A Message of Comfort

I think we were all affected in some way by the recent tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. All of us who saw news footage of the aftermath of such a horrific event react in different ways. Some are mad, some are heartbroken and others maybe are even bewildered trying to understand why something like this could happen. In this world where we live there have been other such tragedies that our minds might go back to upon hearing the news, such as the events at Columbine, Westside Middle School in Arkansas or maybe even the Virginia Tech shooting. There are other tragedies like these that have occurred in the last several years, and each of them has their own heartbreaking story. With all of this in mind, I thought I would share some thoughts as we sift through the latest tragic debris from the Sandy Hook shooting.

I have seen several people on TV and Facebook ask "why" when nobody can really give a good answer for that. The news media has tried to give us details about the shooter, and some of that information has even changed in the days since the news coverage began on this horrific event. Though there will be many different types of people who will attempt to give explanations as to why this happened, I simply want to go back to God's Word to illuminate some of His truths that we ought to remember.

This is a bad world in which we live. I'm not talking about the physical creation by God; I'm simply talking about the effects that Satan has on people in this world. There are people in this world who should look back to some of the words of the Apostle John; if they would put his words into practice, this world would look a lot different than it does today. John says "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us" (1 Jn. 4:7-12). This love that John is talking about is agape, which is sacrificial love. Christ was the ultimate example of this when he laid down his life for all of us. This kind of love takes the focus off of ourself and seeks what is good for someone else. In other words, we are practicing this when we are putting their needs above ours.

The Lord's brother, James says "You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel" (Jas. 4:2). Though James is not saying this is the case with every murder, I think it shows you how bad things happen in our lives when we are focused on ourselves and not other people. The type of love that John commands us to put into practice takes the focus off of us and will not allow these feelings within people who want to take the life of others. John also comments on motives for murder when he says "For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him" (1 Jn. 3:11-15). Again you can see that sacrificial love would keep things like this from happening. John goes on to say "If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother" (1 Jn. 4:20-21).

Cain had the opportunity to avoid his course of action. "The Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it'" God knew that Cain was very angry with Abel. The tragedy could have been avoided if Cain had not let his emotions get the best of him. Instead of overcoming the sin, the sin overcame him. Too many bad things happen in this world because people are overcome by their sinful desires. I'm not going to go into a discussion of how mental illnesses come into play in scenarios like these, because I don't know what the mental status of the individual who committed this crime. That being said, God knows the whole situation. It was a tragedy, and nothing you can determine about the shooter will change the fact that these precious, innocent little children had their lives taken from them way too early.

It reminds me of a couple of events in the Bible, though the context is different. In the beginning of Exodus when the Hebrews were multiplying and the Egyptians were fearful of them the Pharaoh issued the edict to have all the male children killed. The midwives did not follow through with these orders and gave excuses to Pharaoh, and God dealt well with them, even giving them families. However, Pharaoh commanded all the male sons who were born to the Hebrews to be cast into the Nile (Ex. 1:8-22). We know that it is in the midst of this story that Moses was born. We don't know how many newborn boys lost their lives, but I'm sure it was a horrific event to the Hebrews. Later another story of horror unfolds as the baby, Jesus is born. Herod had been tricked by the wise men when they didn't return to tell him the location of the child who had been born, so he commanded that boys two years old and younger in Bethlehem were to be slaughtered (Mt. 2:16). One can only imagine how awful of a scene this was as Matthew records this as a fulfillment of a prophecy of Jeremiah's when he writes "'A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more'" (Mt. 2:18).

One of the important messages in all of this is that God is aware, He cares and He is in control. God doesn't make all of these events happen, but he allows them to take place. If you remember from the story of Job, when Job lost his possessions, his family and his health, it was not caused by God but by Satan. God simply allowed it to happen and He set the parameters (Job 1 & 2). God works through different situations in our lives. Sometimes the verse in Romans can be taken out of context, but consider the words of Paul: "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28). This is something we don't always understand nor do always see the end result of what Paul is discussing in our lifetime. God is constantly working behind the scenes according to His will.

In the midst of this tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School, let us remember that bad things do happen in this world. President Obama said in his address on television a few days ago that some things were going to have to change. As I heard him say that, I wondered why no one in Washington has done anything about putting prayer back in the public school systems. That is a change that needs to happen, because God has been removed from the schools. Is it any wonder that Satan is working through individuals to harm these precious, innocent children and those working with them when we realize that God has been taken out of the equation? If we want change, let's start with the One who can change the world!

At Odds with Each Other

The other day I had a friend come over to the house to pick up a couple of female cats to transport to his barn. He told me he had a rat problem, and I assured him they could handle that job. My father-in-law brought a female cat of his own over ahead of time in a cage, which was a siamese bob-tailed cat. When David arrived at the house we transferred the siamese cat over to his cage where we could get my father-in-law's cage back to him. That process went smoothly. Getting the other cats in that cage was a different story altogether.
I caught the first cat of mine and proceeded to stick her down in the cage. You would have thought a war started as the cats were hissing, screaming, swatting at each other and a ruckus had ensued. As if that wasn't bad enough, I caught my other cat and put her in the cage once all the malay settled down. Once she got in it started all over again and appeared to be World War III! Both boys were standing right there watching it all, Caroline was watching from the kitchen window and David's son, Alex was standing there with my boys and they were absolutely loving it. Those three cats had been forced into a small space with each other and they were not happy about it.
It reminds me of how that scene is applied to the church at times. Especially when the church has gathered under the same roof and there are people who are at odds with each other, it doesn't make for an ideal situation. Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment, "that you love one another" (John 13:34). John goes on to say in his first letter "if anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother" (1 John 4:20-21). Euodia and Syntyche were in a disagreement about something at the church in Philippi and Paul wanted this fixed (Phil. 4:2-3). We can't faithfully serve the Lord if we're at odds with each other.
Bob Sweeney used to talk all the time about "this human condition" and we see how that applies to the church. Those of us who are members of the body of Christ at times let our emotions and personalities get in the way of loving one another like we should. Let us remember that we are all in this together. Paul says "rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love" (Eph. 4:15-16). We can't do this if we are at odds with each other.
Have you been in a "cat fight" with someone where you haven't made the effort to fix the problem? The time is now to repair what needs fixing. If you're like these cats in the cage then your soul is in jeopardy. Brothers and sisters, let us not be at odds with each other. If we fight like cats down here what makes us think that we can live together harmoniously in Heaven?

