Greater Things?

By Mike DeVries

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
John 14:12

I don’t know about you, but this verse has always bothered me.

Perhaps you’re like me. When I read this statement by Jesus, I keep coming back to the same question. Is He really saying what it appears He is saying? Are we really supposed to do “greater things” than Jesus did while He was on earth? It just seems impossible, doesn’t it? I mean here is a person who healed all kinds of sickness and ailments, cast out demons, even raised people from the dead, yet He is making the most amazing statement.

“They will do even greater things than these...” Is He serious? Yes.
Imagine what was going through the disciples’ minds. “Us? Even greater things than we’ve seen You do? Are you serious, Jesus?” Yes, He is.

Being Led by the Holy Spirit

And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched He their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened.… Matthew 9:27-30

It may be hard for you to believe, but most of what we have done in life has been initiated by us, not by the Spirit of God. After the ball is rolling and we've already started "doing our thing," that's usually when we pray and ask God to bless what we have initiated. We just assume that it is His will because it seems like such a good idea. No wonder we have such poor results!

Who Was the Naked Boy In the Garden of Gethsemane?

And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: and he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked. -- Mark 14:51,52

Just about the time Jesus was finished healing the ear of the servant of the high priest named Malchus, the Gospel of Mark tells us a naked young man was found in the Garden of Gethsemane. Mark 14:51,52 says, "And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: and he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked." 

Who was this young man? Why was he following Jesus? Why was he naked? Why was he draped in a linen cloth instead of wearing normal clothes? And why was the Holy Spirit so careful to include this unique story in Mark's account of the Gospel? What is the significance of this event? 

God Does His Best Work in Caves

By Robin Dugall

David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. 

1 Samuel 22:1
Discouragement is a common emotion to us and is one of the great enemies of the Christ-following experience. It is an enemy of personal drive and vision. It is a cancer that will pull enthusiasm and joy right out of you. But it is also a test because how you respond to discouragement when things are not going well is one of the most important challenges that you will ever face as a person who loves and follows Jesus.

During the reign of King Saul, a prophet of God, Samuel, anointed young David as the future king of Israel. Even before he became king, the people of the kingdom fell in love with David. Everything he touched turned to gold. He was victorious over one of Israel’s most feared enemies, Goliath. When King Saul struggled with emotional issues, David was there to comfort him. If there was ever a guy who was on a roll, it was David. It appeared that nothing could go wrong for him. Then, one by one, the tables turned. Look over this litany of loss in David’s life:

Why Our Walk With Jesus Seems So Hard Some Days

Written by Rev. Daniel Forster

“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (John 15:19)
Somehow upon receiving the freedom that comes when we accept Christ into our lives, we come up with a false notion that following Jesus is going to be easy. Because of this false notion, many folks who decide to give their lives to Christ end up returning to the life they were saved from. The enemy plants lies in their heads – that God is not with them or that the freedom they briefly experienced was not meant for them.

All we have to do is look at what Jesus faced and come to terms with the fact that we will face these things too. It is not that God is not with us, nor is His grace is unobtainable. These lies are tools used by the enemy to deceive us. There are four things I want to share with you today, that Jesus experienced and we will too.

My Favorite Teacher

"Watch out if you get Miss Linder," said a boy in fifth grade. "She's the meanest teacher in the school." I was in third grade then and didn't worry about Miss Irma Linder. But when I entered fifth grade, I was assigned to her class. 

She was tough. Mean. Demanding. She had eyes that saw everything we did, even with her back to us. But despite it all, Miss Linder was my favorite teacher in grade school. I learned more from her than any of the others. She had a way of making me want to learn. When I did less than my best, I had the feeling that I had let her down as much as I had let myself down. 

Since then, I've had other teachers I've loved or admired. But there's no question about my all-time, lifelong favorite teacher. His name is Jesus. Even his enemies called him "teacher" (rabbi) and recognized his great skill of communicating truth to his hearers. 

When I talk to my Favorite Teacher, I hear myself begin sentence after sentence with, "Teach me...." Those are sincere words and express my heart's desire. I want to learn and I believe my Favorite Teacher wants me to learn.

We Are Already Blessed. Three mighty steps to abundance that Peter followed.

Luke 5:1-11 (KJV) And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him

Listen to the Word.

"And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship."

Let Jesus teach you how to live, how to act. How to run your life and your business.

Listen to Jesus.

"nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net"

No matter what you have tried in life, no matter what you have in life, no matter what you are facing in life, do as the Lord leads and your life will be blessed.

