May 19, 2009

Hanging around with Jesus was never boring! The disciples had barely cleaned up the crumbs after the miraculous feeding of thousands of people from one humble lunch, than they received a lesson on the lake. Here's the story:

"When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid." Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading." John 6:16-21

Jesus became an instant favorite of 5,000+ people who had just received a free lunch. They wanted another. He knew they intended to make Him into their king, so He disappeared into the mountains after He sent the disciples off in their boat.

When they were halfway across the lake a ferocious storm blew in. Even though they were experienced with handling a boat, and even though they rowed hard against the storm, they were at the mercy of the waves and about to sink. I am sure they were praying and crying out to God, but I don't think they expected what happened - Jesus walking to them across the waves! Walking on calm water is a miracle. Walking on the waves during a storm is uber-miraculous!

In addition to having their lives saved, here are some significant things they learned:

1) Jesus always knows where we are - even when we aren't sure where He is!

2) Jesus will never let us go to a place where He can't reach us. That is because He loves us and because there is no place He can't reach! Even in the middle of a storm!

3) Jesus doesn't always save us FROM the storm but He will always save us IN the storm.

4) Jesus doesn't deliver us until we welcome Him into our boat.

5) Jesus brought them safely to their destination on the other side.

If you have ever suffered through a storm, you can appreciate the lessons on the lake. What Jesus did for them He will do for you!

Have you welcomed Him into your boat?

May 18, 2009

Did you know that Wonder Bread is in the Bible?

Reading in John 6, the first 15 verses. Jesus is ministering in Galilee. In one of my previous posts I talked about how many of His miracles happened there in that region. Another one is about to happen. This one was a result of the success He was having. Even though He tried to sneak away to spend some time teaching His disciples, a crowd followed Him. Not just a crowd - a great crowd - great hungry crowd with nothing to eat. Big problem!

Maybe a problem for you. Maybe a problem for me. But not a problem for Jesus. For Him it was an opportunity for a miracle.

As I read this I saw some interesting insights about how miracles happen:

First, there was a great need. Philip was sensitive to the needs of the people and recognized that something had to be done. There has never been a miracle without a need. Nor has there been a miracle unless some concerned person recognized that need. Are you facing a need? You may be a candidate for a miracle!

Second, there was a great deed. Andrew found one little boy who had brought a lunch. That youngster was willing to give up his lunch to meet the need. Five loves and two fish was a humble lunch, but in Jesus' hands those five loaves became Wonder Bread! No miracle ever happens unless someone is willing to respond to a need. Miracles may provide something you don't have, but they derive from something of ours that we are willing to give to Jesus. What is in your hand?

Next, there was a great feed. Jesus took the humble lunch and turned it into an all you can eat buffet! Thousands of hungry people ate until they were full and when the disciples gathered up the leftovers they still had twelve times more that they started with! Twelve baskets and twelve disciples - hmmmmmm! God's power always exceeds the need!

The Feeding of the Five Thousands is one of the best known and most popular miracles in all of the Bible! But it also one of the most illustrative!

We learn that when there is a great need that is sensed by a few, and when there is a great deed by a committed person, Jesus can meet a great need! That is the mixture that makes a miracle!

May 17, 2009

I read this on ESPN written by the Rick Reilly. This is a touching story and a perfect picture of what a church should be:They played the oddest game in high school football history last month down in Grapevine, Texas.

It was Grapevine Faith vs. Gainesville State School and everything about it was upside down. For instance, when Gainesville came out to take the field, the Faith fans made a 40-yard spirit line for them to run through. Did you hear that, the other team's fans?

They even made a banner for players to crash through at the end. It said, "Go Tornadoes!" Which is also weird, because Faith is the Lions.

It was rivers running uphill and cats petting dogs. More than 200 Faith fans sat on the Gainesville side and kept cheering the Gainesville players on—by name.

