Burunche’s Blog

John 1:43-51 Philip and Nathanael

“The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”

Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

All Nathanael’s life, he had been longing to see God’s Messiah. When Nathanael was a little boy, he dreamed of Messiah riding into Jerusalem on a white horse at the head of a conquering army of angels. But each day, Nathanael saw nothing but Roman soldiers swaggering through the streets, and when he entered the temple, he saw only the same pompous religious leaders with their supercilious attitudes. Nathanael loved God, but he wasn’t so sure that those claiming to represent God actually knew anything about Him.

When Nathanael’s friend Philip came dashing up to him, Nathanael was sitting under his fig tree, enjoying the cool breeze and the soft sounds the wind made as the leaves rustled. Philip was so excited that he was breathless and gasped, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

“Sure, Philip,” Nathanael replied, “how many false Messiahs have we heard about in the last few months?”

“No, Nathanael,” Philip answered, “you’ve got to meet this guy! Jesus of Nazareth is the real deal!”

“Nazareth?” Nathanael squinted at Philip. “Nazareth? Philip, you are kidding! Can anything good come out of Nazareth, that dingy insignificant little Galilean village? Nazareth? O.K., Philip, if you say so, I’ll come with you. But frankly, I think you’ve lost your mind.”

Philip led Nathanael to Jesus. Just one look at Nathanael and Jesus knew he was meeting a skeptic. Was Jesus worried? Of course not. As Nathanael was approaching, the Holy Spirit was speaking to Jesus’ heart, telling him all about Nathanael, how much Nathanael loved God, and how Nathanael had spent his whole life longing to see true holiness and to see Messiah. Jesus knew Nathanael was a good man who simply had become discouraged and frustrated.

“Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” As Nathanael approached, Jesus immediately took control of the situation by announcing the insights the Holy Spirit had given him regarding Nathanael’s character.

Nathanael’s response was short and to the point. “Say what? Man, how do you know me? I’ve never met you before!”

“Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Nathanael was completely convinced. Here was the Messiah for whom his heart had longed. How wonderful and glorious! What’s interesting is that when Jesus called his twelve disciples, he called Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Judas Iscariot, Matthew, Thomas, James, the son of Alpheus, Bartholomew, Judas Thaddeus, and Simon Zelotes. Nathanael was not among the twelve disciples. What happened to Nathanael? Did Nathanael have family obligations that kept him from becoming one of the twelve. Was Nathanael one of those who joined Jesus intermittently, helping when he could and then returning home to care for his family?

Although we never hear of Nathanael again, we do hear about Philip. Acts 8:26-40 tells of how the Holy Spirit ordered Philip to go to the desert road between Jerusalem and Gaza, where he witnessed to an important official from the Ethiopian court, leading him to faith in Jesus and baptizing him. As soon as the baptism was completed, the Holy Spirit picked up Philip, sending him to Azotus. Philip disappeared from the sight of the Ethiopian official, but the official went on his way rejoicing in his new faith.

Nathanael nearly missed meeting the Messiah, the object of his heart’s desire, because of his prejudices. We too can fall into the same mistake, longing and praying for something, only to nearly miss out when God answers our prayers in an unexpected fashion, perhaps from an unlikely source. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, many of the religious leaders refused to accept him as Messiah because they failed to investigate his origins to realize that he fulfilled all the prophecies. We want God to perform for us, to do signs and wonders so that we will have glorious testimonies for the rest of our lives. Meanwhile, God enters our lives softly, simply, and humbly. Look in your heart. Have you been praying for something for a long time, but you feel that God has not answered in any fashion? Is there anything small God has been asking you to do that you have ignored because you didn’t want to be bothered?

2 Kings 5 tells the story of Naaman, an important Syrian army commander with leprosy who nearly missed his healing because the prophet Elisha told him to dip in the Jordan River seven times. Unimpressed by the Jordan, Naaman was ready to go home when his servants advised him to try following Elisha’s instructions. Grumbling as he did so, Naaman dipped himself seven times in the Jordan and was healed. Today, search your heart. Are you behaving like Nathanael and Naaman? God is in small things as well as big ones. Obey whatever God has told you to do and see what happens. You might be stunned with the results.  

