Tears (Part Three)

by Gail Gritts

TEARS                                                           

“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”  Mark 9:24 

Such a sad story - a parent helpless to find the answer to his child’s torment.  As he approaches the Saviour he is faced with a direct challenge to his faith – “If thou cast believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”  With tears the father cries out, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

Have you ever been to that place?  The place where you have exhausted all of your effort only to find yourself face to face with the realization that Christ is directly challenging your faith?  The place where instead of being allowed to ask if Christ can do anything, he turns it on you and puts to you the question of your own faith?  Do you believe firmly enough?  Has it brought you to tears to realize that your belief might have holes?

This is where the father stands – keenly aware that though he believes, somewhere in the recesses of his heart there might be a place of doubt.

It is good to note that the father did not say, “I believe; now help my child.”  Or, “I believe; cast out this devil from my child.”  No, he understood that his own unbelief was harder to overcome than the demon and that to heal him of his personal spiritual malady was a more needful work than even to heal his child.  This is the understanding of the father and the sign of his true faith.  He believed there was no deficiency in Christ, no lack of power or unwillingness to save.  Tearfully he acknowledged that all the hindrance lay in his personal unbelief.

This is where we must arrive if we are to claim the promise Christ gave – “all things are possible to him that believeth.”  Are you there?

The Twelve Disciples - Andrew (Part Five)

by Jilene Scherenske

Andrew brings barbarians to Jesus (John 12:20-23)

Joh 12:20 ¶ And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:  21 The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.  22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. 

In John chapter 12 we find Jesus once again preaching to a crowd shortly after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  There were many people at Jerusalem since it was the time for the Passover.  Among them were certain Greeks, whom the Jews regarded as ‘barbarians’.  It is possible that they were proselytes because they were in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.  They must have had thirsty souls, for they desired to have a private audience with Jesus.  They went first to Philip, but, since they were Greeks, he did not know what to do with them, so he consulted Andrew.  It was thought amongst the disciples that Jesus’ ministry was chiefly to the Jews.  Had they gone to Peter or one of the other disciples they most likely would have been rejected, but Andrew didn’t reject them!  Andrew did not care who it was that sought the Savior, he would lead them to Him, no matter who they were, even if they were ‘dogs’, the term the Jews used for the Gentiles.  Perhaps he remembered Jesus’ teaching that God loved the whole world.  Perhaps Andrew was a step ahead of the others and realized that the gospel was not just for the Jews.  The Bible does not record what happened, only that Andrew faithfully took them to Jesus.  We do know that they heard Jesus speak of His impending death on the cross, of His drawing every man unto Himself, and of His call to all men to be saved and to discipleship.  Tradition states that Dr. Luke was one of these men.  Since it was but a few days later that Jesus was crucified I am guessing that these men witnessed the cross and then heard the rumors of His resurrection.  I am also guessing that they also received salvation, otherwise why would God include them in the scriptures?  Perhaps they went home and began the work of evangelizing their hometown.  Perhaps that is why Paul found Greeks who already believed but did not have full information about Jesus.  But for our study here, the point is that it was Andrew who led them to Christ.  No bias, no partiality, no fear of ‘bothering’ the Savior, just a simple heart to introduce anyone and everyone to Jesus.  

Tears (Part Two)

by Gail Gritts

TEARS                       

“Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy…”  II Timothy 1:4

 My daughter used to say that the missionary life was a life of good-byes.  Every time she made a friend, it wasn’t long before life would take them apart – sometimes never to be seen again.  Such a life can harden you.  Instead of making friends you move from acquaintance to acquaintance without forming any emotional attachment. 

Those involved in ministry know the strength and comfort that is drawn from those who likewise serve others.  Few and far between are the friends who truly understand the pressures, heartaches, and hopeful anticipation that goes along with full time service.  When such a friend is found there is formed an amazing bond.  Such was the bond between Paul and Timothy.  Parting, even for a time of ministry, was faced with tears. 

“Henry Brooks Adams wrote, "One friend in a life is much, two are many, three are hardly possible." It is true that finding a good friend is difficult and becoming more difficult all the time. There are several things that hinder our desire for close friendships -

• the pace of life . . . we are too busy to nurture relationships

• the distractions of life . . . television, the Internet, video games

•  the mobility of life . . .people move frequently from job to job and location to location

• the isolation of life . . .we spend much time at computers and in front of boxes which provide no interaction at all.

• the cynicism of life . . . we distrust people and so we are reluctant to let our guard down.”       (Bruce Goettsche)

So – Do you form solid and strengthening bonds or are you allowing the things of this life to keep you in shallow relationships?  Would you shed tears if your friends went away – even for a few months?  Or, would you not even notice they were gone?  If so, what does that say about the depth of the relationships you are forming?