Ignoring the Word of the Lord

Michael David Cohen had ignored all the warnings. A great white shark had been spotted on the beach in Cape Town, South Africa, sirens had sounded, the white flag was flying, the beach was closed but he swam out fifty yards from the beach anyway. You don't need too vivid of an imagination to guess what had the potential of happening. The shark attacked this man taking off both of his legs. Anybody with common sense would tell you he shouldn't have ignored the warnings. As important as it is to listen to what people say at times, isn't it even more important to listen to the Word of the Lord? This morning we'll look at the story of Jeremiah to see what happens when you ignore the Word of the Lord when he was being ignored by King Zedekiah.
Jeremiah was a prophet of God.
Prophets in the Old Testament served two main purposes: they were forthtellers, proclaiming the Word of the Lord (i.e. Zech. 1:1-3) and they were foretellers, prophesying what was to come (i.e. Deut. 18:5). Jeremiah prophesied from 628-586. He began his work as a prophet in the thirteenth year of King Josiah and he served until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah when Jerusalem was captured by Babylon. He is known as the weeping prophet, evidenced by the terminology in Jer. 9:1. He was persecuted and ignored. Consider the following evidence in his book: Pashhur had him beaten and put in stocks because he didn't want to hear what Jeremiah was saying (Jer. 20:1-2); the priests and prophets wanted him killed when he was spoke in the name of the Lord (Jer. 26:11); Jehoiakim took the scroll on which Jeremiah had written the words of the Lord and cut it into pieces and threw them into the fire (Jer. 36:23); the officials beat and imprisoned him when they thought he was trying to flee to the Chaldeans (Jer. 37:15). Jeremiah was simply doing what God wanted him to do by proclaiming the Word of the Lord as His prophet.
Zedekiah refused to listen to Jeremiah.
In much the same manner as the others who didn't want to hear the Word of the Lord, Zedekiah acted no differently. Jeremiah had already warned Zedekiah in chapter thirty-seven that he would be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon (17ff.). When several of the people heard that Jeremiah was saying that all who stayed in the city would die, Zedekiah allowed them to put Jeremiah in the cistern where he sank in the mud (Jer. 38:1-6). When Zedekiah asked Jeremiah for a word from the Lord, Jeremiah told him to surrender to the Chaldeans (Jer. 38:17ff.). However, when Jeremiah's warning came true and the Babylonians besieged Jerusalem, Zedekiah and all his soldiers fled out of the city by night (Jer. 39:4). He ignored the Word of the Lord that was given to him through Jeremiah.
I remember a time when my brother, Chris ignored my parents. It was a winter day and there was ice on the roads. My parents were needing to go somewhere and they left my brother and I at home. Before they left they gave specific instructions for us not to go anywhere, but to stay put in the house. If I recall my brother had just started driving. Not long after they left, my brother took a .22 rifle out of the gun cabinet. I said "where do you think you're going?" He told me that he was going squirrel hunting with a friend. When I reminded him of what our parents had warned us not to do, he didn't pay it any attention. A bit of time passed when I glanced out the window to see a wrecker truck with the blue GMC Jimmy that he was driving on the back. Mom and Dad were on their way back to the house when they saw blue lights ahead of them. Dad jokingly said "that's probably Chris." It turns out he was right. Chris had hit a patch of black ice after he picked up his friend and the vehicle flipped over in the ditch. I remember hearing several conversations between them concerning him ignoring what they told us that day. Bad things happened because he ignored them.
Bad Things Happen When We Ignore the Word of the Lord.
Consider the bad things that happened to Zedekiah because he ignored the Word of the Lord: he was captured in the plains of Jericho, his sons were slaughtered before his eyes, the nobles of Judah were slaughtered, his eyes were blinded, he was put in chains, the houses were burned, the walls were broken and the rest of the people left in the city were exiled to Babylon (Jer. 39:5-9). All of this that happened to Zedekiah and Jerusalem could have been avoided if he had listened to the Word of the Lord from Jeremiah.
In much the same way people today don't listen to the Word of the Lord. They ignore the plan of salvation in God's Word. They ignore what God's Word says about homosexuality. They ignore that Hell is a real place according to God's Word and that those who ignore the Word of the Lord will go there as eternal punishment. These are just some examples, but I think you get the idea. Bad things happen when people ignore the Word of the Lord.
Have you ignored the Word of the Lord lately? We can see over and over again in the Bible that God is not to be ignored. Consider the following passages from the book of Jeremiah: Jer. 6:10; 8:9; 9:12-14. What a travesty it is when people ignore God and go their own way. Keep in mind that bad things happen when we ignore the Word of the Lord!

King Forever?

Recently there has been a lot of turmoil over who is in charge. When a presidential election takes place where the incumbent wins, there are going to be people unhappy because they wanted a change. Even though another four-year term will pass with the same leadership in place, at least there will be another democratic election at the end of that term to put a different public official in the highest office of the United States. Some people have been crying for change with the University of Tennessee football program. Regardless of what the outcome is for their current coach, rest assured that the status of the program will not stay this way forever. We know that with elected officials and coaches that their tenure is not forever.

However, there is a kingdom which does have an unlimited tenure. The kingdom that we know as the church was prophesied in Daniel 2:44 as the kingdom that the God of heaven would set up that would never be destroyed. Christ is now the head of the church (Eph. 5:23), reigning from Heaven at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 10:12). Once the end of this world has come and death has been abolished, Christ will hand this authority back to the Father according to 1 Corinthians 15:24. Isn't it wonderful knowing we will never have to worry about having concerns about leadership in Heaven? Rulers in this world are human beings. They will make mistakes. They will make decisions we don't agree with. They will let us down at times. Don't let earthly leadership thwart your picture of heavenly leadership. God and His Son will never provide reason for turmoil in their rule over us. John reminds us of the eternal nature of God's kingdom in Revelation 5:13 when he writes '"To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."'