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to remember that You are in small details as well as big ones. Help us to obey, even when Your instructions don’t line up with our prejudices. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

John 1:35-41 The First Disciples

“Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”

They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”

He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).

One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.

Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, “A Stone”).

Before Jesus ever came on the scene, John the Baptist already had attracted disciples, men who were hungry for a real encounter with God. These men had been following John for some time, listening to him, repenting, and being baptized, and then continuing to watch and learn. But things were about to change.

“Again, the next day, (the day after Jesus had been baptized), John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”

They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”

He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).” One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.

Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, “A Stone”).

What’s interesting is John’s reaction to his disciples leaving him for Jesus. At no point do we ever hear that John became offended at the desertion of some disciples, nor did John restrain his disciples from following Jesus. Why? The key to John’s acceptance of Jesus is found in John1:26-27 “John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”

John already knew that Jesus’ ministry would supersede his. Many of John’s disciples remained with him; however, John himself pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God. Later, John would further instruct his disciples. John 3:26-30 “And they (John’s disciples) came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”

John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” 

The chorus to Kenny Rogers’ famous country song “The Gambler,” advises us, “You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em.”  Even at the beginning of ministry, John the Baptist knew that eventually, his work would be completed. Some of John’s disciples weren’t so certain; after all, hundreds of thousands of people had been flocking to hear John and to be baptized. John was incredibly popular, so why couldn’t John keep pursuing his ministry indefinitely? But John knew better, and he advised his disciples that “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Read more of John the Baptist’s story, and you realize that eventually John is slaughtered to satisfy a wicked vengeful woman. There’s no happy ending to this story…or so it seems. But looking at John the Baptist from an eternal viewpoint, John was an unqualified success. John did exactly what God had called him to do and when it was time to hand over to Jesus, John did it humbly, simply, and graciously. May God help each of us, so that when the time comes for us to hand over to others, we will behave as well.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to remember that You call us to tasks but that You also change Your calling with time. Help us, that when the time comes, we will be able to hand over humbly, simply, and graciously as did John the Baptist. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

John 1:29-34 The Lamb of God

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.”

And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

Matthew 3:13-17 John Baptizes Jesus

“Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Consider John the Baptist: John was born to an upper-class priestly family, presumably gaining an excellent education, and then moved to the wilderness, where he might have lived with the Essenes. Somewhere along the line, God called John to begin preaching a message of the need for repentance and baptizing those who repented in the Jordan River. Such acts were unheard of until John began his ministry. God told John that John was to prepare the way for the Lamb of God, God’s Son, who would come to deliver the world from its sins. As John was following God’s leading, he was waiting, waiting for a Man to appear. God had told John that John was preparing the way for Messiah, and that John would know when Messiah arrived because John would see the Holy Spirit descending and remaining on Him.  

So, every day John continued to preach and to baptize, scanning the crowds. How was John to know when the Holy Spirit would descend? Would Messiah come wearing a halo or would His face blaze with a holy light? Would Messiah be unusually handsome or homely? Night after night, John prayed, begging God for more information, but God wasn’t answering.

Then came the day when Jesus, John’s cousin, approached. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit in the guise of a dove fluttered down, landing on Jesus’ shoulder. John tried to argue with Jesus that Jesus should be baptizing John and not the other way around, but Jesus insisted John baptize him. Then God the Father spoke from heaven with a voice like thunder, saying, “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

One of the hardest things John had to do after baptizing Jesus might have been continuing to preach and baptize the rest of the crowd, not only that day, but for the rest of his ministry until he was thrown into jail by Herod. Now John knew the identity of God’s Son, and he knew he had been called to prepare the way for Jesus. But now that Jesus was on the scene, was John’s work finished? What was John to do about all these other people who were coming to hear him and be baptized?

According to the Gospels, John continued to preach and baptize until Herod arrested him after John confronted Herod for his adultery. Matthew 4;12-17 tells us, “Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

What can we learn from John’s actions? Only God can say when we have completely fulfilled His purposes. Sometimes, we must continue to be faithful, even after we think we have fulfilled our purpose. John faithfully persisted in ministry until he was forced to stop by being imprisoned. Who knows how many more people repented and came close to God between the time John baptized Jesus and the time Herod arrested John? Only in heaven will we know how many more souls came to God during that time.