The Twelve Disciples - Andrew (Part Four)

by Jilene Scherenske

Andrew Brings a Little Boy  (John 6:1-11)

Joh 6:1 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.  2 And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.  3 And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.  4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.  5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?  6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.  7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.  8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,  9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?  10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.  11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

Now let us move to a different scene.  Jesus has preached all day to the crowd gathered in the wilderness.  Evening is fastly approaching and the people are now hungry and without food and there are no near places from which to obtain food.   Some disciples come to Jesus and urge Him to send the people away (Lk 9:12).  Philip reasons that if they had 300 day’s wages they would still not be able to feed these people but a few bites.  Then comes Andrew.  He simply brings a little boy to Jesus who has 5 loaves and 2 fishes.  I am sure Andrew had made friends during the day with this little boy.  Perhaps he noticed that he was by himself, for there is no mention of his parents.  He could have put down the presence of a little boy who most likely could not understand the teachings of Jesus.  Remember some of the disciples on another occasion looked down upon the children and forbade them come to Jesus.  Not Andrew.  He saw the wealth of this little soul.  He must have befriended him that day, loving on him, winning his friendship and confidence.  I suppose at one time he might have even asked the boy, “What do you have in your sack?  Did your mother send you with a little lunch?”  And then….he brought him to Jesus.  How the boy must have trusted Andrew in that he allowed Andrew to take him to the Master and he even offered Jesus his lunch, though his own tummy must have been aching to eat it.  I wonder if Andrew’s influence upon this lad won him to Jesus, or, for sure, the miracle of his meager lunch multiplying over and over again convinced him of Jesus?  Imagine that little boy watching his small lunch being blessed by the Master and then multiplied to feed over 5000!  I believe that boy was saved that day, but I wonder if he would have been saved had not the quiet, compassionate Andrew made friends with him that day and then led him to Jesus?  

Andrew’s faith was convincing.  He did not know what Jesus was going to do with the lunch, he just knew His Savior would do something good.  He knew Jesus was able and he did not try to figure out with his own reasonings what that meant.  He just obeyed God’s prompting (John 6:38) and brought what he found to Jesus.  He knew that no gift was insignificant in the hands of Jesus.  He knew he was not wasting Jesus’ time by bringing such a small thing before Him.

Tears (Part One)

by Gail Gritts

TEARS     

“Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?”  Psalm 56:8

This is another of my favourite Scriptures.  God keeps my tears in His bottle.  He stores them up.  They are precious and valuable to Him.

Shedding tears is not something most of us relish.  We associate them with pain and disappointment.  That is true is so many instances, but tears are also the sign of a tender heart.  Psalm 51:17 says, “a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”  God knows that our hearts will break.  He even desires that our hearts be broken for Him.  Tears are a natural product of a broken heart.

Tears are also a release.  Nervous tension along with negative chemicals and toxic substances from our bodies can be released as the tears flow.  I have known times when I knew I just needed to get to a quiet and private place to simply shed a few tears, be alone with the Lord, and regain focus and strength. Holding back tears only increases tension.  

If you do a bit of study on tears you will find that it is one of the things that makes us truly human.  77% of crying takes place in the home.  15% at work or in the car.  40% of people weep alone.  88% feel better after a cry.  The average woman cries 47 times each year.  The average man has only 7 crying episodes per year.

No matter what your pattern for crying, it is a God-given quality and one that God is not ashamed of – so neither should you be.  God sees your tears; he stores them up and records them. They have a God-given purpose.

The Twelve Disciples - Andrew (Part Three)

by Jilene Scherenske

Andrew’s Pattern of Soul Winning Begins  (John 1:41-42)

Joh 1:41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.  42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

What was his response to the gospel?  To this new Master in his life?  He believed Who Jesus was, the Messiah, the Son of God, and so immediately he began his life-long habit of bringing souls to Jesus.  He first went and got his brother Simon, whom we know mainly as Peter.  This is the brother that is so different than he.  So over-the-top compared to quiet, conservative Andrew.  Yet obviously Andrew held in his heart great love for his brother so much so that Simon was the first one he thought of to introduce to Jesus.  One might think that Simon would need a lot of persuading, being the person that he was.  He was hot-tempered and rash.  One might think that this would not be the first person Andrew would consider.  Peter might be the ‘hard case’.  But Andrew was obviously so passionate, so sure of what he now believed to be true that, at the very least, Simon’s curiosity was peaked, and he went quickly with Andrew to find his Savior.  I wonder where was Peter?  Was he fishing?  Was he on the shore repairing nets?  Did Andrew grab him by the arm and pull him forward so excited he was for his brother to meet the Savior?  One author said that Peter was the big fisherman and Andrew was the little fisherman, yet it was the little fisherman that landed the big one by bringing him to Jesus!  Andrew did not approach Peter hesitantly saying that he thought he might have discovered the Messiah.  No!  He boldly proclaimed, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. (John1:41).  This soft spoken, quiet and personable man had such joy in his heart and such assuredness in his words that Peter was convinced immediately that this Man Jesus was worth meeting.  I love the words in scripture, Joh 1:42 And he brought him to Jesus.  So Andrew began his soul winning pattern at home – with his own brother.  I wonder if then he went on to tell his parents?  And then to other family members?  I believe his enthusiasm for Christ could not be contained.   