"I never in my life thought I'd hear people cheering for us to hit their kids," recalls Gainesville's QB and middle linebacker, Isaiah. "I wouldn't expect another parent to tell somebody to hit their kids. But they wanted us to!" And even though Faith walloped them 33-14, the Gainesville kids were so happy that after the game they gave head coach Mark Williams a sideline squirt-bottle shower like he'd just won state. Gotta be the first Gatorade bath in history for an 0-9 coach.

But then you saw the 12 uniformed officers escorting the 14 Gainesville players off the field and two and two started to make four. They lined the players up in groups of five—handcuffs ready in their back pockets—and marched them to the team bus. That's because Gainesville is a maximum-security correctional facility 75 miles north of Dallas. Every game it plays is on the road.

This all started when Faith's head coach, Kris Hogan, wanted to do something kind for the Gainesville team. Faith had never played Gainesville, but he already knew the score. After all, Faith was 7-2 going into the game, Gainesville 0-8 with 2 TDs all year. Faith has 70 kids, 11 coaches, the latest equipment and involved parents. Gainesville has a lot of kids with convictions for drugs, assault and robbery—many of whose families had disowned them—wearing seven-year-old shoulder pads and ancient helmets.

So Hogan had this idea. What if half of our fans—for one night only—cheered for the other team? He sent out an email asking the Faithful to do just that. "Here's the message I want you to send:" Hogan wrote. "You are just as valuable as any other person on planet Earth." Some people were naturally confused. One Faith player walked into Hogan's office and asked, "Coach, why are we doing this?"

And Hogan said, "Imagine if you didn't have a home life. Imagine if everybody had pretty much given up on you. Now imagine what it would mean for hundreds of people to suddenly believe in you." Next thing you know, the Gainesville Tornadoes were turning around on their bench to see something they never had before - hundreds of fans. And actual cheerleaders!

"I thought maybe they were confused," said Alex, a Gainesville lineman (only first names are released by the prison). "They started yelling 'DEE-fense!' when their team had the ball. I said, 'What? Why they cheerin' for us?'"

It was a strange experience for boys who most people cross the street to avoid. "We can tell people are a little afraid of us when we come to the games," says Gerald, a lineman who will wind up doing more than three years. "You can see it in their eyes. They're lookin' at us like we're criminals. But these people, they were yellin' for us! By our names!"

Maybe it figures that Gainesville played better than it had all season, scoring the game's last two touchdowns. Of course, this might be because Hogan put his third-string nose guard at safety and his third-string cornerback at defensive end. Still.

After the game, both teams gathered in the middle of the field to pray and that's when Isaiah surprised everybody by asking to lead. "We had no idea what the kid was going to say," remembers Coach Hogan. But Isaiah said this: "Lord, I don't know how this happened, so I don't know how to say thank You, but I never would've known there was so many people in the world that cared about us."

And it was a good thing everybody's heads were bowed because they might've seen Hogan wiping away tears. As the Tornadoes walked back to their bus under guard, they each were handed a bag for the ride home—a burger, some fries, a soda, some candy, a Bible and an encouraging letter from a Faith player.

The Gainesville coach saw Hogan, grabbed him hard by the shoulders and said, "You'll never know what your people did for these kids tonight. You'll never, ever know."

And as the bus pulled away, all the Gainesville players crammed to one side and pressed their hands to the window, staring at these people they'd never met before, watching their waves and smiles disappearing into the night.

Wow! Do people feel like that as they leave FWC on Sunday?

May 16, 2009

“Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” I John 2:6

Discipleship is a walk, a very distinctive walk, patterned after the life and teachings of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Discipleship is taking a stand for what is right and what is healthy. Where does one get the strength to stand and to walk? From the nourishment that is received daily in the dining room!

I have been accused of having a distinctive walk.

One time Barbara and I were attending a large interdenominational conference in Colorado Springs. We were a few minutes late as we entered the huge auditorium where the evening service was being held. They had already brought the house lights down making it difficult to spot the empty seats. As we were cautiously making our way down the aisle I heard a voice whisper, “Brad! Brad Snyder! Is that you?” It was a couple that I had not seen in years! We quickly arranged to meet after the service.

