For anyone who may be interested my book "Every Nation Under Heaven" is now available.

 Have you ever wondered how you fit into God's great plan for the ages?

Every Nation Under Heaven explains the overarching plan of God and His relationship to the nations and kingdoms of this world. Ultimately, EVERY believer has a roll to play in God's great plan of redemption. This book will help you understand your place in that plan, and if you are a church teacher in search of lesson material, this will make a great Discipleship Class or Sunday School Class teaching series.

For more information you can visit my website https://tonywthomas.com/ or purchase from the publisher at Pathway Bookstore.

Be blessed,

Tony Thomas

The Real Treasure of Christmas

Gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh paled before the Wonder of the Eternal! Equally at home clothed in ethereal glories of heaven and the humble rags of earth, the Savior came.

The Son of God and Son of Man, was born to die, and rise again!

Is he a King? Yes.

A Prophet? Absolutely.

A High Priest? Certainly.

He is also a Teacher, Healer, Comforter and Deliverer extraordinaire. But above all, he is Savior. It is for this purpose that He came. It is to this purpose that all He has done leads us.

It is easy to be mesmerized by the glitter of golden gifts, but the true Treasure lies just beyond in the humility of the Incarnation! He comes to restore and revive. He comes to give New Life. If you will accept it, this great gift awaits, within reach, just for you.

"For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." Isa 57:15 KJV

The Cross Was No Accident

Jesus’ life was not taken.

Jesus’ blood was not spilled.

No, Jesus gave his life. He poured out his blood as an offering for sin, and he did it all on purpose. The cross was no accident.

Could Jesus have escaped? Certainly. Thousands of angels stood at attention that day. A single word from the Son of Man would have brought them to his side wielding judgment on the sons of men.

Jesus has power over life and death. He could have looked Caiaphas the corrupt High Priest in the eye and said, “drop dead” and Caiaphas would have dropped dead. The same can be said for Herod, Pilate, the Roman soldiers, the Temple guards and everyone else who mistreated him.

He could have called down fire from heaven. He could have ordered the earth to tear itself open and swallow his persecutors. He could have called up floods from the deep to sweep his tormentors into the sea. But he didn’t. In fact, just as had been prophesied hundreds of years before:

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” - Isaiah 53:7 KJV

Jesus could have avoided the cross, but he chose not to. Jesus died on purpose. You see, Jesus death on the cross was not a stop-gap measure enacted by the desperation of God. Adam and Eve’s original sin, their disobedience in the Garden, did not catch God by surprise. Look at this:

“...ye were not redeemed with corruptible things...But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world…” - 1 Peter 1:18-20 KJV

Did you see that? “Foreordained before the foundation of the world” to have his blood shed for the redemption of the human race. God created this world, he created the human race, knowing that we would need a Redeemer. He already had the plan in place.

God knew each of us even before we were formed. Psalm 139:15 brings this down to an even more personal level.

“Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them. - Psalm 139:16 KJV.

You see, Jesus knows you and me. In fact, he knows everything about everybody. And he loved us anyway, enough to go to the cross. He came to this world on a mission. That mission was to provide you and me a means of escape from eternal judgment and restore us to fellowship with God.

Now, here is something you can do on purpose.

If you don’t know him as your Savior, I urge you to ask him to forgive you of your sin and commit your life to him. Eternity matters.

The Secret Life of Successful Christians: Part 4 - Fasting

The Secret Life

of Successful Christians

Introduction:

"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

In chapter 6 of Matthew, Jesus is giving us practical instruction on Christian living. Specifically, He causes us to focus on our motives. Whom, exactly, are we trying to please? It is entirely possible, it seems, to spend a lifetime doing "righteous" things and yet, not be right with God. Jesus tells us to "beware" of the temptation to live for the applause of people. He further tells us, that if that is our motivation, we forfeit any heavenly reward.

PART 4: Fasting

"And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who sees in secret will reward you." - Matthew 6:16-17 ESV

Purpose of Fasting

Fasting is first mentioned in the Bible in the book of Judges 20:26 and then in several other passages that follow. In these narrative passages, it always associated with sorrow and repentance. The Hebrew word that is translated into English as “fasting” has a primary idea of the mouth being shut.

To put it in common English, fasting is about shutting your pie-hole and listening to God. Fasting is not a technique by which we can twist God’s arm. It is not a failsafe means of manipulation, nor is it designed to make us feel spiritual while we try to shed a few pound.