The Twelve Disciples - Andrew (Part Two)

by Jilene Scherenske

Andrew’s Conversion  (John 1:35-40)

Joh 1:35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;  36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!  37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?  39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.  40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

Though fisherman work hard, I would think that there was also an amount of time in which they were just waiting for the fish – time to think.  I wonder if Andrew would ponder the teachings of his Jewish leaders and long for more.  Perhaps he knew some of the Old Testament prophecies, though the Bible calls these fishermen unlearned men.  In those quiet times, did he long for the Messiah?  Did he think spiritual thoughts?  I think he must have.  I believe he was a hungry man, spiritually, and in love with God, otherwise, why would he become a disciple of John the Baptist’s (John 1:37)?  All the time that he was with John the Baptist, John would speak of the Messiah yet to come and that he was just simply preparing the way for Him.  Though not stated, it is most likely that Andrew was baptized by John the Baptist.  This action took boldness for I doubt that it was a popular thing to be so connected to John the Baptist in that day.  Then the day came when John the Baptist pointed at Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”  Immediately Andrew and, it is thought, John followed Jesus.  Because of John the Baptist’s preaching, they were all excited and anticipating the Messiah’s arrival.  Then it happened!  John pointed to a certain Man and declared Him to be the Messiah!  It took no lengthy decision to know what to do.  They, Andrew and John, were going to follow after Jesus!  Jesus did not invite them to follow Him, these two, out of a heart to learn from the Messiah, just took it upon themselves to follow Jesus.  When Jesus questioned them as to why they were following Him, they simply indicated that they wanted to get to know Him better.  For the remainder of the day Jesus taught them about Himself (John 1:38-39).  If only we could know what Jesus taught them that day.  If only we could have been a fly in the wall!  This was Andrew’s salvation.  We know Andrew got saved that day.  Why?  Because of what he did next.  He had become convinced of Who Jesus was that he brings his brother, Peter to Jesus.  The early Church would later refer to him as Protoclete, or First Called because he was the first disciple to be called by Jesus.  This speaks to his character.  He was not afraid of doing something out of the ordinary.  He was not afraid of being the first to step into a new way of thinking.  He took no thought of what others may think.  He was convinced that Jesus was the Christ and he jumped at the chance to believe in Him never to turn aside again.  Though at first he returned to his occupation of fishing, later, in Matthew 4:19 we find him readily, without hesitation, giving his life to full time service to Jesus when Jesus invited he and Peter, James and John, to join Him.  Mt 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Be Not Afraid, Only Believe!

by Amanda Baker

Mark 5:36 “As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.”

Recently in reading a series of passages in Scripture that deal with faith, I came across Mark 5.  There are several situations that Christ encounters here that illustrate faith.  The one the caught my attention is found in Mark 5:21-43.  A ruler of the synagogue named Jairus comes to Christ asking for His healing for his daughter.  Christ makes His way to heal her fever when He is detained by the crowd of people and encounters the woman with the issue of blood.  Her faith heals her, but in the delay, Jairus’s daughter dies. When her death is reported to the Lord, He responds to Jairus with a powerful statement – “Be not afraid, only believe.”  Many times in our lives we face circumstances that naturally elicit fear – a serious illness, loss of a job, financial difficulties, death of a loved one.  Obviously, the Lord knew that He would raise this little girl up, but her father did not know that.  Christ ministered to Jairus’s natural response of fear with an admonishment to believe.  It seems as if the Lord knew in our human nature that we would need to be reminded to have faith in the midst of difficulty because most often our fear clouds the eye of faith.  What is it that is obstructing your vision of faith in this new year?  Take the Lord’s admonition to a father who had just lost his daughter to encourage your heart when facing difficulty – “Be not afraid, only believe!”

The Twelve Disciples - Andrew (Part One)

by Jilene Scherenske

Andrew was born in Bethsaida, a native of Galilee.  He was living in Capernaum at the time he met Jesus.  He and Peter, his brother, were not only partners in a fishing business on the Sea of Galilee, they also co-owned a house (John 1:44, Mark 1:29, Matt 4:18).  It is likely that Peter and Andrew were lifelong companions with James and John, the sons of Zebedee.  They apparently shared a common interest in spiritual things and must have taken time off from fishing to hear John the Baptist preach and became his disciples.  Then they returned to fishing until Jesus called them to be full-time disciples.  

It is hard to talk about Andrew and not compare him with his brother.  Andrew was far different than his brother Peter.  Peter roared like a firecracker, exploded into colors, then fizzled out.  Andrew sizzled low with the constancy of a sparkler.  Peter was impetuous, Andrew cautious.  Peter led while Andrew followed.  Andrew did not fall emotionally at Jesus’ feet after the miraculous catch of fish, nor did he jump daringly into the stormy sea to walk on water, nor rashly cut off a man’s ear.  Rather, he was solid, prudent, conservative, bold, decisive, and deliberate.  Though he seemed to take the back seat, there is nothing about him that smacks of weakness or passiveness or feebleness.    

Though overshadowed by his brother, Andrew accepted his lowly spot, toiling on in relative obscurity.  His name means man, though some translate it manly or brave.  Andrew’s name occurs 13 times in the Gospels and Acts.  In three separate episodes, he brought people to Jesus – all of which were only recorded in the gospel of John.