Lazarus, Come Out!

Imagine if you were at a funeral where the corpse in the casket was to raise up and shock everybody in attendance. Can you imagine the looks on people's faces or the other interesting reactions it would cause if something like that happened? We know that nothing like that happens today, but there was a time where Jesus raised his friend, Lazarus from the dead. In our text from John 11:1-44 let us examine some practical observations from this remarkable story where Jesus utters the words, "Lazarus, come out" (Jn. 11:43)

God's Ways are Higher than Our Ways

Picture yourself riding with someone to where they take a different route than you would ordinarily take. It might make you feel really uncomfortable because you think they don't know the way, yet they have a specific reason for taking that particular route. There is a purpose behind it.

The delay in returning to Bethany was for a purpose. Notice some of the statements that Jesus makes to his disciples: (1) "The illness does not lead to death..." (Jn. 11:4) [in the sense that it was only temporary; he wouldn't stay dead!]. (2) "Let us go to Judea again" (Jn. 11:7) [the disciples knew that his life was in danger if he returned, so they couldn't understand why he would want to do this]. (3) "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him" (Jn. 11:11) [Jesus knew that Lazarus had died, but he was going to raise him from death].

There will be times in our lives that we don't understand because God's ways are higher than our ways. Many things in life don't make sense to us but it's because we can't see the big picture. Just as Isaiah the prophet records: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Is. 55:8-9).

Death is Not the End

My preacher friend, David Morris has a statement that he makes most times at the graveside. He says in his final comments that we have come as far as physically possible with (insert name) since their spirit has departed the body. Even though the physical body is left behind, the soul lives on. Death is not the end by any means as there will be a final resurrection when Jesus returns.

Jesus had a conversation with Martha about the resurrection. It is clear from her response to Jesus in Jn. 11:24 that she believed in the resurrection on the last day. However, Jesus addressed the resurrection from two perspectives: physical and spiritual. Lazarus was to rise again on that day physically, but there was also a reference to the spiritual resurrection that is addressed elsewhere in God's Word.

Just because someone's body goes to the tomb, grave or crematory doesn't mean that's the end, as we know that something much greater remains. There is something that awaits all of us when we die. As we are asleep from a figurative sense, we are in a realm where we are waiting for Christ to return and judgment to begin. Jesus' explanation in Luke 16 with the rich man and Lazarus is very descriptive as to the conditions that both of these men were in once they departed this world. Their physical life ended, but their souls were still very alive waiting for eternity to begin.

Jesus Experienced the Totality of the Human Condition

God created us as human beings with the ability to grieve. When we lose someone close to us it hurts. Sometimes at funerals people will weep aloud as it is hard for them to contain their feelings for the departed.

When Jesus came to the tomb of Lazarus, he wept (Jn. 11:35). Though this is the shortest verse in the English Bible, it speaks volumes. The people present at that time were able to witness the love that Jesus had for Lazarus (Jn. 11:36).

We need to remember that Jesus experienced the totality of the human condition. Since Jesus put on flesh he not only experienced grief, but he was also tempted, tired, hungry, etc. Paul said Jesus was "...born in the likeness of men" (Phil. 2:7). The writer of Hebrews says "...he had to be made like his brothers in every respect..." (Heb. 2:17). When we go through so many things in our lives, it should matter that Jesus has been there and done that. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15).

Merrill Tenney says that this sign proves that Jesus is the master of death (http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/Ted_Hildebrandt/NTeSources/NTArticles/BSac-NT/Tenney-TopicsJohnPt2-BS.pdf). There are truly some great lessons that we can take as Jesus shows the power of resurrection with his friend, Lazarus. We need to know that God's ways are higher than our ways, as there will be many things we don't understand. We must realize that death is not the end, for there is something much greater waiting for us. We also need to be reminded that Jesus experienced the totality of the human condition, and this makes him a sympathetic high priest because of that. What wonderful lessons we can apply to our lives because Jesus said "Lazarus, come out" (Jn. 11:43).