What has God called you to do? Sometimes we feel that certain callings are holier than others and therefore more praiseworthy. But to a Holy God, all callings are equally important; therefore, we should do everything to the glory of God. I grew up on a Midwestern farm at a time when most of the farm work was done by hand. I am well-acquainted with the use of a pitchfork to clean manure from cow stalls, and I know what it feels like to scoop half-frozen mud out of a hog water tank. Although those duties were humble and stinky, I was working just as much to the glory of God then as I am now as a medical missionary.

One question I receive frequently is the question of when I plan to retire. I answer that I will continue to do as much as I can for as long as I can to help as many people as I can. I trust that when God wants me to work in a different area, He will indicate that new direction clearly. As we enter this new year, it’s fine to ask God if He wants you to go in a new direction, but it’s just as important to be willing to continue in your same assignment until God gives you new orders.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to listen to You and trust You to guide us in the directions You want us to go. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

John 1:19-28 “Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,”’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose (untie).” These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.”

Have you ever wished that God would simply speak to you, making His way so plain that you couldn’t possibly mistake it for anything else? Well, in this part of the Book of John, some Jewish religious leaders are about to get that wish fulfilled, whether they like it or not. Unfortunately, many of them will not like it because God is using a guy who fails to meet their approval.

Just look at John the Baptist, out there in the wilderness. Matthew describes John this way in Matthew 3:1-12: “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’”

Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

The Jewish religious leaders assume that if God is sending a prophet, certainly He should inform THEM ahead of everybody else. After all, THEY have been observing the entire Law, not like this rabble who are flocking out there to hear John. Zachariah’s son is out there in the desert preaching to anyone coming to him. But really, how can this man possibly be the prophet foretold of by Isaiah? Just look at the guy! Wild hair, an unkempt beard, and simple ragged clothing. John is out there living on carob pods (from locust trees-not locusts as in insects) and honey. To this day, carob in Israel is known as “Saint John’s bread.”)

The Pharisees and Sadducees go out to watch John, but they aren’t about to join the uncouth mob flocking to repent and be baptized. Why should important religious leaders repent-they have nothing for which to be remorseful…or do they?

So common people make it to Bethabara where John is baptizing in the Jordan River and repent and come up out of the water rejoicing. All the time, the supercilious religious leaders are standing back observing and sneering. Little do these men realize what they are seeing; their prejudices have blinded them and deafened them so that they cannot possibly hear what God is saying.

Nothing feels quite as good as smugly looking down on others. Reading this story, we are tempted to fall into the same trap as the Pharisees and Sadducees. But do we do any better in our own lives? Are we really open to God’s leading, or are we so certain that we know the fashion in which God will speak to us that if God uses a different method or an odd messenger, we spurn God’s message? May God help us and keep us humble, so that no matter how He chooses to speak to us, we will remain open to His Word. May this new year be the year when you hear God speak to you as never before! But remember, hearing without obedience is worthless, so be prepared to obey God’s leading as well.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, open our ears, our minds, and our hearts, so that we will constantly listen for Your still small voice and obey. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

6-8 “A man called John was sent by God as a witness to the light, so that any man who heard his testimony might believe in the light. This man was not himself the light: he was sent simply as a personal witness to that light.

9-13 That was the true light which shines upon every man as he comes into the world. He came into the world—the world he had created—and the world failed to recognize him. He came into his own creation, and his own people would not accept him. Yet wherever men did accept him he gave them the power to become sons of God. These were the men who truly believed in him, and their birth depended not on the course of nature nor on any impulse or plan of man, but on God.” (Good News Version)

A story is told about one of the early missionaries in the Missiga area in northeastern Ghana. This man was building a mission house on top of a hill and was camping next to the building site. There was no electricity in that area in those days, and battery-operated torches (flashlights) were also not available. Farmers working late in the valley below began to depend on seeing the light from the missionary’s camp fire to light their way home from the farm. But one night, there was no camp fire to be seen. The missionary had traveled fifteen miles to the town where his family was staying and was spending the night with them. When the missionary returned to the building site the following morning, one of the farmers came to complain that he had been forced to wander in the valley all night because the missionary wasn’t there to light a camp fire. The missionary took advantage of this incident to explain to this farmer how he could know Jesus, the true Light of the World.