True fasting is born of spiritual sorrow.

Isaiah 58:3-12 give us insight into the type of fast that moves the hand of God on our behalf. The purpose of fasting is not to afflict ourselves so that God (and others) will feel sorry for us. The purpose of fasting is to:

1. break evil strong holds,
2. facilitate generosity,
3. bring righteousness through repentance.

New Testament Examples of Fasting

1. Jesus, in Matthew 4. A parallel passage in Mark says that Jesus was “driven” by the Spirit into the wilderness. Although few probably realized it, the declaration of his sacrificial mission had been made at his water baptism just a few days before. He was in the wilderness in isolation as the Spirit prepared him for ministry. In the wilderness, Jesus engaged in spiritual warfare with Satan himself, and came out victorious.
2. The Roman Centurion Cornelius, in Acts 10. He was most likely a gentile, but was considered “righteous” because of his generosity to the people and devotion to God. It appears that as he earnestly sought to please the Lord he was engaged in prayer and fasting.
3. The church in Antioch, in Acts 13 . In this church we see a group of mature believers who have joined together to seek the will of God. This gives us an example of corporate prayer and fasting within a community of believers. From this atmosphere new ministry is born.

How do I fast effectively?

1. Be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit regarding timing. If you sense that the Spirit is “driving” you to prayer and fasting, listen! God is trying to do something great through you. He is preparing you for ministry. He is allowing you to battle evil on a spiritual level. He is trying to direct your life in the ways he wants you to go!

Many times we pray as a matter of spiritual discipline. We know we need to pray; therefore, we do, but occasionally we pray because the Spirit drives us to pray. It is in those times when we have the mind of God, and we know it. It is at those times when our spirit is completely synchronized with the Spirit of Christ and we know it. It is at those times that the powers of hell fear the awakened Church.

When we get to this point prayer is no longer a discipline. It is not a chore. Here, we want to pray. We want to fight. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit.

2. Fast and pray with a purpose. Whether seeking direction in ministry, mercy on a nation, or a deeper walk with God, it is good to pray with focus.
3. Follow through on God’s clear direction. Jesus left the wilderness and began performing miracles. Cornelius sent to Joppa for Simon Peter, as instructed. The Christians in Antioch sent out Barnabas and Saul (Paul) on a missionary journey.

Prayer Focus

Pray for God to instill in you a spiritual passion that will drive you to prayer and fasting.

To view the next lesson in this series, click HERE.

LESSON OUTLINE: "New Birth"

“New Birth”

Tony Thomas

Family Life Class

May 25, 2014

The birth of a healthy new baby is the most exciting event in any family. It is also the most exciting event in the “Family of God”. In this lesson we will explore what the New Birth is and discover why Salvation causes heaven to rejoice.

John 3:3-6 Jesus and Nicodemus discuss being “born again”.

Salvation is a new birth of the Spirit. Let’s do a little Biblical anthropology (study of mankind). Every person is composed of body, soul and spirit.

Your body makes you aware of the world around you. It houses your five senses.

Your soul makes you conscious of self. It is composed of your intellect, will and emotion.

Your spirit is the seat of your God-consciousness. Sin essentially causes a “deadness” in our Spirit with regard to our ability to communicate with God. Our spirit makes it possible for us to interface with the Spirit of God. So the new birth in a person’s spirit enables him or her to communicate with the Father through the Holy Spirit.

"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:23 KJV

Man's natural state: Separation from God. Romans 2:11:15

1. How does sin (both as behavior and nature) affect a person’s ability to communicate with God?

2. Does sin eliminate a person’s consciousness of God? [Read Romans 2:11-15]

3. How important is parental “touch” to a child?

4. What comparsion can be made between a child's need for parental touch and a Christian's needs?

David’s cry for restoration. Psalm 51:10-12 .

5. What are the circumstances of Psalm 51?

6. Should the children of God have “separation anxiety”? [Read Psalm 27:7-10]

Signs of Health: Crying

Luke 18:7,8

7. In What way does the child of God cry?

Signs of health: Hunger

Psalm 1:2, 119:16

8. How does a child of God show hunger?

Signs of health: Joy Luke 10:17-20.

9. Why did Jesus instruct His disciples about rejoicing?

10. How does this compare to events in heaven? [Read Luke 15:7]

1 John 3:1-3

“Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

How to Leave Jesus...or Not

[53] So Jesus said to them, 

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you....

