’ve seen people walking in the street in the same way! But this is not about the dangers. Another thing which this kind of action inhibits is awareness. Would this lady have been aware of anybody around her who was in need of help? Somebody who had fallen on their steps? A small child just wandering in the street? A cry for help? In a more general sense, we as Christians can be like this lady. We can be unaware of what’s happening around us. Now, you ask, how is that possible? It’s possible in at least two ways. First, we get so absorbed in our own affairs that we don’t notice what’s happening with other people. We are so focused on our own problems and needs that we just don’t consider what’s going on with somebody else. We can even do this while engaged in something so simple as shopping. So engrossed in completing our “to do” list, we fail to engage with those around us. We don’t “hear” what the store associate is saying. Or if we do, we just don’t want to take time to have any kind of conversation. In the second place, we have not prepared ourselves to be ready to engage people and interact in various situations. Paul wrote to Titus that he was to instruct the members of the church “to be ready for every good deed.” This could be as simple as setting aside a special “fund” to use when someone asks you for help. Or it could be that you pray for a heart to be more helpful. Or it could be that you need to learn how to be a better servant of the Lord and those around you. Don’t be absorbed in your own self. Be ready.

Matthew 3:7-10 God has so designed His world that we can learn many life lessons from observing the creation. We can learn spiritual lessons from noting the happenings in nature. The parallels are astonishing and are readily seen by even the casual observer. John the Baptist uses one such parallel in his warnings to the Sadducees and Pharisees. The natural expectation for a fruit tree (apple, pear, peach, fig, etc.) is that it will bear fruit at a certain time with normal cultivation. John applies this principle to Israel and its leaders in particular when he warns them that “...every tree that does not bear fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” For the most part, Israel had failed in its special calling as the people of God. The fruit was of poor quality and lacking in abundance. John tells them: “The axe is already laid at the root of the trees...” It was time for God to plant a different tree. Recognizing this principle, we can see numerous lessons in the natural world displayed before us which are replicated in our lives. One of the most obvious is the cycle of life and death. All of the living creatures we see are born or hatched or reproduced in some way. They mature and grow to adulthood. Some live very short lives, even days, while many outlive the normal life span of human beings. Yet all eventually die. Certainly we don’t need to observe the animals to learn about life and death, but they serve to accentuate the truth that no creature on this planet lives forever. What about the weather? We have lovely days of sun, blue sky and pleasant temperatures. There are chilly days with clouds, rain and drizzle. Days of snow, sleet and terrible cold. There are windstorms and pounding rain. Times when it’s hot and humid. Days when its hot and dry. Do these not serve to tell us that such will be the same in life? There will be good days with various blessings, and there will be harsh days with different troubles. Both are a part of life. Observe the wondrous wisdom of God as He teaches us in so many different ways. “Go to the ant...” (Proverbs 6:6-11). Be blessed in your learning! ><> Jeff

Exodus 3:11, 13; 4:1, 10 Moses’ life can be divided into three rather neat forty-year periods. For the first forty, he was in Egypt and blessed to live in Pharaoh’s house as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He enjoyed all the best of Egypt. This all came to an abrupt end when he went to observe his own people in slavery and killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew. As a result, he then fled to the land of Midian. There he ingratiated himself with Reuel, the priest of Midian, who gave him one of his daughters for a wife. Moses began a family and was content to shepherd his father-in-law’s sheep for the next forty years. This was, no doubt, a rather peaceful existence with family events and the day to day chores of pasturing the sheep. But that rather idyllic lifestyle came to an abrupt end as well when God appeared to Moses in the burning bush with his assignment for the next forty! “Go down to Egypt, lead My people out of slavery and to the land I promised to your forefathers.” Talk about a life changing event! This would be no easy task. No wonder Moses was reluctant to undertake it. And, as we know, he offered his excuses to God. “Who am I that I am able to do this?” “Whom will I say sent me down to them?” “What if they won’t believe me?” “I am not a good speaker and never have been.” Of course, God would have none of it and supplied Moses with everything he needed to accomplish the task. And He was with Moses every step of the dusty way. That brings us to you and me. From time to time we know that the Lord is calling us to do something. Pray more? Read my Bible during the week? Send a card? Teach a class? Encourage someone? Grant forgiveness? Invite someone to the assembly? Make that phone call? Go to the ministry meeting? Have that conversation with that certain person? Get serious about...? But we offer our excuses like Moses, don’t we? “I’m too busy ... I’m too old ... I’m too young ... I’m not ready ... She’s more qualified ... He’s got experience ... I’m afraid I’ll mess up ...” Isn’t it time we just said “yes” to God and let Him do what He does best? He does the impossible. He’s quite good at it, you know? ><> Jeff

Matthew 13:52 Have you ever found some stale bread in your cupboard or pantry? Maybe it was even moldy; perhaps it was just dried out and crumbling. Really appetizing, right? Lots of nutrient value, right? What do we do with old stale bread? Bird food, usually. Speaking metaphorically, Jesus said that He is the “bread of life” (John 6:35). He means that He is the one who provides people with spiritual nourishment. He brings us from death to life through His own death and resurrection, and then provides the sustenance of His word which helps us grow into strong, healthy disciples. In fact, Jesus is the Word become flesh (John 1:14). Just like our finding stale bread in the cupboard, there is a danger in feeding on “stale bread” in our spiritual lives. What do I mean? We can revisit the same scriptures and the same themes over and over again so that they become stale. We get tired of hearing, and we aren’t learning. If we aren’t learning, we aren’t growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Preachers and Bible class teachers must guard against this. Elders must insure it isn’t happening. Even in our own personal study, we need to be careful to avoid stale bread. We grow comfortable with certain scriptures, doctrines and Bible stories, and we tend to revisit them all the time. Perhaps you’ve known a preacher who couldn’t give a lesson without repeating one, two or more scriptures! Jesus tells us that a teacher who is trained for the kingdom of heaven will bring “out of his treasure things new and old.” We do need to revisit certain scriptures from time to time. They are still relevant and often foundational. But we also need to study unfamiliar and even difficult texts and doctrines. These can be very challenging, but then also rewarding. We also need to go deeper into the ones with which we are already familiar. There is much more to discover. Only by engaging in this kind of study will we avoid “stale bread.” Only by doing this can we grow as disciples of the Lord Jesus and be better equipped for kingdom service. ><> Jeff

Psalm 96 The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, The world and those who dwell in it. - Psalm 24:1 Every blade of grass... Every pebble in a stream... Every oak tree... Every mouse in the field... Every lark on the wing... Every egg in a nest... Every ant on a hill... Every trout in a brook... Every ripple on a pond... Every wave on a beach... Every grain of sand... Every craggy mountain... Every ocean depth... Every star... Every hummingbird... Every lightning bug... Every cuddly kitten... Every evening breeze... Every snowflake that falls... Every rainbow... Every baby that cries... Every mother that soothes... Every father that prays... Every maiden that sings... Every young man that rejoices... Every saint who worships... The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains. Hallelujah! Let all the earth praise the Lord! ><> Jeff

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.