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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.

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