[60] When many of his disciples heard it, they said, 

"This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" ...

[66] After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 

[67] So Jesus said to the Twelve, 

"Do you want to go away as well?" 

[68] Simon Peter answered him, 

"Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, [69] and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God."  

[Jhn 6:53-69 ESV]

If we had the time this morning to read the entire context of these verses, we would see that in the course of a few verses, Jesus goes from being followed by multitudes to being followed by only a few.

In verses 1-4 we find that the setting is near the Sea of Galilee. The timing is early spring as the Passover feast nears. Jesus feed 5000 men with five loaves and 2 fish with such abundance that 12 baskets full were picked up afterward. The people were so impressed with this that they were ready to coronate him as king on the spot. Jesus gave them the slip. That night, Jesus walks on water across the sea. The next day the crowds find him again and come asking for more bread. The deal they try to make sounded like this:

"Feed us bread like Moses did and we will believe you."

In other words,

"We will follow you as long as it satisfies our flesh."

This is the "deal" that they want Jesus to take. They assume that a man with this kind of power must have political ambition. They make a political calculation that he is so desperate for followers that he will purchase their loyalty with favors. They even quote scripture.  Jesus isn't interested in their offer.

Instead, he makes a spiritual application to a physical event.

When we drop into this passage like we just did in verse 53 it sounds rather gruesome to be honest, but in the context of the Passover feast, Jesus is pointing out to them that his purpose is not merely to sustain them in the wilderness, but to deliver them from a curse of death.

You see, sometimes we lose track of where we are in our walk with God. These people thought they were "okay" spiritually and were in search of the physical blessings of God. What they really needed was to be delivered from the spirit of "Egypt" if you will, from a spirit of carnality, from the bondage of sin.

It was not God's original intention for the Israelites to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. His original plan was for them to escape Egypt, go to Horeb and receive the Law, and then enter the Promised Land. It was because of disbelief that they failed to enter. As a result they spent 40 years in the wilderness simply existing, waiting for the doubters to die.

It is not God’s will for us to wander aimlessly in our walk with him either. Too often believers get stuck somewhere between being “delivered from Egypt” and entering a victorious Christian life.

For several verses Jesus tries to correct their theology. Then, when it becomes apparent that Jesus isn't going to feed them loaves and fish again, they start to complain.

• They complained.
•  They doubted.
•  They left.

The Crowd Left when Jesus' message did not align with their desire for carnal fulfillment. The crowd left because Jesus turned their attention from the temporal to the eternal. Up until this time Jesus has healed them and fed them. The crowd is happy to follow Jesus and enjoy the benefits that accompany him, but when the hard truths are revealed, they leave.

Many of the disciples left when the crowd left.

Just this week I heard someone say, “people follow people.” There is a difference in loving Jesus and loving the idea of Jesus. There is something appealing about rallying around a unifying force. When the crowd left, it stopped being fun. The entertainment value dropped. The prestige diminished. The disciples first grumbled, then they left.

Then Jesus looked at the Twelve and asked if they would leave also. The answer of the inner circle is instructive. Peter says, “Lord, to whom shall we go?...” Now in all fairness, there are plenty of places to go.

• These men could return to sea.
• They could join a political movement.
• They could go join the Essenes in the wilderness.
• They could go join the Roman Army for that matter.

But they didn't. The problem with all of these options is that they had already been close to Jesus and they knew that Jesus had “the words of eternal life.”  The difference between the crowd, the casual disciples and the twelve is that the twelve had spent time alone with Jesus. They ate with him. Slept outside in the dark with him. In short, the way they knew him is because they spent time with him.

You see, it is possible to “kinda, sorta” follow Jesus without ever really getting close to him. You are inside the fence of the Tabernacle, so to speak, but you get stuck somewhere between the brazen altar and the laver. You never move on into the Holy Place. You never gain access to the deep things of God. When you are out here it is still easy to be enticed by the things of the world, but when you enter the holy place you can see yourself in the reflection of his glory.

In the Holy Place you:

• Smell the sweetness of prayer.
• You are enticed by the showbread of his word.
• You are illuminated by the light of his Spirit.

And then, once you enter the Holy of Holies, you learn to rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

The question today is are you:

• a member of the crowd
• a casual disciple
• one of those close to Jesus

You may not really know right now, but when the hard time comes, you will know. Here is a little grain of wisdom: don’t wait until the hard time arrives to prepare for the hard time. You prepare beforehand. You prepare alone with Jesus.