The Light of the World

On a senior adult trip to the Lost Sea back in 2008 there was a point in time which the tour guide let all of us present experience what total darkness is like. When everybody was ready, all lights were extinguished for a few seconds so everyone would know that eery feeling. Deep underground on the way to the body of water known as the Lost Sea, there is no outside light present at that point on the tour. However, after a few seconds the lights are turned back on and you're relieved because you can see again.
Have you ever wondered how it would feel to have been blind all of your life and have Jesus provide you with the gift of sight? Our text comes from John 9:1-12 which contains one of Jesus' famous statements "I am the light of the world" (5). As we examine this story, let us notice some of the practical applications from the first few verses of the text.
Bad things in our lives can have great outcomes
Often times we see people in difficult situations and we wonder why. I don't believe there is anything wrong with that, as we don't know the answers, but God knows and He has a reason. I heard a story one time about a couple who had a son that was killed in a robbery. There was a trial for the other young man who killed their son, and he went to prison. Over time, the parents of the son who was killed went to visit the young man who had committed the crime. A relationship was developed as a result of these visits, and eventually the inmate was obedient to the gospel message. Who would have ever guessed that something so tragic could have such a great outcome?
Jesus took a man in a difficult situation and turned it into something to give God the glory. The disciples thought the man was blind because either he or his parents had sinned. They were simply falling victim to the old theory called the doctrine of retribution (or double retribution). People who believed in this assumed that if you did something good you were always rewarded, but if you did something bad you were always punished. Therefore in the case of the man born blind, they just knew that either he sinned or his parents did.
Jesus took this time to correct them as he let them know that it was neither, but that the glory of God would be displayed (3). He was going to use something bad and turn it into something great!
God can do great things even in bad situations. People lose their jobs. Sometimes there are greater opportunities that present themselves and the people soon forget about the hard times they had coping with that loss because they are now in a better situation. People lose their health, lives, children, etc., but so many times we can see something great appear when it looks like impending doom has moved in next door! Consider Paul in Philippians 1:12. He states "I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel." Wow; Paul was in prison, yet he was still saying that something great happened because of it. That is remarkable, and we can see that God can do great things during bad situations.
Opportunities are available for a limited time
There is a show on television called Wipeout where contestants go through a series of obstacle courses for a chance to win $50,000. On many of the obstacles there are moving pieces to avoid, or else you wind up getting knocked off into the water below. This is a game of timing where you have a limited window of opportunity. If you wait too late, then it may cost you in the competition. If you make it to the wipeout zone in the end, you are competing against the time of the other two contestants. If you fail to complete it before they do, you lose. You have the opportunity to finish the course until the buzzer sounds.
Jesus explained to the disciples that he was working until his time was up. He states that you work during the day, but the night is coming when you can't work. Jesus was talking about working for the Father. Consider what was looming just ahead for Christ. He would be betrayed by one of his own, sentenced, scourged and crucified. He only had a limited time to get done what needed to be done, and He knew that.
Opportunities do come with expectations and limitations. Paul recognized when an opportunity was available and noted that it was a priority in 1 Cor. 16:7-9 when he talked about "a wide door of effective work." He also prayed for an opportunity, that God would open a door in Col. 4:3. He knew about opportunities and how they needed to be acted upon. However, there is scene in Mt. 25 with which we are all too familiar that teaches of the importance of acting on these opportunities. In verses 31-46 this scene of the judgment shows the reward for acting on our opportunities versus the punishment for neglecting them. It should be a reminder to all of us that the time to act on our opportunities is now while we are still alive. When we're standing before the judgment seat of our Lord, it will be too late.
Christ truly was the light of the world
You've heard stories of people who have had their sight restored. None may be more fascinating than that of Martin Jones (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1197256/Blind-man-sees-wife-time-having-TOOTH-implanted-eye.html) . He had lost his eyesight in an accident at work, and had been blind for twelve years. He had been married for four years when he underwent a revolutionary procedure. He found a doctor who would take one of his teeth and create a way for him to see. To make a long story short, the first thing he saw was his wife, whom he had never seen. What a great day that must have been for him as the light from the world was now visible to him again.
Just as Martin Jones saw his wife for the first time, Jesus restored the sight to the blind man so he could see for the first time. He told his disciples, "I am the light of the world" (5). He used mud and saliva to anoint the man's eyes and commanded him to go wash in the pool of Siloam (7). One of the great aspects of this story is that he did exactly as Christ commanded him. The man was now out of the darkness as he had been exposed to the light of Christ.
There are people who walk around in darkness because they don't have Christ as their light. John opens his gospel talking about how Christ was the true light that came into the world, and he came to his own people, yet they did not receive him (Jn. 1:9-10). He even states in his first letter the importance of walking in the light and staying away from the darkness (1 Jn. 1:5-7).
A co-worker of mine once walked into the door frame as she was trying to head towards the restroom in the middle of the night because she couldn't see. Are you walking around in the darkness? Christ is the light of the world who has the power to overcome the darkness.

Is Jesus in Your Boat?

The Basilisk lizard has been nicknamed the Jesus Christ lizard; once you see footage of its trademark walk (or run) on the water, then you understand why it is so labeled. Found in the tropical rain forests of central America, from Mexico to Panama, this lizard is identified by its special run. Especially when it is escaping from predators, it uses its special feet to glide across the water using its tail as a counter balance. It can do this for approximately 15 feet before gravity begins to take over. Though the lizard eventually has to give in to gravity, there is someone who has the power over the natural law of gravity and he proved it to his disciples in John 6:16-21. Since Christ had withdrawn to the mountain to pray, the disciples found themselves without him as evening came which brings us to our story.

The disciples were having difficulty rowing the boat

If you've ever been in a boat with the wind blowing, you know the problems it creates. On more than one occasion at the lake behind the house of this writer, the wind would pick up strongly enough to have to abandon the boat on the other side of the lake because of the inability to paddle against the wind.

The disciples were put in an even greater windstorm on the Sea of Galilee. When the disciples got out in the boat, they were having a terrible time fighting the wind and the waves which were caused by it. Imagine if you will the disciples out in a boat with no outboard motor to help speed things along (in case you're puzzled, they didn't have 200 horse Mercury motors in that day and time). Rowing can be strenuous enough when there is no wind, but it would become extremely difficult when the wind would blow hard. Jesus saw them from the land as they were beaten by the waves and made headway painfully (Mt. 14:24; Mk. 6:48). They were having a really hard time without the Lord.

It is difficult to row the boat without Christ in it. There are a lot of times in our lives where we try to do things on our own without the Lord. Jesus said "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:4-5).

The disciples saw Jesus walking on the water

Nature itself shows us you can't walk on water. Albeit the Basilisk lizard is a pretty cool sight, that only lasts for a few seconds. If you try to walk on water you will sink. My middle son, Chandler tried it one time. We had gone to my parents' house when he was about 18 month old. My oldest son, Conner and I were in the boat just about ten feet from the bank when Chandler got away from my dad and decided he would walk out to us, but when he hit the water....you guessed it, down he went. Dad picked him up by his britches and the look of total shock was on his face. Conner erupted in laughter as it was very entertaining to him. If dad had not been right there it wouldn't have been so funny!

The disciples were frightened when they saw Jesus coming to them walking on the water. They had rowed about three or four miles from the shore. To give you a visual, the Sea of Galilee was approximately 13 miles long and 7 miles wide. Matthew and Mark provide some additional details in their accounts. They say it was the fourth watch of the night, which was roughly 3-6 a.m. and that they thought he was a ghost (Mt. 14:25-26; Mk. 6:48-49). Imagine how you would have felt if you were in the middle of a windstorm in a boat at 3:00 a.m. and you see someone standing there in the pitch black! I believe this would have been enough to rattle anybody's cage!

It wasn't a ghost; it was Jesus and he had come to them in the boat by walking on the water.

Though Jesus doesn't walk on the water anymore, he is still available to save us. "...he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him..." (Heb. 5:9).