This passage refers to two men: Jesus and his human cousin, John the Baptist. John the Baptist was a miracle child, having been born to Zachariah and Elizabeth in their old age. Elizabeth was Mary’s relative, and when Mary visited Elizabeth and entered the room, John leaped in Elizabeth’s womb as he received the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant and Mary was three months pregnant at the time.

Both John the Baptist and Jesus came to fulfill prophecies. When John the Baptist was born and received his name, Zacharia prophesied over John, foretelling Jesus’ coming as he did so. Zechariah’s Prophecy

Luke 1:67-79 “John’s father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he spoke God’s message:

“Let us praise the Lord, the God of Israel! He has come to the help of his people and has set them free. He has provided for us a mighty Savior, a descendant of his servant David. He promised through his holy prophets long ago that he would save us from our enemies,
    from the power of all those who hate us. He said he would show mercy to our ancestors
    and remember his sacred covenant. With a solemn oath to our ancestor Abraham
    he promised to rescue us from our enemies and allow us to serve him without fear, so that we might be holy and righteous before him all the days of our life.

“You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God. You will go ahead of the Lord
to prepare his road for him, to tell his people that they will be saved by having their sins forgiven. Our God is merciful and tender. He will cause the bright dawn of salvation to rise on us and to shine from heaven on all those who live in the dark shadow of death, to guide our steps into the path of peace.”

God foretold John’s birth in Malachi 4:5-6 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

How proud Zacharia and Elizabeth must have been when John began his ministry, and how crushed must they have been when Herod had John beheaded to satisfy a vengeful woman. But Zachariah and Elizabeth had the satisfaction of knowing that they had done their best to raise one of the last prophets to come before Jesus.

Elizabeth particularly knew that Jesus was the promised Messiah, for when Mary entered the room, John leaped inside Elizabeth’s womb. But many others came, first to John and then to Jesus. “Yet wherever men did accept him he gave them the power to become sons of God. These were the men who truly believed in him, and their birth depended not on the course of nature nor on any impulse or plan of man, but on God.”

Today, we no longer need to depend on someone’s campfire to light our way home, but think: where do you stand spiritually? Are you stumbling around in darkness, wishing life could be better, lighter, more fulfilling? Come to Jesus! There’s a reason the act of accepting Jesus is referred to as being “born again.” When you accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, He comes into your heart and cleans things up, purifying you and giving you new hope. What do you have to lose, apart from despair?

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us feel as if we are stumbling around in the dark, tripping over things. Please come into our hearts, enlighten us, drive out the darkness, and give us hope and peace. In Your mighty and precious Name, Lord Jesus. Amen.

The Eternal Word

John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (NKJV) (Some other versions say that “the darkness has not overcome it.”)

Prologue

John 1 1-5 “At the beginning God expressed himself. That personal expression, that word, was with God, and was God, and he existed with God from the beginning. All creation took place through him, and none took place without him. In him appeared life and this life was the light of mankind. The light still shines in the darkness and the darkness has never put it out.” (J. B. Phillips)

We are heading into a new year, and many of us are fearful. 2024 hit many people very hard. In the American southeast, hurricanes ravaged many states, devastating areas that are still in the process of being rebuilt. Farmers lost crops and livestock. In northern Ghana, farmers struggled with droughts that hardened the ground to such an extent that when they went to harvest groundnuts, they had to dig the plants out of the ground, rather than pulling them up as they normally did. Without digging, the groundnuts (peanuts) would have remained in the ground. Then later in the summer, we were hit with catastrophic floods that wiped out farms close to rivers and streams. Places that had never flooded in recent memory were inundated, washing away people’s hopes along with the crops. As these disasters were shaping up, the local currency was losing its value and prices of everything soared. This year, many people did not have meat at Christmas, despite long-standing traditions.