There’s a Local Hero for That!

by Gail Gritts

Have you ever felt a great awareness that the people walking beside you at the mall or on the high street are totally without Christ?  When I first came to the mission field my heart grieved with the lostness of those around me and of my great desire and responsibility to give them the gospel.
             I had to control my emotions and start lovingly drawing them to Christ; otherwise, I might find myself climbing up on some bench preaching in the middle of the Saturday shoppers.
            That is the fact of evangelism.  We see men perishing for lack of a remedy, for no knowledge of the provision of salvation, and the Spirit prompts us to go and tell. 
            We are the fountains in the desert, the beacon on the shore.  Like our Master, when He was surrounded by a multitude of the sick and needy, lepers are before us—we know what will heal them. The maimed and diseased walk beside us—we know what will bring straightness to their limbs and eradication of their ailment.  When storms come to their lives, we know Who will hush the winds, calm the water, and bring peace to their souls.  When they are faint with hunger, we know the Bread of Life.  When death is at their door, we can offer the Giver of Life. For sin in all its form, for evil in all its workings, we know the remedy.
            We know the solution for the perishing world because we have been recovered by it ourselves.  We know for He touched our hearts.  He rescued us.   2 Corinthians 4:13  “…we believe, therefore we also speak.”
            So, dear evangel, speak.  Do not keep silent, but intelligently, lovingly, earnestly, and incessantly speak to the lost that walk through your life and those who interact with you as family or friends.  Let them know, in all their lostness, “There’s a local hero for that!”

The Twelve Disciples - Philip (Part Six)

by Jilene Scherenske

Life after the Resurrection

Tradition tells us that Philip was greatly used in the spread of the early church in the region of Asia Minor.  Multitudes of people came to know Jesus through his preaching.  He was among the first of the apostles to be martyred, being stoned to death at Heliopolis in Phrygia.

Conclusion

I believe Philip well learned the lesson of faith – else how could his preaching after the resurrection be so effective so that multitudes were saved?  Jesus knew when he picked Philip what he would one day accomplish for the gospel.  Jesus knows the potential in each of us if we would but believe and surrender to His will for our lives, allowing Him to control us, and not the weaknesses of our personalities.  Let us beg God for faith that will believe the impossible – whatever that may be for each of us.  Let us beg God for the courage to step out in faith and give the gospel to even the most undesirable.  Let us believe that He truly is God Almighty and beg Him to transform us into a tool that He can use for His glory.  

John MacArthur, Twelve Ordinary Men (Thomas Nelson, 2002) 

Leslie B. Flynn, The Twelve (Victor Books, 1988) 

Returning Well

by Gail Gritts

I was privileged to participate in an online devotional through a Facebook group called Friends in Ministry this past week.  As I came to work on today’s blog, I thought you might also benefit from this thought. 

The other day, the British government started talking about ways to get us all out of our homes and back to work.  I have to be honest.  It caused me to panic a bit.  Not because I’m afraid of the virus, but because I have enjoyed having time at home, with the Lord, with Tom, and just to rest and think and be.  I don’t get extended times like this very often.  Do you?

Well, my little panic prompted me to get hold of my dear friend, RuthAnn, and I opened my brief moment of fear to her.  Can’t we be so thankful for good friends?  Friends, who don’t judge us, just let us be ourselves and love us anyway?  Well, we had a short chat online, and my little fear was quenched.

 But, you know the Lord?  He heard my quivering heart, and just couldn’t let it drop! 

I picked up my Springs in the Valley devotional the next morning and began reading.  At first, I couldn’t figure out what the author was trying to say.  Something about Jesus being submissive for thirty years stuck at home with his brothers and sisters who did not believe in him and that He was our example in submission.  Okay.  And then— 

“If God is putting you through a spell of submission, and you seem to be losing your individuality and everything else, it is because Jesus is making you one with Him.”  Right…that’s nice….so? 

Then, the devotional begins telling the story of a doctor who had been on the front lines of the war treating the wounded.  He had been sent back to rest.  As he was taking a walk, enjoying the beauty of the earth, life seemed very sweet.  He was having a hard time thinking about going back to the front and the horrors of war.  “And, with that,” the devotion reads, “through the gap in the hedge there came a shepherd laddie tending his flock of some two dozen sheep.  He was not driving them with two barking dogs; he went first, and the sheep were following him; if one loitered, he called it by name, and it came running to him.  So, they moved on down the lane, up a little hill, up to the brow and over it, and out of the doctor’s life.  He stood staring, as he heard the words of John 10:4, “And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them.” 

And, then the penny dropped!  I understood what God was saying to me.

“Gail,” He said, “Just as you have accepted isolation to be My hand, you must re-enter the world knowing I have called you to return. Rest for now, and enjoy our sweet communion, but then, Return – I am leading you back into service.  Don’t hesitate at the re-opening of life, but renew your commitment to follow.”

Ah, my heart began to pray, “Lord, let me go back better!  I’m so thankful for this time we have had together, and I know You go before me into tomorrow.  You are calling me to follow.  I must inhale the future, and exhale the past! Lord, give me the

grace to re-enter.”

You know, re-entering will require the same kind of faith and obedience that carried us through isolation.  We will need that confidence – that confident reckless abandon that says, “Here am I Lord, send me. “

So, let’s go forward knowing He is going before us. “And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them.” John 10:4

Don’t be afraid of tomorrow; God is already there!

The Twelve Disciples - Philip (Part Five)

by Jilene Scherenske

The Upper Room (John 14:1-11)

But a few days later we find Philip and the other disciples in the upper room celebrating the Last Supper.  It is just a few hours before Jesus is taken.  The end has come.  Jesus has taught these 12 for over three years, yet their faith is very weak.  Jesus Himself declared this to be so for even after His resurrection to the two men on the road to Emmaus He said, “…O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:” 

 Philip was no exception, and most likely with his logical mind, his faith was little, as we shall see.  It amazes me (of course being on this side of foresight its harder to understand) that Philip, as well as the others, who had searched scripture so diligently for the Messiah, had not yet put two plus two together!  What were they thinking when they read the prophecies?  How could they miss the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah?  They who knew prophecies so well, how could they miss the fact that Jesus was the Son of God, equal with God? 