God Bless.

Supporting missionaries without losing wealth.

 It seems to me that people respond to a call for missions giving in one of three ways:

First, there are a few people who simple refuse to give into a missions program. For these people I truly feel pity. They are robbing themselves of one of the greatest blessings on earth. There is nothing quite as fulfilling as being able to give generously into the lives of others, expecting nothing in return.  It is wonderful to recieve God's blessings into our lives, but unless we have an outlet through which we can bless others will become stagnant and eventually lifeless like the Great Salt Lake  or the Dead Sea.

The second kind of response comes from the person who has learned the blessing and joy of giving to missions. They have realized their greater calling in life and with whatever means they have they delight to do their part in spreading the Gospel. To these people we owe a heart felt "thank you."

Third, is the group who agrees in principle, but not in practice. They agree with Christian missionary outreach. They want to give, but they feel like they can't afford it.

Maybe this is you.

Maybe you are looking at "giving" the wrong way.

I want you to think of something that costs about $1000 that you either need, want or will need in the next year. Maybe it is a set of tires. Or a new appliance. Or a rifle. Or a set of stainless steel pot and pans with copper bottoms. Whatever it is, my guess is, that if I could offer that to you today for $100 you would find some way to come up with $100--even though you can't afford it. Why? Because you see the value. You may lose $100 in cash but you will gain $1000 worth of mechandise. In this scenario you spend your money because losing money increases your overall wealth. You give away $100 but end up $900 richer.

 

Here is the thing, if you could come up with $100 for stuff you can come up with $100 for missions. You just have to see the value.  I want you to read this verse from the Gospel of Matthew:  

" Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." [Mat 6:19-21 KJV]

Did you see that? Jesus isn't tell you not to lay up treasure. He is telling you to choose the right bank to put it in.

When we give to missions we are not giving away our wealth, we are multiplying it.  When we give to missions programs we are losing a little cash, but we are gaining wealth in other ways. Giving lets us reach people, eternal souls really, with the life saving message of the gospel.  Steering a soul toward heaven is the greatest wealth any of us can gain.

So, giving to missions is not a loss of wealth, but a multiplication of our wealth. Yeah, you'll lose a little cash but in doing so you transfer treasure to a place "where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal".




Have a great day!

Counting Fish

Maybe it is an insight into men.
Maybe it is an insight in people.
Maybe it’s just a little insight into Simon Peter.

Take a look at John 21 where Peter & Co. go on their famous all-nighter fishing trip.  We read in verse 11 that Peter “dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three” [nkjv]. 

Whoa!  I’m not amazed at the catch, I am amazed at the disciples.  Here stands the resurrected Lord on the shore. He has directed them to a miraculous catch. He has prepared for them a miraculous meal, and yet they stop to count the fish! Now 153 large fish in a single cast is quite a fish story but does it compare to standing in the presence of the resurrected Lord?

My amazement at Peter is tempered however, by my conscience.  Have I ever turned away from the  presence of my Savior to gaze in wonder at his blessings?

I supposed we all have things we love.
Maybe it is a dream home.
Maybe it is a dream job.

Peter loved the smell of the sea, the sound of the waves and the feel of the deck beneath his feet. He loved to see the dawn arrive above the watery horizon.

Maybe this gives us a little insight into Jesus’ question to Peter, “do you love me more than these?” He had appeared on the shore and directed the catch. He had fixed breakfast (if you’ve ever fixed fish at dawn on a creek bank you know the smell is heavenly)  and yet Peter stops, turns around and counts the fish.

How easy it is for us to gaze in wonder at our blessings and neglect the Savior who gave them to us in the first place!

Getting The Last Word...and I like it!

If you go to the last verse of the last chapter of the last book of the Bible you will read this:

Rev. 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Is this the most important verse in the book of The Revelation? I don’t know. We really can't elevate one verse over another, but I am sure that it is one of the most often overlooked. This phrase (or some variation of it) is contained in nearly one-half of the books of the New Testament.

This passage follows on  the heels of some pretty dramatic reading. For twenty-two chapters the reader has been reading about some pretty astounding things. There have been trumpets and vials and bowls of judgment. Mountains are falling out of the sky. Weird creatures have come out of the earth to torment mankind. Prophets breath fire. All kinds of judgments have been unleashed on a sin corrupted earth. Wars have been waged and kingdoms over thrown. We have also been ushered into the throne room of God to witness the greatest worship service the universe has ever seen, and the King of kings returns to earth on a white horse.