The disciples were not afraid anymore

As scared as we get sometimes, we know that it's only temporary. Think of the times you've been to see a scary movie where scenes from the film almost make you jump out of your skin. It is quite horrific for just a moment, but then that moment has passed. There is a commercial on tv for a law firm where a group of people are ghost hunting. When the girl in the commercial supposedly gets attacked by a ghost, all fears are put to rest once someone turns the lights on.

Once Jesus reassured them that it was he, they were glad to take him into the boat. Matthew's account follows this with Peter's walking on the water. Mark's account add some other things: Christ got in the boat and the wind ceased; they were utterly astounded, they did not understand about the loaves and their hearts were hardened. Though we get some other perspectives on this story, the fact remains that Christ calmed their fears by showing he wasn't a ghost.

Perhaps you've had a time when the Lord's presence calmed your fears. Zephaniah 3:17 says "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." It has been said "the Lord will either calm your storm...or he will allow it to rage while he calms you"

Are you in the middle of a storm where you're struggling to navigate through the rough waters? Jesus is the answer. If you'll bring him on board, he'll calm your fears!

A Meal for the Multitudes

The story is told of a young man who just got out of Bible college and prepared to preach at his home congregation. He studied real hard and even memorized his lesson. Banging his hand on the podium in the middle of the sermon, he told the congregation that Jesus took 5,000 loaves and 2,000 fish and fed 5 people. With a dramatic pause he asked the congregation if they could do that. A roar of laughter filled the auditorium, and the young preacher couldn't figure out what was going on. One man even raised his hand which caused the preacher to ask why he thought he could do what only our Lord could. The gentleman kindly corrected the preacher telling him what was wrong with what he said. The young preacher was at a loss for words, and he sat down in humiliation without even being able to finish the sermon.

The people of the congregation were very supportive of the young man even encouraging him to preach it again next Sunday, so he did. That next Sunday morning he correctly stated that Jesus took 5 loaves and 2 fish and fed 5,000 people. Again he asked if anyone could do that, and to his surprise the gentleman in the audience raised his hand again. Very upset again, the preacher questioned the man who then replied that would be possible because he could use the leftovers from how he preached it last week.

In the gospel of John we do find what is referred to as the fourth sign, the feeding of the multitudes. With the Passover at hand and a big crowd on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus saw an opportunity to provide for the people. Here we see that Christ provides a meal for the multitudes as he indeed uses 5 loaves and two fish proving that he is the master of quantity (Tenney). Follow along with me in John 6:1-14.

Jesus tested the faith of the disciples

There are opportunities in life which test our faith. Sometimes we grow as we go through these tests and trials if we bear up under them and hold fast. However, sometimes we buckle under the pressure and fall away from our faith. Different people react in different ways; each situation is going to be different.

Jesus asked a question to test the disciples' faith. He asked Philip where they could get bread for these people to eat. There were two responses from his disciples. The first came from Philip who seemed to be a pessimist. Philip immediately knew that it would be hard to feed this many people. By the way, there weren't just 5,000, as that was besides women and children (Mt. 14:21). It seemed it was his way of saying two hundred denarii (a denarius was a day's wage) would hardly be enough to provide appetizers for all these people. On the other hand, the second response came from Andrew who found a boy with five loaves and two fish. Even though he did ask how this would be enough for so many people, he still found something that the Lord could use. Andrew seemed to be an optimist. By the way, every time we see Andrew he is bringing somebody to Jesus. Think about it!

Jesus multiplied the meal for the multitudes

Remember the creatures in the movie, Gremlins where both the furry kind and the ugly, monster kind multiplied when they got wet? That was pretty cool for a movie, especially when Stripe jumped in the swimming pool as Billy watched in horror. In this story from John 6, Jesus doesn't use water to multiply the loaves and fishes; he does it himself as he takes the five loaves and two fish and multiplies it for the multitudes.

After Jesus gave thanks, he distributed the food. The bread was barley, which supposedly was one of the least desirable breads, even as it was the least expensive of that region. The fish were probably small fish which were dried or pickled, very similar to our version of sardines. Though this was a very small amount, Jesus took this and distributed it to those in the grass and they ate as much as they wanted. Who would ever think that five loaves and two fish would turn into an all you can eat buffet? It seems as though it did in this case.

Jesus taught a lesson on leftovers

In 2010 more than 34 million tons of food waste was generated. We are truly throwing away so much food that goes to waste, which is not a good thing. In our text, Jesus took this time to teach a very valuable lesson on waste. He commanded that the disciples gather up the leftovers so there would be nothing lost. If he was saying this just to have them clean up, it seems as if he would convey the idea of not making a mess, but instead he said so that there's nothing lost. It appears as if they would reuse the leftover food, according to his wording.

There were twelve baskets of leftovers from the miraculous feeding. How often are you going to wind up with more food after you're done that what you started with? Who knew Jesus could do so much with so little. Merrill Tenney says that Jesus is the Master of Quantity!

Though we see what Jesus did by providing such a miraculous meal in the feeding of the multitudes, there are still some great lessons for us today.

The testing of our faith is a good thing - 2 Cor. 13:5

There is no job too big for the Lord - Mt. 19:26

The Lord can do greater things than what we can imagine - Eph. 3:20

Preparing the Way

Recently on a trip to west Tennessee there was some construction taking place at the Natchez Trace where it crosses over highway 412. Traffic always slows down a bit, but the travel continued, and the five of us preachers from the West 7^th congregation found ourselves in the small town of Linden. As we went through town and were about to drop down the hill, one of those pilot cars that precedes a wide load almost pushed us off the road making sure we were out of the way when the next big rig came through with one of the I-beams used for construction at the Natchez Trace. As if that wasn’t enough to get our attention, another one of the pilot cars drove even more erratically forcing us off the road. As we got by him we could see why he was driving the way he did. The next few trucks carrying more I-beams came around the curve at the bottom of the hill taking up both lanes with no reservations. Those pilot cars were trying to prepare the way for what was to come, and they had gotten our attention!