So here we have it.  Jesus is full of heaviness as He teaches them one last time.  He knew what was ahead of Him and what was ahead for the disciples.  In this challenging hour Jesus sought to comfort them, though they did not realize they needed comfort!  In John 14 Jesus begins by telling them that they do not have to worry because He was preparing a place for each of them.  When Jesus said “…whither I go ye know, and the way ye know” the disciples should have realized that Jesus was telling them that He was going to heaven and that he had taught them how to get there.  But Thomas replied that he did not know the way.  What was Jesus talking about?  Jesus replied, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.  Jesus had taught them clearly that the only way to God the Father was through Him.  He continued on with “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.”  Jesus was saying in the clearest way possible that He was God.  Since they knew Him, they, in effect, knew God the Father.  Now it was Philip’s turn to reveal his lack of faith and knowledge.  “Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.”  What?!!!!  Had Jesus not told them time and time again that He was God?  Had He not just stated that very truth?  Had He not proven over and over again that He was God by His multitudinous miracles?  “Show us the Father?!!!”  Where were Philip’s brains?  I guess, in his logical, common sense mind, he wanted to see a physical form just as they were viewing Jesus in physical form.  I suppose since he was well versed in the Old Testament and knew it taught that no man could see God, perhaps this clouded his thinking.  How could Jesus be God since they were seeing Him?   

Jesus was already heavy spirited; how disappointing this question must have been to Him.  (Albeit He knew that Philip would ask it.)  Patiently Jesus responds.  Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?  He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?  the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.  Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me, or else believe me for the very works’ sake.”  Jesus pleads with Philip to believe.  Philip was already in the presence of God Himself!  For over three years he had been face to face with Almighty God, yet he still did not get it.  His logic, his fact sheet prevented him from coming to a full realization of Who he had been living with.  Slow to understand, to put it all together in faith, he still needed more proof.  Lest I am too hard on Philip, he and Thomas perhaps were speaking for the entire crew, those two just had the courage to verbalize their lack of faith.  

Think back to when Jesus called him.  Jesus Himself went looking for Philip.  He knew then all of Philip’s limitations and weaknesses.  Even after three years it would seem that Philip had not grown in the faith much, if at all.  Yet remember?  As soon as Jesus called him into service, he immediately went and enlisted Nathanael into the faith declaring Jesus to be the Messiah of Whom they had been searching for in the scriptures.  Philip had followed Jesus all this time.  Where was his thinking?  Did he think Jesus was the Messiah and yet not God?  How did he think Jesus could have worked all those miracles?

Where is our faith?  Do we realize every single nano moment of our day we have God Almighty residing in us and completely enveloping us?  Do we really believe we can move mountains with our faith?  Or do we keep God in a box of our limited vision?  Who are you praying for today?  Do you really believe that they will be saved?  Do you really believe that God can and will change their lives?  What impossible circumstance is before you this hour?  Have you given it completely to God and now expect unimaginable results?  Let us not be like Philip whose faith failed when it did not work out on paper.  

Christmas Joy

by Candace Beane

Grandpa never told me about any of his Christmas’ that he experienced as a child, but I cannot be sure that they held any happiness, and if they did, it was very short-lived. I also believe the years he lived through the depression played a significant part in his ever-grateful spirit. 

There is one Christmas that I remember most fondly. That Christmas made my heart nearly burst with pure joy and fulfillment. Grandpa was still with us then. And I remember that I kept seeing things that reminded me of him, and I felt the need to buy them! I do not remember all of them, but one of them was an “Old Timers Emergency Kit” hat! Some gifts were comical, some were useful, and others just came from the heart. We wrapped them with love and giggles and placed them under the tree. Christmas could not come fast enough! 

The day finally came! As we started handing out gifts and as all the bright packages were pleasantly burying our family, Grandpa seemed to enjoy things until everyone had gotten their gifts, but we were still bringing him ribboned boxes and cheerful bags just for him. His demeanor quickly changed, and his face became red; he seemed overwhelmed by the volume of gifts. As he opened box after box, tears crept down his cheeks, “Why did you guys get me all these?” he almost whispered. The answer was simple, love. How can you repay the time given and spent laughing, talking, and just being together? How can you repay the care provided and lessons taught? You cannot, but you can give from your heart to say, “thank you!” 

Receiving on Christmas day is a lovely thing, but it feels like you can never get enough—it is never truly satisfying. But when you give a gift—that’s different! Then it feels like you can never give enough! Yet it is so satisfying to give to the people you love, to watch them open what you have chosen or made for them, and to show them your love and thanks for them being a part of your life—it’s just a fantastic feeling! 

Christ was the very first gift of Christmas. God gave out of a heart of love. Without the precious gift of Christ, given to us out of the love of the God of Heaven and Earth, none of us could experience the amazing, genuine joy that comes through salvation. I know Grandpa’s start in life was difficult, but when he finally opened his heart to the Saviour, he could then enjoy the true joys of Christmas.