Now imagine you are one of the first people to hear the message of the Revelation. Perhaps you are sitting with the church at, say, Philadelphia when the minister reads the message. As he finishes this letter and reads this last verse the audience sits in stunned  silence.

Most of the crowd thinks they have heard from God.

Some of them may think that John has been out in the sun too long.

To be sure, the closing verse is not the most notable one in the book; yet, it is a very important verse. Here is why.

First, the Revelation is addressed to  working churches, persecuted churches, faithful churches,   loving churches, dying churches, patient churches, healthy churches and lukewarm churches. I am guessing that you and the church you attend fit somewhere in that list.

Second, these the final words of this book to these churches. In fact the final words penned to the church, the entire church, in the canon of scripture is “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

I want to take this phrase apart and look at it.

I. First of all is the word “grace”. It is that unearned, unmerited favor of God. It is one of those churchy words that we use in church and in very few other places. Yet, grace is so important because without the grace of God we cannot be saved.#

You see, here is the thing:

We cannot demand salvation because we are too weak.
We cannot buy it because we are too poor.
We cannot scheme our way into it because we are too simple.

Salvation comes only by faith through grace.#

II. The next stop on our tour of this verse is the word “Lord” . It means “master”. Our times are an oddity in the history of the world. Odds are, you were born as a free person, as you should be. You may not have two nickels to rub together, but you are a free man or woman, and (unless you commit a crime that warrants incarceration) you will die a free man or woman. That has not always been the case. In fact, for most of the history of this world, slavery has existed as the accepted norm.

Because we are a free people, the word master does not carry for us its full meaning, but Jesus, by virtue of the fact that he is God, is our Master. The good news is that we have the grace of the master. That is, we have His unearned favor. It is his grace which elevates us above the status of a mere servant. In John we are called friends. In Galatians we are called sons.*

III. “Jesus” . His name means “Jehovah is salvation”. The wonder of the incarnation is contained in this name. This name, in five letters, contains the entire meaning of John 3:16.

The first instance we have of anyone who says his name “Jesus” is when the angel announces his birth with the words “…And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”^

Have you ever felt inferior? Well, think about this for a bit. Within the name of Jesus we have a description  of the unearned favor of Jehovah, the great I AM at work to redeem the helpless.  Christians who routinely hide behind “I ain't.....” and "I can't...." statements need to realize that they have received grace from the omnipotent "I AM".

IV. “Christ”. This is not Jesus’ last name. It is a title. It means the anointed one, chosen of God. The Messiah. The Deliverer. He came to this earth the first time humbly, as a servant to save.

Soon, the Bible teaches, he will return to this earth as a King. He is King of kings and Lord of lords.

 And I have his unearned favor.

V. Here is an important word you may not suspect. It is the word "With". This little word is sometimes translated from the Greek as “after”, “among”, or “behind”.  

This best way I know to illustrate for you the meaning of this word is to compare it to perfume.

Have you ever known someone who really, really likes their perfume or cologne?

Grace is like that. I’ve known people whom you could identify by their perfume. You didn’t have to see them to know they were in the room. Strong perfume will fill a room where a person is. It will linger after they are gone. If they hug someone, the perfume will transfer to that person. They carry their fragrance "with" them wherever they go.

Similarly, grace not only flows from God to us, but through us to those around us. In other words, to be like Christ we show "unearned favor" to those around us.

It is not enough to be kind to those who are kind to us. That isn't grace. That's normal. Grace goes beyond normal. We truly display grace when we show our favor to those who have not earned it.

The Conclusion on all of this is tied to the little word “all” . Do you want to know how to get this blessing? How to receive the “grace of our Lord Jesus Christ”?

I have the secret right here. Look at 1 Peter 5:5.

 “ ...all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

Have a wonderful day my friends!  And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with each of you!

 

# Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God...
* Galatians 4:4-7, John 15:15-17
^ Matthew 1:21

 

You Can Do More Than You Think You Can

Ever had a day that just wouldn't end? So did Jesus.

Recorded in the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) is an account of one of the longest days in the Life of our Savior and his disciples. This day is so significant that it is recorded in all four gospels. Each writer illuminates different facets of the story, but it is the same story. It is a day of triumph and sorrow. It is a day of hunger and abundance. It is a day in which a little failure might have been seen as a big relief.