JOHN: From Son Of Thunder To Apostle Of Love

Holiday Experience 

Young John, a son of Zebedee, was on vacation from his family’s fishing business. He and his friend and business associate, Andrew, had come from Galilee to the Jordan River east of Jerusalem.¹ They had been drawn to the stirring preaching of another John, a prophet, who was attracting crowds with his fervent denunciations of wickedness.² His theme was “Prepare the way of the Lord,” ³ and he was baptizing those who came to him in sincere repentance.⁴ When quizzed by the religious authorities, he disclaimed being the Messiah or the prophet many were looking for ⁵ as they chafed under the Roman yoke. He was, so he stated, simply a voice crying in the wilderness.⁶

The two friends’ curiosity was piqued one afternoon by an event they witnessed while standing with John the Baptist. As a Man walked by, John the Baptist exclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God!” ⁷ The previous day he had called attention to this Man by referring to Him as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” ⁸ Enough said. The two young men left John and followed this Stranger.⁹ When He asked what they were seeking, they asked where He was staying and were welcomed to come and see. They spent the day with Him.¹⁰ But more than that, this encounter made a lasting impact, changing their lives forever.

Follow Me! 

Vacation was over, and John was back home engrossed in the family fishing business with his father Zebedee, his brother James, their partners Simon and Andrew, and the hired men.¹¹ Jesus came by and borrowed Simon’s boat to use as He addressed the crowd. He compensated Simon by giving him a huge catch of fish, so many that his boat couldn’t hold them. James and John helped.¹²

When it was time to mend the nets, Jesus came by and said, “Follow Me” to both sets of brothers. Business couldn’t have been better, but Zebedee and the hired men would have to manage without them. Young John, his brother James, their business associates Andrew and his brother Simon, whom Jesus had called Peter (a stone) left all and followed this magnetic Stranger, the Lamb of God! ¹³

Tremendous Experiences 

Following Jesus brought tremendous experiences. First came a wedding at Cana where, without any fanfare, Jesus turned six large containers of water into delectable wine. The joyful feast could continue without embarrassment to its host. His disciples believed in Him! ¹⁴ And as the weeks rolled by, they witnessed Him healing the sick, cleansing lepers, even casting out demons.¹⁵ They heard Him teach with authority, unlike their scribes and Pharisees who leaned on precedent and opinions of men.¹⁶

When huge crowds followed Jesus they took part in passing out the vast quantity of food He produced from just a few small loaves and fish – and could afterwards gathered the leftovers.¹⁷ They rode out fearful storms, and saw Him walking on the rough sea ¹⁸ and calming it with His voice, as if it had been an excited puppy: “Peace, be still!” ¹⁹

John, his brother James, and their friend Simon Peter were given special favors by the Lord. They accompanied Him into the home of Jairus, a synagogue ruler whose daughter had died. They saw Jesus bring her back to life.²⁰ They climbed a mountain with Him, and fell asleep as He was praying. Awakening, they saw Moses and Elijah, and even entered into the cloud of God’s glory and heard God Himself speak to them – an awesome experience, but also a bit scary! ²¹ And life went on – never a dull moment.

Proud Ambition 

Young John was ambitious and a bit pushy. After the experience on the mountaintop and a humbling one in the valley below, he soon informed Jesus how he and his fellow disciples had forbidden a man who was casting out demons in Jesus’ name to do so: “We forbade him because he does not follow us.” The Lord replied, “Do not forbid him ... He who is not against us is on our side.” ²² How easily we let privilege go to our head! How readily we attack, downgrade or try to stop the service of those who do not follow us!

But worse was yet to come, as is illustrated when the Lord, who knows our hearts, called Zebedee’s two sons the “Sons of Thunder.” When passing through Samaria – a distasteful thing for any red-blooded Jew – the Lord and His disciples were refused accommodation because they were headed toward Jerusalem. James and John were furious: “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” They could have said, “We have scriptural precedent.²³ Elijah didn’t take such treatment lying down! You’ve given us power! Now let us use it!” But the Lord rebuked them: “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And we read that “they went to another village.” ²⁴

Repeatedly, the disciples argued among themselves which of them would be the greatest in the coming kingdom.²⁵ Once, James and John enlisted their mother’s help. Kneeling, she requested of the Lord that one of her two sons might sit at His right hand and the other at His left, in the coming kingdom. Needless to say, this request was not granted. But it certainly did not endear these two brothers to their fellow disciples.²⁶

Near the Lord 

Thankfully, there is a better side to this picture. John truly loved the Lord. He never states this, but it is plain to see. In his Gospel in later years, he repeatedly wrote of himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” ²⁷ In his first epistle he tells us, “We love Him because He first loved us.” Some manuscripts read, “We love because He first loved us.” ²⁸

Love did not originate with us. Our love is a response to His. As we learn to appreciate His love, love is awakened in us – toward Him, and to others. He becomes important. We are satisfied to fade into the background. John also refers to himself as “the other disciple.” ²⁹When named with others, his name is not first, contrary to human nature which strives to be first.