It reminds me of John the Baptist preparing the way for the coming Messiah. In Mark 1:2-3, Mark uses a passage from the prophet Isaiah to show that John would indeed prepare the way for Christ. John fulfilled his ministry which led to Christ being baptized by him in the Jordan, beginning His ministry and eventually dying on the cross for the sins of the world. The paths were made straight because John prepared the way. Unlike the pilot cars for the wide loads on the road, John wasn’t forcing people off the road. Instead, he made sure people could walk the straight path.

The next time you see one of those pilot cars driving ahead of the wide load, take time to reflect on the work of John the Baptist who paved the way before the Christ.

Christ Heals the Cripple

Different situations enter our minds when we think about someone being crippled. One of this writer's most memorable images is that of Forrest Gump. Though it is a fictitious story, the character sticks out in your mind as you think about him wearing those braces on his legs. His legs were strong but his back was as crooked as a politician. One day while he was running from some bullies, he was being hindered by his leg braces as they were slowing him down. As the bullies continued chasing him on their bicycles and throwing rocks at him, his leg braces began to come apart as he picked up speed. Eventually, the braces just fell right off of his legs and he never slowed down running everywhere he could go. Unfortunately, you'll hardly ever hear of a story like that where somebody who is crippled is healed so easily.

Looking at John 5:1-18 we are introduced to a man who had been crippled for thirty-eight years. He was laying around by a pool in Jerusalem which the Scripture says was near the Sheep Gate and it was referred to as Bethesda. There were a number of people who were in need of healing, and it was believed that at certain seasons an angel of the Lord stirred up the waters; whoever got down into the water first was healed. It has been suggested that these were simply intermittent springs as is even evidenced by the "so-called 'Fountain of the Virgin' in Jerusalem, as it has "the same phenomenon" (Edersheim 463). Jesus is here in this occasion and comes into contact with this crippled man where we see that Christ heals the cripple.

There was a prevention to the healing

Imagine having a disease where you are unable to get the treatment you need. Perhaps it's because of a lack of financial resources needed to pursue the treatment, or maybe something else, but you are unable to get the help you need at the time. Something had kept this crippled man from being healed. When Jesus saw him he knew he had been there a long time. How many of us have ever waited a long time at a doctor's office thinking we're never going to be seen? Jesus simply asks the man "do you want to be healed?" (6). You would think that the man would answer Jesus' question, but instead he offers an excuse as to why he has not gotten into the water yet. He was claiming that others were getting into the water before he could, therefore he had not been healed.

Often in our lives, excuses prevent us from doing great things. Consider Moses when he tried to get out of doing what God wanted him to do by going to Egypt and leading the children of Israel out of bondage. In Exodus 4:10 he tried to use the excuse of not being a good enough speaker and later tried to get the Lord to send someone else; needless to say, God did not allow Moses' excuse to change his mind, even though God's anger burned against Moses. In this case, the excuses didn't stop Moses from doing something great.

What about you? Do excuses stand in your way of taking part in spiritual things? Are there sometimes in your life where you refuse to get involved in church activities because you would rather take part in extracurricular activities? Have you foregone a service opportunity to do something good for somebody because you wanted to do something for yourself? Have you ever been like Moses where you thought you weren't gifted enough in a particular area to serve in the Lord's work? Don't let excuses hinder you from doing something.

There was a provision for the healing

Imagine receiving a bite from a poisonous snake with no anti-venom available. You would feel very helpless if there was no provision around to treat your condition. Maybe that's how the crippled man felt as he was so close to the water but was unable to be healed by it. Though the crippled man was prevented from the provision available in the nearby water, there was now a better means of healing that would be provided through the Great Physician. Jesus gave the command to "get up, take up your bed, and walk" (8). At once the man was healed and obeyed Jesus.

The Lord will provide for people according to His will. Don't just think about this from a medical perspective but also from other needs which the Lord provides. Money, opportunities, children and many other things are provided from the Lord and distributed among people on this earth. Though he provides them it's not just when we want them. Just like the crippled man the Lord chooses to provide.

We know from the Bible that we don't always get what we want. Consider Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:8ff. He had asked the Lord three times to take away that thorn in the flesh, but the Lord had a purpose for leaving it with Paul. Jesus was also praying in the Garden of Gethsemane for the cup to pass from him if possible, but he wanted the Father's will to be done (Luke 22:42). James says that we ask for things and don't receive because we ask with the wrong motives (James 4:3).

There was a problem with the healing

Ordinarily when someone does something good there is rejoicing. However, sometimes people will attack your efforts to do something nice. Consider the eleven-year-old girl from Virginia who recently tried to do a good deed by rescuing a baby woodpecker from a hungry cat. After she secured the bird from the clutches of the cat at the home of her father, she placed the bird in a container with an intent to release it shortly. On the way home with her mother, they stopped in at a Lowe's store, carrying the container with the bird in the store due to the heat outside. While in the store, a fish and game officer saw the bird and informed the girl and her mother that it was illegal to transport a migratory bird. They assured the officer they were soon to release the bird.

After they got home they released the bird and even called the fish and game office to tell them they released it, who in turn told them they did the right thing. Two weeks later the fish and game officer who had seen them in the store showed up with someone from the sheriff's department with a citation saying the mother was going to be fined $535, and scheduled to appear in court with the possibility of facing up to one year in prison. There was such a public outcry over this that the fish and game dropped the case and did not hold the mother liable for this event. Talk about causing a fuss for doing something good!

When Jesus healed the crippled man the Jews caused a fuss because it was the Sabbath. The Jews told the man he was breaking the law by carrying his pallet around. In Exodus 20:8-11 the Lord made sure his people knew that there was to be no work done on the Sabbath, for it was a holy day. The problem later arose when the Jews started to add to the written law where their traditions became oral laws added to what God had given. In a document called the Mishna, which is a compilation of these oral laws, there are thirty-nine acts of labor which were prohibited on the Sabbath. The last of these acts is the one the Jews were accusing the man who had been healed in this text, which says it is unlawful for the Jews to transport an object from a private to a public domain, or to move it more than four cubits in a public domain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabbat). When they were accusing the crippled man who was now healed of this act, they were also accusing the one who told him to do this. When he told them the man who healed him told him to do this, they then turned their attention to finding out who this was who commanded such!