Here is the background to this very long day:

 John the Baptist is in prison...

    At this point in his ministry, Jesus popularity is growing, but his cousin John has been imprisoned  for several months by the local head honcho, Herod Antipas. In his prison on the shores of the Dead Sea, John has heard great things about Jesus from his disciples. Just days before this day John had sent two of his disciples to Jesus asking him to verify that he was in fact the Messiah, and they had returned to confirm this truth to John.

 Jesus' own disciples are on their way back to him...  

   Before we can really appreciate this day, we must also know that Jesus had recently sent his disciples on an evangelistic mission around the towns and villages of Galilee. This is the day they would return.

How the long day begins...

Notice of John’s death…and Herod’s interest

    As dawn breaks on this day, Jesus is awakened perhaps by the running feet of John’s disciples. John has been beheaded and his corpse mistreated. Furthermore, Herod is interested in Jesus now. John’s imprisonment had taken place about seventy miles due south of where Jesus was. It is possible John's disciples with the question did not make it back to the prison before his execution.  Jesus begins to grieve for his forerunner.

News of successful evangelism...

   Just then his own disciples arrive with joyous news about the success of their missionary foray. Stories of evangelistic preaching and miracles abound. They decide to make breakfast. 

Then, the crowds arrive. They are pounding on the door. They are crowding in.

Solitude sought...

   Jesus commands that they row out of town to a stretch of abandoned shoreline. The crowds figure them out and beat them to the location.

Extemporaneous ministry...

    Jesus teaches and heals the multitude all day long.

Hunger and exhaustion...

    As evening approaches the disciples plead with the Lord to send the crowds away that they may go buy food. Luke records it by saying, “And when the day began to wear away…” Luke 9:12.

Vision-less disciples and catering...

    Jesus then tells his cadre of miracle working evangelist, “You feed them”… and they grab their wallets in dismay. (I’m paraphrasing here) “Lord it would take $20,000 to feed this bunch. We don’t have that kind of cash.”

    One disciple, Andrew, finds a boy with five biscuits and a couple of  sardines. Whatever the disciples planned to eat on their original picnic outing is now missing.

    Jesus blesses and multiplies the loaves and fish.

    The disciples now get to play waiter to 5000+ people.

    Then they get to play busboy to 5000+ people. They collect 12 baskets of leftovers.

Bed is an hour away...

    Jesus then commands his disciples to make a five mile journey in their ship while he dismisses the crowd. The disciples leave.

The kingmaker crowd...

    The crowd turns kingmaker and wants to force Jesus to be king. He retreats up the mountain to pray.

Jesus sees the disciples toiling on the lake as the sun goes down...

    As dark settles in Jesus can see the disciples a good distance from shore battling a head wind. He prays all night while they toil in the sea.

Jesus bails them out at dawn...

    Sometime between 3am and 6am he walks past them on the sea. They get scared. Jesus calls out. Peter gets bold. With the Lord’s permission he walks on water, then sinks, then walks back to the boat just in time to get off again.

And then it all starts all over again

   The disciples beach the boat as day breaks and the crowds begin to form again as the locals realize who has shown up. Later in the day, the folks from yesterday will show up as well.

Lesson we can learn from this very long day:

1. Perfection is the enemy of ministry. God did not call us to be perfect. He called us to be obedient. We cannot make the ministry failure-proof and be effective.
2. When the Vision is from the Lord, money is of no consequence. Jesus can turn a sack lunch into a catered fish fry.
3. Leftovers taste pretty good at 3am. I am quite certain that the disciples didn’t make it to the far shore with twelve baskets of fish and bread. The memory of the miraculous will sustain us in when battle headwinds.
4. Sometimes we row against the head wind. Just because we are battling the headwinds doesn’t mean Jesus isn’t watching. He is on the mountain interceding on our behalf.
5. Jesus calls “come” to the bleary eyed and exhausted. You will not be pretty in the hour of your greatest faith, and your not likely to walk on water when you are thinking straight.
6. Its okay to approach the work of the Lord with a plan, but once contact is made minister to the needs that present themselves. Jesus can “mess up” your day anytime he wants.
7.  The end is only the beginning. They returned for rest only to find the real work beginning. Your job in the kingdom of God may change, but it never ends.
8. You can do more than you think you can.