As we came together later that evening, I asked them how they could recognize me in such a large crowd in a dark auditorium. They chuckled, “Are you kidding? We would recognize that walk anywhere!”

I was glad they did because it was good to see them and we had a great time!

If you had squatted behind the plate to catch as many baseball games as I have, you might walk funny, too!

Actually, I am not sure I can get off the hook that easily because unfortunately, my younger son walks that way, too.

Even more unfortunately, my daughter kind of does, too. You could pick them each out of a crowd.

Seriously, it does matter how we walk. It especially matters how we walk in our spiritual walk. People do notice. So does God.

Just as my kids have a walk like mine, God calls His children to walk like Jesus. People ought to be able to recognize us as His kids by the way we walk.

That walk is often referred to as “discipleship”.

Have you ever played “Follow the Leader”? I am sure you have!

What happens in that game? One person is designated as the leader and everyone else must do exactly what the leader does! Those who follow the leader win the game and those who don’t lose.

Can you see the similarity to discipleship? As disciples we are called to walk in the path of Jesus as we follow the Leader.

If you can win at “Follow the Leader”, you have what it takes to be a disciple. It will just require regular trips to the dining room!

Here at FredWes, we are committed to spending ample time with you in the dining room so we can give you an HD understanding of how to walk as a disciple and then, eventually, lead others in that distinctive walk.

May 15, 2009

How many things do you do by the book? I know that I usually read the instructions as a last resort.

Reading in II Kings 22-23 this morning I was reminded of the value of "doing it by the book".

After Josiah became King of Judah, the Book of the Law was discovered in the Temple. The fact that the Book had become lost in the Temple is pretty sad commentary on the condition of God's people and the previous Kings.

Why was Josiah able to discover the Book when no one else could? Maybe the answer is found in II Kings 22:2 - "He did right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or the left."

Josiah rejoiced when the news came that God's Book had been found. He received it with joy and had it read in his hearing. Then he called together the people of Judah and had it read in their hearing. Once they were reminded of the Covenant God had made with them, Josiah dedicated himself to destroying all the shrines, altars, and idols to the pagan gods who were being worshipped by the people of God. Then he rounded up the mediums and spiritists and had them killed. It is heart-breaking to see how far this mighty nation had fallen because they failed to "do it by the Book". Their evil and depravity was breath-taking.

After all the symbols of evil and evil influencers were destroyed, Josiah ordered the nation to observe the Passover. Josiah was using his leadership to turn his people back to God, but it is hard to overcome years of spiritual neglect and ignorance of God's truth.

This story reminded me of how important it is to do life according to the Book. I have a fresh appreciation for Psalm 119:

"Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD. Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me. How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."

The fact that you are reading this post shows that you have some interest in the Truth. So, like Josiah, I challenge you to live by the Book, to tear down the idols and altars in your heart, and walk in the joy and freedom of the Truth.

May 14,2009

Back in my baseball playing days, I would ocassionally hit a pitch on the "sweet spot". Every baseball bat has a spot where when it connects with the ball it launches it with maximum velocity. I'm not sure exactly why that is so, but I know it is because I would see the ball fly further than usual without swinging the bat harder than usual. To catch one on the "sweet spot" is....well.....SWEET!

The same is true in golf. A golfer lives to catch one on the "sweet spot" and hear that unmistakeable sound and watch the amazing way the ball flies straight and long!

Once you find the "sweet spot" on the bat or on the club, you try your best to hit the ball there every time you swing it!

I thought of that because as I was reading in the first few chapters of John I was noticing all the miracles that Jesus was doing while in Galilee. His first miracle was at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. One of his first converts was a woman at a well while on His way to Galilee. That conversion brought a revival to that area of Samaria in the region near Galilee.

Noticing that I did some research and found out that about 75% of Jesus' recorded miracles happened in Galilee. See the map above and notice the red triangle, it marks Jesus' ministry
"sweet spot".

His disciples also came from that area. John the Baptist had preceded Him in that area. I'm sure those two factors contributed to His high rate of results in that area. I'm going to do more investigation and see what other factors were involved.