Problems are created when we turn traditions into commandments. Some people get upset if the order of worship is not what it normally is. Some people get upset if brother so-and-so doesn't wear a tie when he waits on the table. Problems arise when we take traditions and try to make them binding on others. Consider how Jesus responds to the Pharisees on this type of matter in Matthew 15:1-9 when he tells them they are breaking the commandments of God for the sake of their tradition.

Perhaps you are not crippled but you are in need of the healing touch of the Great Physician! Are you guilty of making excuses though you have unlimited opportunities to do great things? Are you focused on things of the world to provide answers to your problems while you are unaware of what the Lord provides? Are you upset about some good being done only because it's not in keeping with your tradition? Let the Master have his way with you as he takes away whatever is crippling you in this life!

From Fever Relief to Family Belief

How far would you travel to pick up some medicine that would relieve your sick child of their condition? It is logical to assume that any lengths necessary would be on the table in order to help out your child. Most of the time we don't have to travel very far since we have access in most cases to pharmacies which are open 24 hours a day. However, this luxury wasn't available in the first century. In our lesson from John 4:46-54, there was someone much better than a pharmacy to consult for a cure, and his name is Jesus.

In this story we find Jesus coming again into Cana of Galilee where he performed his first sign. He was approached by a nobleman who was probably an official in service to the king, probably Herod Antipas the Tetrarch of Galilee. This man possibly could have been Chuza, the king's household manager as referenced in Luke 8:3 (Westcott 78). His son was sick with a fever, near death, and he wanted Jesus to come down to heal him before he died. Capernaum was at a much lower elevation than Cana, hence the phrase "come down." Jesus eventually sends the nobleman on his way home where he would find his child well, and he in fact determines from his servants when he returns that it was indeed the very moment that Jesus told him "your son will live" (53) that he was healed. It is in this account of the second sign of Jesus that we see faith on display from fever relief to family belief.

The Nobleman's Faith Was Conditional

We've all heard of people who had to see something to believe it. This writer was once told stories by his wife (at that time girlfriend) and her father of seeing something crossing the road that looked like a kangaroo. Needless to say, that is something that would have to be seen to be believed in middle Tennessee! A few years after that it was documented that some local deer hunter had killed one and had its picture in a local market. This writer was also driving down the highway one day to see a helicopter perched on top of a powerline tower. Again, that is something that somebody would have to see to believe. We probably all know people like this, and we might even be one of them.

Jesus was confronted with this in dealing with the nobleman. This is what prompted Jesus to say what he did in verse forty-eight. The nobleman seemingly felt that Jesus had to be present to heal his son. Has your faith ever been conditional? Have you ever been like Thomas in John 20:24-29? Remember that before he saw Jesus upon the other disciples' report of seeing the Lord Thomas required visible and physical proof before he would believe. Consider also the reaction of Naaman in 2 Kings 5:11. Before he was obedient, he reacted in a very animated way to the command of dipping seven times in the Jordan river, thinking that the prophet should come in person to stand and call on the name of the Lord and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Paul says "for we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7). Don't let our faith be conditional on what the Lord does or doesn't do for us in times of distress.

The Nobleman's Faith Was Critical

We know what someone means when they say someone is in critical condition, whether they're in the hospital, at home under hospice care, etc. The nobleman's son was critical in the sense that he was near death. We don't know what kind of illness he had but he did have a fever. The nobleman was trying to act before it was too late. Think about this - is it ever too late for Jesus to heal someone? Case in point, look at the story of Lazarus. Martha and Mary both told Jesus if he had been there Lazarus would not have died (John 11:21,32). Jesus proved that he can not only heal the sick but also raise the dead, as he has the power over death.

What are we willing to do to act on our faith? Peter's faith was critical - it caused him to get out of the boat when the Lord called him (Mt. 14:28ff). Yes, he did start sinking, but at least he acted on his belief. As the nobleman's faith was critical in the health of his child, the health of our souls is much more critical than our physical well-being. Don't let a crisis be the only time you act on your faith.

The Nobleman's Faith Was Contagious

Colds and viruses can be contagious, but good things can be contagious as well, such as a smile or great attitude. The nobleman's faith in Christ was contagious. Not only did he believe in Jesus but also his entire household did as well. This reminds me of what we're told of the Philippian jailer in Acts 16, where his whole household was baptized into Christ.

Do we have a contagious faith? We ought to be contagious by sharing our faith with the world, but we certainly need to be contagious around our family. When we're sick, the most likely people to be infected are our families. Passing on our faith to our families makes sense, because they're the most likely to be influenced by us. Consider Noah in Genesis 6. He was unable to save anyone else except for his family. Does that make him a failure? That idea would be absurd. It's a wonderful thing when we can ensure that we are taking our families to Heaven!

It seems that this nobleman had two levels of belief in Jesus: one in his word and two in who he was. It was the result of this encounter with Jesus that went from fever relief to family belief. What will it take for you to believe in Jesus as the Son of God?

Rescue by Refill

We've all heard of the typical things that go wrong at a wedding. You know, like when the bride trips coming down the aisle; the candles won't light properly; the aisle runner won't unroll like it's supposed to; the preacher forgets to have the people sit down (it happened to this writer!). In the case of this particular Scripture of focus, it's not what happened during the wedding but after.

In the custom of Jewish weddings a feast ensued after the marriage ceremony where the bride was actually considered married once she entered this "festive evening meal" (Edersheim 359). It is this wedding feast for which we find the setting for Jesus' first sign in John's gospel, the changing of the water to wine. In the old Mighty Mouse cartoon the animated superhero would yell "here I come to save the day!" Jesus would find himself needing to save the bridegroom from a potential disaster. The reading comes from John 2:1-11 where Jesus is at the wedding with his mother and his disciples in Cana of Galilee. Let's see what happens in this story where we see a "Rescue by Refill."