As I write this, one poor family has three children with healing burns in our hospital. While the parents were at farm, one little boy played with matches. Blessedly, the burns will heal without grafts but this is a devastating blow for this family, who were already scrambling to feed themselves. There are likely many other similar stories of suffering this winter.

Why are these verses from the Gospel of John so vitally important for us? What comfort can we find in them?

1. Before time and space were conceived, God existed. The longer astronomers study the universe, the more mind-boggling the age of the universe becomes; yet, God was there in the beginning.
2. God was the One who spoke the universe into existence and before whom darkness had to flee. Someone once asked “What is the speed of darkness?” Simple. The speed of darkness is the speed of light, for darkness and light cannot coexist. When the light comes, darkness must go.
3. God is omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omnipresent (always present.) Nothing is hidden from God, for He knows everything and He knows our problems and our needs.
4. God’s light continues to shine in the darkness and the darkness cannot possibly overcome it.
5. God’s Son Jesus is the light of the world.
6. God has sustained us through 2024 to reach 2025. As God has already helped us, so God will continue to do so, for that is His Nature. We can trust the Lord of the Universe, whose genius has created stars and planets and galaxies, as well as every cell in our bodies.
7. God exists beyond time and space. As we enter this new year, let us enter in faith, realizing that God is already there and already preparing the way for us.
8. Remember what the angels told the shepherds when Jesus was born: “Fear not!”

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow Your leading into this New Year, trusting that You will never leave us or forsake us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 4:10-17 “Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent,So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”

But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”

So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God. And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”

“Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”

Well, Moses is still trying to wiggle out of God’s assignment. Now Moses is trying to claim that he isn’t a polished public speaker. Some people wonder if Moses stuttered; however, this seems a bit strange for a guy educated in Pharaoh’s palace. At any rate, God isn’t buying this excuse.

“But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.” Now we’re getting down to the real issue: Moses would just as soon stay in the desert and herd sheep. Too bad God isn’t interested in Moses’ desires.

“So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God. And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”

While Aaron does start out as Moses’ mouthpiece, eventually, Moses winds up speaking for himself. Aaron proves to be weak and easily swayed by popular pressure. When sufficiently motivated, Moses does speak for himself.

Whether or not Moses realizes it, he truly has no choice in this situation. God has already chosen Moses and God will not give Moses any peace until Moses obeys.

As the Medical Superintendent for a mission hospital, I have had many times when I have longed to hand off difficult responsibilities to someone else. There have been challenging surgical problems. I have explored the abdomens of patients, only to find they have terminal cancer. On the other hand, there have been times when I have done procedures and they have succeeded beyond my best expectations.

I have endured difficult meetings, knowing that I must continue to work with the same people who have severely criticized me. I would definitely have handed off those meetings if I could have! The one thing I have learned through the years is that with God’s help, I can survive any trial and continue to serve Him. As we enter this new year, I offer this encouragement.

Remember that although Moses began by trying to avoid God’s call on his life, ultimately, he followed that call, leading the Israelites out of Egypt and to the edge of the Promised Land. God gave Moses the Laws for His people and honored Moses in many ways, including allowing Moses to meet with Elijah and Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Remember that “Do not fear” appears 365 times in the Bible, once for each day of the year. And that is God’s message for you.

DO NOT FEAR!  If God calls you, God will equip you and God will give you the help you need to fulfill His call. And remember what Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 33:27 “The Lord your God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Those everlasting arms are carrying you into the New Year. Do not fear!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are anxious about our futures. Help us to trust You and to move forward, knowing that You will guide us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 4:1-9Miraculous Signs for Pharaoh

“Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’”

So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

He said, “A rod.”

And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), “that they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

Furthermore the Lord said to him, “Now put your hand in your bosom.” And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow. And He said, “Put your hand in your bosom again.” So he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his other flesh. “Then it will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, that they may believe the message of the latter sign. And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, that you shall take water from the river and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land.”