On the night before the cross, we find John “leaning on Jesus’ bosom” asking that question too touchy for anyone else to ask.³⁰ The next day he is the only disciple present at the cross, the one to whom Jesus can entrust the care of His mother. (He carries out this trust the rest of her life.) ³¹

He outruns Peter to the tomb.³² He is the first to recognize Jesus early in the morning on the seashore.³³ And at the end of his gospel we read that “Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, ‘Lord, who is the one who betrays You?’” He is still following, and drinking in His words.³⁴ He writes of “contemplating” the Lord,³⁵ a term that not only suggests nearness, but also intimacy, consideration and a true appreciation of who He is.

Apostle Of Love 

Indeed, once the Lord had ascended to heaven and sent down the Holy Spirit to empower His followers, we find John eager to share the Lord. He and Peter heal the lame beggar in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.³⁶ They preach the gospel to the crowd drawn together by this miracle,³⁷ and the next day they boldly preach Christ to the priests and rulers who had occasioned His crucifixion.³⁸ They endure threats and beatings.³⁹

John is one of the apostles we now see “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” ⁴⁰ No longer does he want to call down fire on the adversaries. Now he and Peter pray for and lay their hands on Samaritans that have believed, so that these too may receive the Holy Spirit.⁴¹ The two preach “the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.” ⁴² And young as he is, John is one of the pillars in the assembly at Jerusalem.⁴³

Years later, when he is old and the last of the apostles alive, he is still suffering “for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” ⁴⁴ The Lord commissions him to write letters to “the seven churches which are in Asia” ⁴⁵ and ultimately five books of the New Testament.

His love shines out, especially in his letters. He writes to the brethren as “little children.” ⁴⁶ His purpose in writing is that their “joy may be full.” ⁴⁷ He writes about the love of God,⁴⁸ the love of the Father,⁴⁹ loving in deed and in truth,⁵⁰ loving our brother ⁵¹ and loving one another.⁵² He warns against those who do not abide in the doctrine of Christ.⁵³ He rejoices to hear of children walking in truth,⁵⁴ is grieved about domineering Diotrephes,⁵⁵ commends faithful Demetrius,⁵⁶ and encourages godly Gaius who shows practical love to the Lord’s servants who come visit.⁵⁷ For believers He counters false teaching of his day with sound teaching, always presenting Christ. For unbelievers he writes a magnificent gospel booklet, the Gospel of John. Its profound depths thrill the hearts of believers as well.

What a transformation! Nearness to the Lord Jesus and occupation with Him transformed the hot-headed Son of Thunder into an Apostle of Love. Let us learn from him and go and do likewise.

END NOTES
1. Jn. 1:28 2. Mt. 3:5 3. Mt. 3:3 NKJV 4. Mt.3:6-8; Mk. 1:5 5. Jn. 1:19-22 6. Jn. 1:23 7. Jn. 1:35-36 8. Jn. 1:29 9. Jn. 1:37 10. Jn. 1:38-39 11. Mk 1:16-20 12. Lk. 5:17 13. Mk. 1:19-20 14. Jn. 2:1-11 15. Mk 1:21-45 16. Mt. 7:28-29 17. Jn. 6:1-13 18. Jn. 6:19 19. Mk 4:37-41	20. Lk 8:41-56 21. Lk. 9:28-36 22. Mk. 9:38-40 23. Lk. 9:54; 2 Ki. 1:9-12 24. Lk. 9:51-56 25. Mk. 9:33-34; 22:24 26. Mt. 20:20-24 27. Jn. 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7,20 28. 1 Jn. 4:19 NIV, NASB, NT 29. Jn. 20:3-8 30. Jn. 13:21-26 31. Jn. 19:25-27 32. Jn. 20:4 33. Jn. 21:7 34. Jn. 21:20-23 35. Jn. 1:14; 1 Jn. 1:1 NT 36. Acts 3:1-8 37. Acts 3:11-26 38. Acts 4:5-13	39. Acts 4:18-21; 5:40 40. Acts 5:41 41. Acts 8:14-17 42. Acts 8.25 43. Gal. 2:9 44. Rev. 1:9 45. Rev. 1:11,19 46. 1 Jn. 2:1,12; 3:18 47. 1 Jn. 1:4 48. 1 Jn. 4:9 49. 1 Jn. 2:15;3:1 50. 1 Jn. 3:18 51. 1 Jn. 3:14 52. 1 Jn. 4:7,12 53. 2 Jn. 9 54. 2 Jn. 4; 3 Jn. 4 55. 3 Jn. 9-11 56. 3 Jn. 12 57. 3 Jn. 5-8 http://www.gtpress.org/gtweb/gtmag/mag05/feb05/feature2.html