"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious!" -Vince Lombardi

[If you want to read about Jesus' "very long day"  you can do so in these passages in the Bible Matthew 14, Mark 6:30-37, Luke 9, John 6]

Things that wiggle

"Snake, big snake!" yelled my oldest son one day last fall as he came bounding though the front door of our house.

Soon thereafter the serpent lay in edge of the yard with his rather juicy head buried in the dirt just a few feet beyond. Now, a headless snake is a dead snake (obviously) but a headless snake still wiggles. This started me to thinking...

Way back in the book of Genesis, right after Adam and Eve pulled that fiasco with the forbidden fruit, God showed up. In response to God's inquest, Adam blamed Eve for his sin, Eve blamed the serpent and the serpent didn't have a leg to stand on.

Then, as God delivered his judgments on all of the participants in mankind's original sin, a curious thing happened. In one sentence the serpent  (Satan)  realized the finality of his defeat and humanity realized their hope of a Deliverer. To the serpent God said,

"And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel." (Genesis 3:15 NKJV).

Now back to my snake, where this train of thought started.  My dead rattler was still wiggling at least four hours after I shot him. More than once Satan is referred to in the Bible as the "serpent", and the quote from Genesis is prophetically referring to Jesus Christ's defeat of Satan at the cross. Satan is defeated, but he does still wiggle. If you step on his tail you might get slapped around a little, but that doesn't mean you're whipped!

If you are a Christian, you have overcome Satan through the blood of Jesus Christ. Don't forget this!  Ultimately the Christian's victory is assured! As horrible and horrific as the cross was for Jesus, it was far worse for Satan! Jesus suffering is equated to a bruised heel as compared to the skull crush delivered to Satan.

Take heart friend, the snake may wiggle still, but he is very much defeated!

"...so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation." Hebrews 9:28 NKJV

What? No goodbye?

 "And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight." - Acts 1:9 esv

Has it ever occurred to you that Jesus didn't give his followers a proper  "goodbye". 

He could have given them a hug or a hand shake, but he didn't. He could have signed autographs or had a farewell dinner. He did none of those things. 

Instead, he stood on a hill and gave instructions to his followers, just like he had many times before. Then, without so much as a goodbye, he rose into the clouds and disappeared from their sight.. 

Here the disciples stood on the front porch of the world, if you will, watching as the one they loved disappeared into the heavens...

And he didn't even say "goodbye".

Imagine how you'd feel if your company left that way. We like to get a goodbye before someone leaves. It puts a period on the end of the visit. Why didn't Jesus give us one?

I've got a theory...

I tell my wife and kids goodbye when I leave for work, and I tell them goodbye when I leave to go into town.  I have to pass around the hugs and kisses (sometimes twice) before I can leave, but, I don't tell them goodbye when I walk into the yard or go into another room in the house. Why? Because I'm not going that far. I'm still home even if they can't see me.

Perhaps you recall a verse from Isaiah 66:1 in which God says, "Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool..."

 You see, what we see as the greatest journey in history looks much different from Jesus' perspective.  We see an almost incomprehensible transition from the earthly temporal to the heavenly eternal. Jesus on the other hand, sees a mere move from the ottoman to the chair.

The reason he didn't say goodbye is because he didn't go that far. In fact, moments before he vanished in to heavens, he promised his disciples, "...I am with you always...".

Friend, heaven is just around the corner and Jesus is still so close he can hear your whisper. He is waiting to hear from you. 

He never said, "Goodbye."

Kids? Now? Say it ain't so...

Mark 10:14  But when Jesus saw [it], he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Face it. Kids can be miserable little buggers at times. Not because they are bad, but just because they are kids. The fact is, bringing kids to Christ can sometimes involve a little suffering, a little inconvenience, on our part.

Here in this account in Mark’s Gospel, the disciples had enjoyed basking in the reflected glow of a great Teacher all day, and now, finally, they had there time to talk to Jesus. Suddenly they found themselves baby-sitting the primary class.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is for us to get “too big for our britches”? Too self-important? Jesus had to remind them of the true nature of the Kingdom and the importance of simple faith.

These children were not brought by theologians looking to have them filled with great teaching, they were brought by parents seeking Jesus’ touch on their little ones. Remarkably, the disciples rebuked them for this!

If Jesus ever gave his disciples the stink-eye, I expect this was the time, for he was “much displeased”.