The Twelve Disciples - Philip (Part Four)

by Jilene Scherenske

The Visit by the Greeks (John 12:19-22)

Lazarus has recently been raised from the dead; Jesus has just entered Jerusalem on the back of an unbroken donkey and the people have lauded Him as He came.  The Pharisees are beside themselves with envy and jealousy and madness.  John 12:19 records, The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.  Suddenly there are some Greek fellows that had come to Jerusalem for the Passover.  Obviously, they had heard about Jesus, perhaps before they arrived in Jerusalem, or perhaps from the crowd of people who were all astir about Jesus and His miracle working powers.  So, being curious and having a heart that was seeking, they sought to have an audience with Jesus.  For whatever reason, they approach Philip.  Perhaps it was because he had Greek connections, remember his name is Greek, and they did come from his hometown of Bethsaida.  Perhaps he was just the first disciple they ran into.  Here is what the Bible says about the incident: Joh 12:20 ¶ And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:  21 The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.  22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. 

So what is Philip’s response?  Did he take them quickly and joyfully to Jesus with the attitude of “I can’t wait to introduce you to Jesus”?  No!  He turned to Andrew perhaps to ask what they should do with this request.  What was his indecision based upon? Why the hesitation?  Why involve Andrew?  Perhaps the fact that these men were not Jews was Philip’s reluctance.  After all, Jesus had told them “…I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 15:24)  And in Matthew 10:5-6 Jesus had told his disciples when He sent them forth, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:  [Now these statements only revealed that Jesus was not ignoring the non-Jew, but simply stating that His first priority was to the Jew (Rom 2:10)].  To the Jew these men were foreigners, Gentiles, dogs, even one step below the Samaritans, yet we must remember that they had come to Jerusalem for the Passover.  Therefore, they were God-fearing Gentiles, perhaps even proselytes to Judaism and they came to Jerusalem to worship God at the Passover time.  One can understand that logical Philip was checking the manual, the protocol, and is wondering if Jesus would want to see them.  Again, he forgot what Jesus had done and said in the past.  Did Jesus not minister to the Samaritan woman at the well and then to her entire village?  Did He not heal the daughter of a Syro-Phoenician woman who had so much faith that she stated she would be happy if she just got the crumbs which fell from the master’s table (Matt 15:21-28)?  Had he forgotten that Jesus had taught how God loved the whole world?  So short was Philip’s memory!  

Yet we must credit him – firstly, he did get advice from Andrew.  He did not just cut these men off.  His good heart most likely wanted to introduce them to Jesus, he was just indecisive as to what the protocol was.  And he did go with Andrew to take these Greek men to Jesus.  Andrew had a reputation of taking people to Jesus, but Philip didn’t leave it entirely up to Andrew, he went with Andrew to tell Jesus about these men seeking an audience with Him.  He also did not delay too long until it was too late.  It is assumed that these men were taken to Jesus, though scripture never tells us about that meeting.

Sometimes we can allow our prejudices to keep us from introducing people to Jesus.  If we know someone who is crabby, grouchy, angry spirited, we become fearful and hesitate to take Jesus to them.  Sometimes we see people in the marketplace who look very different than us, perhaps bright green hair-dos, tattoos everywhere, nose piercings.  We easily judge them.  Yet these are the very people who need Jesus.  Let us cast aside our fears and our prejudices and be willing to take Jesus to whomever God puts in our path.  

Music Matters

by Christian Garcia

One writer said, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” All the military weaponry cannot compare to the influence of what we read. As a musician, I would go a step further and say what we hear can impact us just as much (if not more) as what we read.

Music is a tremendous gift from God. In fact our Bibles contain the most beautiful songbook in all the universe: the book of Psalms. We learn from Scripture that music inspires us to worship and teaches us truth. We also learn that Satan is the master of hijacking God’s blessings and making them secret curses. And when it comes to the world’s music, he has quite the operation.

Pop music was born from the Rock and Roll in the 1950’s. Rather than jamming out to bands with poor recording equipment and not-so-great singing, listeners wanted something more professional. It gave rise to the highly-commercialized music industry we see today. The United States alone spearheads a $20 billion dollar music industry.

While highly popular, parents should know that the music is highly influential. And that influence is not for Christianity. The lyrics to most of these songs promote sex, vulgarity, drugs, and anarchy. This is proven by the Top 10 list for 2020 alone. And these are the songs that likely your kids enjoy listening to.

Have you taken recent inventory into the musicians on your teenager’s phone or iPod? Do you know the lyrics to the songs they love most? If you are trying to shape a biblical worldview for your family, you must take into account the music your kids listen to. Whether you believe music is powerful will not stop these singers from influencing the next generation. But parents who encourage godly, uplifting music will stop them at the door.

Every parent should know what comes out of those earbuds in your kids’ ears. Warn your teenager about the agendas these artists have and how easily influenced we are by music.

Where Can I Find Christian Music?

For uplifting music that points people to Christ, the music groups below will be a tremendous help for your family:

- the Wilds
- Matt & Christi Taylor
- Gaulken Evangelistic Team - Bill Rice Ranch
- Majesty Music

The Twelve Disciples - Philip (Part Three)

by Jilene Scherenske

Feeding the 5000 (John 6:4-9)

The next time we hear of Philip is in John 6:4-14 where Jesus feeds the 5000.  