It begs the question, "Did Jesus focus His ministry here because it was a "sweet spot" or did it become a "sweet spot" because He focused His ministry there. I suspect it was a little of both. That also merits further research.

But, for the purpose of this article, I want to concentrate on this thought about ministry "sweet spots". I believe everyone has one. Sometimes it is a geographical area, sometimes it is a ministry gift or anointing, sometimes it is ministry partner or team, sometimes it all the above.

Jesus had three years to accomplish His mission on earth. He couldn't afford to spend it in His "sweet spot". Even though your mission is more extended, you can't affor to waste time or efforts. So, know your "sweet spot".

What is your "sweet spot"? Where is it? Are you there? What must you do to get there?

May 13, 2009

John 4 has one of the first and best examples of personal evangelism. Witness how to witness!

In Acts 1:8, the last words of Jesus before He left Planet Earth were “…..you shall be my witnesses….”

You see, the issue for every Christian is not, “Will you be a witness?” The issue is, “What sort of witness are you?”

Since your actions, words and attitudes are witnessing every day to the people you work around, live around, do business with, or play around, God thinks it is important to get it right. Your witness is either drawing people closer to believing in Christ or driving them further away from faith.

Wouldn’t you like to learn how to turn your witness into evangelism opportunities? Since you will be witnessing anyway, why not learn to make it count for the Kingdom of God?

In the Scripture lesson today, you will pick up some tips from the Master Evangelist, Himself. Learn these and live these and you, too, can become a soul-winner!

Pray For Lost People

Prayerfully take the time to sit down and write the names of five lost people you long to see come to faith in Christ. Pray for their salvation every day.

My Target List

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Claim Their Salvation:

Pray according to I John 5:13-15 –

Pray according to II Peter 3:9 –

Pray For Divine Appointments

Ask God to arrange opportunities to have meaningful encounters with lost people that day. Expect Him to do it!

Then, learn from Jesus in John 4:

Be Intentional, John 4:1-5

Jesus went way out of his way to end up in a little town in Samaria.

Why was this unusual?

What did He have in mind?

Be Strategic, John 4:6

Jesus knew that respectable people, church-going folks, came to draw water in the morning and in the evening. Only outcasts came to the well in the heat of the day.

Why do you suppose Jesus wanted to be there at the hottest part of the day?

If you want to reach lost people, should you wait and pray that they come to you or should you develop a strategy to be where they are?

Be Inconvenienced, John 4:6

Jesus walked out of his way to sit in the hot sun and wait around for a thirsty person to show up.

Ask, “When was the last time I made time to connect with an unsaved person?”

Be Engaging, John 4:7-15

Discuss ways that Jesus engaged this woman in a conversation. What was the result? What are some keys to engaging others in a spiritual conversation?

Be Transparent, John 4:9-15

Be willing to share your testimony. Talk about how your faith has helped you in your real life battles.

Write out your testimony into a two or three minute presentation and memorize it show you are ready to share.

Be Graciously Bold, John 4:16-26

Jesus lovingly confronted her with her need for salvation and didn’t allow her objections to throw Him off track. He showed her how she could find peace and joy in her life.

Know a step-by-step soul-winning plan so you are prepared to lead someone to faith in Christ. Ask Pastor Brad or any of the pastors to help you with this.

Don’t force the opportunity to present the Gospel, but be politely persistent with them, as Jesus was with this woman. If they continue to resist, graciously thank them and tell them how much you enjoyed spending this time with them. Let them know you always welcome the chance to talk about spiritual issues.

Continue to pray for their salvation.

This story had a happy ending. This dear woman put her faith in Christ and was so transformed by Him that she became a witness to her entire village! Because of her witness many others believed.

Not all of Jesus’ encounters had happy endings. Neither will yours. But He was always a good witness and He always worked these eight steps into His daily routine.

Will you be willing to become a better witness?

You can incorporate these steps into your daily routine without seriously changing your schedule. Why wouldn’t you do this?

When will you begin?