Jesus Was Aware of the Absence of Wine (1-5)

A host of a party commits a big no-no by running out of food or drink. Knowing how many people are going to attend a function such as this is necessary as proper preparations have to be made to ensure the right quantity of refreshments are available, whether it's a super bowl party, catered meal, etc. The bridegroom made the mistake of running out of wine. It was Jewish custom that the bridegroom was responsible for paying and providing for everything at this event, which could be quite costly. This was an error in etiquette; you've heard of fashion faux pas, but this was feast faux pas!

As if Jesus didn't know it, his mother made sure he was aware of the absence of wine. Much has been said about the manner in which Jesus replied to his mother by calling her "woman," (4) but in that day and time there was not even a hint of disrespect in what he said. He was letting her know that when it was time for him to act he would do so. Notice she believed in him wholeheartedly for she told the servants to do whatever he said. Could she have been reflecting on the fact that she knew this was the Son of God? (Luke 1:35) Even after finding the boy Jesus in the temple, the reply that Jesus must be in his Father's house made Mary treasure all these things in her heart (Luke 2:51) It seems as though her faith in him was concrete to prompt the response "do whatever he tells you" (5).

Jesus Rescued the Day by Refilling the Wine (6-8)

When your beverage runs out at a restaurant you can get a refill. Even when you run out of drinks if you're hosting an event, you can still drive to the nearest store to pick up more. There is no worry about having to say bye bye to your beverage! Life in the first century did not lend itself kindly to resolve a situation such as this. In the midst of a wedding feast if you ran out of wine you couldn't just run down to the local Piggly Wiggly to restock like we would if we needed more drinks. Whether too many people forgot to RSVP or the bridegroom miscalculated on the appropriate amount of wine, he was now in a quantitative quandary!

Jesus rescued the day by refilling the wine. There were six stone water jars nearby which were used for purification. There were all kinds of laws for Jewish purification. The number six represented imperfection to the Jews, but this imperfect representation wasn't used to purify, but to provide the perfect replacement. The book of Hebrews is clear that the New Covenant is in every way better than the Old Covenant, and perhaps Jesus was demonstrating that as he began his ministry with this first sign. The volume of liquid contained in these six jars would be somewhere between 120 and 180 gallons. Jesus made sure the wedding feast went from failing to flourishing.

Jesus Manifested His Glory with the Miraculous Wine (9-11)

Many substances have been changed throughout the ages but only miraculously. If we alter a substance you must add to or take away from the chemical compound. Consider H20, which is water. Add another atom of oxygen and you get a completely new compound called hydrogen peroxide, H2o2. Human beings cannot change the properties of substances miraculously, but God can. Consider the changing of Aaron's staff into the snake or the changing of the water to blood, which were both signs to Pharaoh in the book of Exodus. These were changed miraculously, but not by human beings. Only God has the power to transform properties such as water into wine.

Notice the reaction of the master of the feast to what had happened. As he tasted the wine, he realized what he had just put into his mouth. The custom for Jewish wedding feasts was to use the best wine first, then when guests have had their fill to serve a lesser quality wine. The quality of wine that Jesus provided last exceeded that of what the bridegroom provided first. This writer believes to get into a discussion of whether the wine was fermented or not is fruitless (no pun intended), and it loses sight of the meaning of the sign performed by Christ. However, research has been done and there are methods of preserving the juice of the grape both in unfermented and fermented conditions. The meaning of the better wine is not totally known other than to know it was far better quality than the previous, but it shows just as Merrill C. Tenney writes that Christ is the master of quality (http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/Ted_Hildebrandt/NTeSources/NTArticles/BSac-NT/Tenney-TopicsJohnPt2-BS.pdf).

Jesus manifested his glory and his disciples believed in him. Jesus affirmed that the man who was born blind in John 9 would result in the works of God being displayed in him. The works of Christ being signs, miracles and wonders showed that Jesus truly was the Son of God. Just as John says of the signs of Jesus, "but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:31). His disciples believed in him. Don't look past this statement, because the proof is written for us to believe!

While it does seem interesting that only a handful of people knew what Jesus did at Cana of Galiliee, there is no denying the fact of how amazing this was. Jesus truly showed that he was the master of quality by coming to the rescue as he refilled the wine, even as an upgrade in quality. Jesus' first sign involved him providing what is referred to by many as the blood of the grape to rescue the party. How much more meaningful should it be to us that Jesus later provided his blood to rescue those who would partake in him?

What Tools Do You Use for Bible Study?

I came across an article today that got me to thinking about some different tools which we use for Bible study. Many of us who are preachers use concordances, lexicons, commentaries and other resources to help us in preparation of our lessons. Many people use highlighters to make certain passages stand out in Scripture. Others might use sticky notes to mark certain pages. How many of us use something like razors and glue sticks in our Bible study?

One of the most recognizable names in the history of the United States of America is Thomas Jefferson. He was our third President (1801-1809), he was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, he is one of the faces on Mount Rushmore and he is on the two dollar bill. While he is recognized as one of the greatest figures in the history of the United States, there is something many people don't recognize him for that can be quite troubling.

Thomas Jefferson was an individual who didn't believe a lot of what is in Scripture. He didn't believe in the virgin birth, the divine healings, the exorcisms and resurrections from the dead. It is stated that he felt these parts of the Bible were "superstitions, fantacisms and fabrications" (http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/11/my-take-how-thomas-jeffersons-secret-bible-might-have-changed-history)

With a razor and glue brush in hand Thomas Jefferson would set out to create his own version of the Bible for his private study by cutting out the passages he didn't believe and glue the ones he wanted to keep in his perceived order. He aligned all of these using English, French, Greek and Latin translations. I've heard of picking and choosing, but this puts a whole different perspective on that.

We are told by an inspired Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 "all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." It is not our liberty to believe some parts of Scripture and cut out what we want to dismiss. Even with some of our older generation who have viewed the Old Testament as unnecessary for us today, I have heard statements like "I don't want that Old Bible because we don't go by that," yet Paul told us "for whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Romans 15:4)

The next time you sit down to study your Bible, what will you use? A highlighter or a razor? Will you accentuate or will you eliminate? The choice is yours!