Joh 6:4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.

5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.

8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,

9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

Here we see Philip’s personality clearly.  Luke 9:12 tells us that they were in the midst of a desert and that the day was drawing to a close.  Soon it would be dark.  The Bible only records the number of men, but if one were to add up the women and children as well, the total multitude would have easily been over 15, 000.  (Kansas City’s Sprint Center holds around 18,000.  Imagine feeding that crowd!)  I am sure, that while the crowd was listening to Jesus teach them that Philip was realizing that the day was nearing a close and that everyone, including himself, was hungry.  Perhaps the heat of the day in that desert was having its effects on him as well as the crowd.  So Philip began thinking about food and started figuring up in his head what it would take to feed this crowd.  That is why, when Jesus tested him with the words, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? Philip’s reply was, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.  This facts and figures man, this man who needed to have everything work out on paper, already knew that even if they had 200 pennyworth of bread, even that would not be enough for each person to have but one bite!  A denarius was a typical day’s pay, therefore Philip concluded that even if they had 200 denarii, almost a year’s salary, it would not be sufficient for this crowd!

Philip failed the test.  He relied on arithmetic instead of on the miracle working Jesus.  How many times had he seen people healed, even the dead being raised?  What about the storms Jesus had calmed?  Had he already forgotten those life altering events?  If he knew Jesus was the Messiah, and he did, did he not also realize that Jesus was God and God can do anything?  He had watched Him turn water into wine, could He not feed 15,000?  Was this too big of a miracle for Jesus?  Can you imagine what he must have thought when Andrew brought the little boy to Jesus who had a paltry 5 crackers and two small pickled fish?  I wonder if he inwardly scoffed or at least smiled a bit?  

What was he thinking as he began to distribute the food?  Was he baffled when he kept on giving out food and his basket always had more to give to the next person?  I wonder if he ever felt some shame for his failure to envision that Jesus could surely feed these folks?  Lest we think too negatively of Philip let us realize that a logical mind does not mean that he was heartless.  Since his answer to Jesus indicates that he was already thinking about how to feed this large group, he most likely wanted very much to feed them.  He just could not erase the logic behind the desire and insert faith.  In his human reasoning there was just no way to accomplish such a feat.  He forgot that with God all things are possible.

Modern day Philip’s, with their logical thinking, can often impede the work of the Lord.God deals in the impossible. That is how He makes Himself known. I well remember when we were raising our family how one night we invited a financial planner to come and give us advice. We presented him with all of our financial data and at the end of the evening, he just scratched his head and stated that our finances could not possibly add up to any hope of ever saving money, let alone even just getting by. On paper our situation was impossible, but it was not impossible for God! How amazed that planner would be if he could know all that God has done for us financially! Three girls through college completely free of debt! Our house paid off. A beautiful home with everything we need. Today’s Philips will not do much for the Lord because they will say it cannot be done. Humanly speaking, it can’t be done, but if God is in it ANYTHING can be done! If one follows Bible principles, God loves to use us to accomplish the impossible so that He can get the glory. It’s so much fun to say about something impossible that has been accomplished, “I had nothing to do with it. God did it all!” My church did the impossible and built a church debt free! We inserted faith and began building with the small amount we had. When it ran out, we planned to stop the work and wait for God to provide more. And provide He did! We never stopped working until the entire building project was complete!! How many thought it could not be done? But God did it! The Philips of today tend to lack faith, lack vision, and instead depend upon what makes sense. Let us not make the same mistake. Let us ask God for the faith that believes the impossible! What is there in your life right now that needs to believe that God can do the impossible? Take it to the Lord immediately and ask Him to give you the faith you need for the impossible. He will give it to you! He loves to fulfill such a prayer.

Give Thanks

by Amanda Baker

At this time of the year, we begin looking back to what we are supposed to be thankful for.  I was reminded just a few weeks ago of just how important this attitude of thanksgiving really is for us as Christians.  I was reading a short article dealing with different kinds of prayer, and my attention was directed to prayer of thanksgiving.  The article used I Thessalonians 5:18 as the text.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Having been saved for over thirty years, I know that I have read this verse many, many times.  But this time, the Lord struck me with this thought.  Thankfulness does not depend on favorable circumstances.  I am commanded to be thankful in EVERYTHING!  That is a tall order to follow.  Sometimes when we look at the circumstances in our lives, we wonder what God is doing, and we bypass our thanksgiving in prayer because our circumstances don’t seem to lend themselves to an attitude of thanksgiving.  The author of this article made the statement that instead of bypassing the thanksgiving we need to pray something like this: “Lord, I don’t understand everything you are doing in my life, but I trust you and am thankful that you are still working behind the scenes even though I can’t really see what you are doing right now.  Thank you that you have not forgotten me.” 

I know we will all spend some time in the next few weeks sitting around the table sharing thoughts of thanksgiving, but may we never forget that part of God’s will for us is to be thankful in every situation even when we don’t understand it.