I realize ministering to kids can be exhausting. I know sometimes it seems like no matter what you do, they don’t hear a word you say. There are times we’d much rather be involved in adult conversation than cleaning the crayon scribbles off of the short tables.

Here’s the thing. To follow Jesus example doesn’t mean we have to carry around a Sunday School lesson in our pocket all of the time. It does mean, however, that we are ever ready to touch their hearts with his love. God has a special place in his heart for children. A kind word, a hug, and a little bragging can do more to cement a kid into the Kingdom of God that a dozen Sunday School lessons.

The greatest blessings God ever bestowed on anyone in the Bible was children:

-God’s promise to Eve about redemption involved a child.
-God’s blessing on Abram was all about a miracle child.
-In dozens (if not hundreds) of places in the Bible that God is pronouncing blessing on someone, that blessing involves children!
-God so values children (who are by nature weak) that to oppress the fatherless insures the swift wrath of God.

The disciples had appointed themselves the “gate keepers” for Jesus. Jesus had had to spend a good deal of time that day dealing with Pharisees. Now either:
1. they didn’t have the guts to turn the Pharisees away, or
2. they enjoyed watching Jesus “smoke” them in argument.

At the end of the day their attempt was to keep these children at bay, because they found the timing inconvenient, but guess what.  The Lord has little concern for our convenience. 

In the armies of this world, Generals do not ask enlisted men if action is convenient for them. They give orders, and orders are carried out. For Jesus the cross was not convenient, but he set aside his will to do the will of the Father.

So yes, the kids you teach on Sunday, the pint sized menaces next door, and the kids you love dearly all have one thing in common. They need to experience the touch of Jesus in their lives, for he loves them dearly.

Will you lead them to him?

Redemptive scars...

 In early April 2006 Amy Hawkins was home with her two young sons in Hendersonville, TN.  A F3  tornado tore through their neighborhood and hit her house. She had gone to the basement  and was covering her two sons with her body. The tornado tore her house apart and broke apart the blocks of the basement. She suffered a punctured lung and a broken back. Amy Hawkins is paralyzed and scarred for life, but she saved the lives of her two young sons.

Amy’s family and community rightly considers her a hero.

The hard truth is that in this life everyone gets scarred. Moments after your birth, someone tied and cut your umbilical cord. When that little stub attached to your belly fell off, you were left with a scar.

The funny thing about scars is that identical injuries can be either marks of shame or a badge of honor, it all depends on how you gained the scar. Amy Hawkins scars mark her as a hero, but someone who obtained those same injuries from some careless or irresponsible act (such as drunk driving) would be seen in a far less favorable light.

I notice in the Bible that God is in the habit of leaving his mark on his people.
*Jacob wrestled with the angel of God and suffered a hip injury that left him limping for the rest of his life.
*The Jews, as a mark of God's covenant, were given the rite of circumcision.
*The New Testament tells us that Christians have a "circumcision of the heart".
*And yet future, in the book of Revelation, we find that there are 144,000 of the Jewish people who carry the seal of God in their foreheads.

Now lets look at Jesus.

The wounds Jesus received during his trial and crucifixion were generally considered wounds of shame. His was the death of a common criminal, but because he died for others his marks of shame became marks of glory…
Jesus returned to heaven different than when he left…

Throughout the Bible we see glimpses into the heavens. The description we always read is that of a gloriously perfect place. When we get to Revelation chapter five, however, we see that heaven's greatest glory, is a glorious imperfection.We see the rising of The Lamb that was slain. The wounds make him worthy to open the book and to act as judge.  When the scarred, wounded, resurrected Lamb rises to his feet, the deafening worship of an unimaginable multitude ensues. He stands, not in the glory of perfect beauty, but as a gloriously scarred redeemer.

I don't know what kind of scars you may carry. Perhaps they are emotional. Perhaps they are physical. Hopefully they are redemptive. Maybe you were scarred fighting for your country. Possibly you bear scars that were forced upon you through no fault of your own. Maybe you bear the scars of a past foolishness.

I have no idea what your scars are, but I can tell you there are scars about which you can brag. Those would be the scars of Jesus. He suffered shame, humiliation and death to save your soul from an eternity without God. The Apostle Paul said, "But God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…"

If you don't know him today as your Savior, may I please urge you to take that step toward him? He loves you so much he was willing to die in your place. You can trust him with your life.

May God's face shine upon you today!