The Twelve Disciples - Philip (Part Two)

by Jilene Scherenske

Philip’s Calling (John 1:35-49)

We have not said it yet, but the gospel of John is the only place where Philip is mentioned other than the lists of who the disciples were in the other three gospels.  Philip was the fourth person to join the group.  John and Andrew were with John the Baptist when he said, Behold the Lamb of God.  The Bible tells us that two of John’s disciples immediately followed Jesus.  They were John and Andrew.  Then in verse 40 of John chapter one Andrew finds his brother, Peter, and brings him to Christ.  The very next day Jesus is on His way to Galilee and He, Jesus, finds Philip.  Joh 1:43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.  Philip was the first to hear and obey the command of “Follow Me”.  Jesus found Philip; it wasn’t the other way around as it had been for the first three.  Jesus Himself invited Philip to join the group.  The Good Shepherd went after His sheep as He has done time and time again.  If it were not for His wooing, none of us would be His sheep! 

There is only one way in which Philip could have dropped everything and followed.  Remember his personality traits?  He was not one likely to be so quick to respond!  But his heart was already ready, it had been prepared by the Holy Spirit; he had been studying the Old Testament and thus he knew its promises.  We know this because Philip went immediately to find Nathanael.  He said to him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.  Now we know that together these four had been searching the scriptures, looking for the Messiah.  I am compelled to interject a thought here.  These four, Andrew, Nathanael, Peter, and Philip had been studying the Old Testament’s prophecies about Jesus.  They knew them well.  Then, for three years they were eyewitnesses to these prophecies being fulfilled, yet I doubt that they recognized even one.  If we were to go to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem just before His crucifixion the Bible records in John 12:16 these words: These things [ referring to His riding upon a young ass and the people crying “Hosanna, Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord”] understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.  It was only after Jesus’ ascension that the disciples remembered all the prophecies that they had witnessed being fulfilled.  Then they understood!  Their knowledge of scripture was then made perfect!  

Early on we discovered that Philip had been searching the scriptures for the Messiah which meant he had an open and seeking heart.  That is why he followed without hesitation.  Let’s make sure our heart is likewise open and always seeking.  Every day in our fellowship time with Him and even throughout our day we need to be open to whatever He wants to teach us and seek for a deeper fellowship/relationship with Him.  We must never allow our daily fellowship with Jesus to become regimented and stale.  Pray about your prayer life!  Pray about your time in His Word!  Ask God how He wants to improve it and then follow His leading!  God never wants us to stop growing, but to seek to grow more Christ like every day.  

Well, let’s go back to Philip’s finding Nathanael:  Remember Nathanael’s response?  Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? (Vs 46).  Nathanael initially doubted because this man that Philip was calling the Messiah was a known entity in their region.  They knew His father was Joseph, and they knew Nazareth had a poor reputation, why would the Messiah come from Nazareth?  Bethsaida was very near Nazareth, so they were very familiar with that town.  But neither of these things seemed to worry Philip, in fact, the way he put it may have indicated that he, too, was amazed at Who the Messiah was.  But somehow, he knew immediately that Jesus was the Messiah!  He was ready.  He received Jesus gladly, unhesitatingly, no reluctance, no disbelief.  It did not matter to him who His father was or which town he came from; he knew for sure that this Jesus was the Messiah.  This was totally out of character for him, as we shall see.  His natural tendency would have been to hold back, ask questions, get the facts, wait and see.  But no!  He immediately followed!   Philip was so excited that he had found the Messiah that he immediately went after Nathanael!  Yet he either did not seem to know how to explain that fact, or he knew it would do no good to argue, so he simply invited Nathanael to come and see for himself! 

The immediate response of Philip was not only to follow Jesus, but to get his beloved friend and bring Him to Jesus as well.  O that we all had such an evangelistic spirit today that we would bring all our friends to Jesus right away and not wait!  Notice also that Philip did not argue with Nathanael, he simply said, “Come and see.”  Sometimes the best evangelism is inviting one to just come and see by relating how Jesus has changed your life, or perhaps by just challenging them to try out Jesus!  Jesus will never fail them.

The Fear of Failure

by Joshua Rhoades

One definition of Failure is “the lack of success”. Many times, one may have a fear of failing with a project or task. Yet the greater loss is to not even try at all. It is important to use the same definition of failure and success that the Lord uses. It will remove unneeded pressures and strain that will only hinder you from accomplishing your task. 

In Matthew 25, the parable of the 3 servants being given talents by the master is given. The first two servants work and invest their talents, and both reap bountifully. The third servant states in verse 25 “And I was afraid  and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.” The third servant didn’t even try. In not trying, he showed disrespect to the master by digging in the earth and hiding the talent to not be used at all. 

The first two servants had as much possibility in failing as the third servant. What was the difference? They took a step forward into the unknown and tried and the third servant spent more effort to not take a chance, than if he had. 

How many times have we been afraid and froze? Fear can result in guaranteed failure. When we act in fear, we make poor decisions. The servant was afraid and dug a hole in the ground to hide the talent. What holes have we dug, to not use the talent we have been given? 

We have a single rule that we practice in our home. It is “Honor the Lord”. Our behavior, desires, practices, decision making on an hourly, daily, weekly, yearly basis is Honor the Lord. I don’t read in Matthew 25, of the servants complaining of the amount of talent given to them. They simply took the talent that was given and after working with what they had, ended with more and the Master was glad. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. One man stated, “Movement Causes Friction”. May there be much movement on the part of the Christian to use their talents for the Lord! May we display Biblical boldness and defy the fear of Failure and do a work for the Master!