Forget negotiating with Pharaoh, Moses is worried that the elders of Israel aren’t going to believe him. Moses needs the support of the Hebrew elders before he can approach Pharaoh, and the question God asks Moses is key. “What is that in your hand?” Moses looks at his shepherd’s rod, simply a 6-foot-long piece of wood with a crook on the end of it. Moses has been carrying this same rod for years and has rescued countless sheep and fought off wild beasts with it. At this point, Moses is probably shrugging his shoulders as he answers, “A rod.” But look what God does with that rod.

For starters, God has Moses throw the rod on the ground so it becomes a snake and then changes back into a rod when he grabs the snake’s tail. Next, God shows Moses how He will change Moses’ hand from normal to leprous and back again. Finally, God tells Moses that if Moses will take water from the River Nile and pour it on the ground, it will become blood. These three signs will convince the Hebrew elders that Moses is the real deal.

“What is that in your hand?” God is forever asking his followers that question because God can use the most ordinary objects to do miracles. Before Moses’ career is over, he will hold up that same rod and the Red Sea will part, water will gush from rocks, and many other miracles will take place.

There have been many times during our missionary career that we have felt as if there was nothing we could do in a given situation. Each time, God has asked us “What is that in your hand?” and each time, we have realized that we do have some small resources. When we have used those resources, God has worked miracles.

In preparation for our first mission term, we gathered hospital equipment from a U.S. Army MASH unit and shipped it to Ghana. When we needed a means of sterilizing equipment and theater packs, we returned to our first project and begged a very large pressure cooker. We used a coal pot on the hospital verandah to heat that pressure cooker and sterilized things with it for several years. When we needed rubbish bins for the clinic, we bought the local cans ladies were using to fetch water, painted them with several coats of oil-based paint so that they wouldn’t rust, and made wooden covers for them. To clean patients in the theater (OR) prior to surgery, we used pieces of local sponge and Key Soap, the most common kind of bar soap available, soaking those pieces of sponge in bleach water in bowls we had bought in the local market. I started the first laboratory using donated test tubes that I recycled by soaking them and washing them with bleach water. I used bathroom tiles to do blood grouping.

During our first term in Saboba, there were times when my husband bought bicycle parts to repair the hospital vehicle. And then there was the surgical instrument my husband made from a chrome bicycle spoke, bending it into position and attaching the brass valve stem from a large lorry tire as a handle. I used that curette to remove many retained placentas from women who had miscarried. At times when we ran short of surgical blades, I used hypodermic needles to make incisions and I sewed up people with monofilament fish line.

As you enter the new year, be prepared for God to send you in new directions and ask you “What is that in your hand?” God used Moses’ rod to convince the skeptical Hebrew elders, and God can use whatever you have to do miracles. Just give God what you have and watch Him work!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for calling us to be Your hands and feet. Help us to be open to You so that we will gladly give You whatever we have. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 3:16-22 “Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ Then they will heed your voice; and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed. But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

Remember that Moses is at the back of the desert herding sheep. He’s been out of Egypt for forty years, and he figures that most of his relatives have forgotten him or have written him off as a has-been, a failure, and a nobody. If the Hebrews remember Moses at all, they probably think he’s a trouble-maker. Now God is speaking to Moses out of the burning bush, telling him to gather the elders of Israel and give them this message. Moses might be forgiven if he wants to laugh. Sure, it’s great for God to order Moses to deliver this message, but will these guys really listen to him, let alone accompany him to meet with Pharaoh? And even if the elders of Israel believe Moses, what about their wives? Will these women be willing to break up their households and move to some unknown land on Moses’ say-so?

If you want to follow God, be prepared for Him to turn your life upside down and inside-out, shattering your preconceived notions of how things are going to go. And be aware that God is not worried about your qualifications or your preferences either.

We had served a two-year missionary term in Ghana and had returned to America when the Assemblies of God, Ghana Church invited us to come visit a tiny clinic in a remote part of northeastern Ghana. I was a board-certified general surgeon with four years of training in pediatric surgery. I had even been invited to join the staff at a large pediatric cancer surgery hospital in the U.S.; however, something just didn’t feel right about accepting that invitation. That was our situation in February 1992 when we traveled to the small town of Saboba. We had already discussed things and had decided we would look at the place and then say, “Thanks, but no thanks.” That decision lasted until our vehicle entered the mission house yard.

As soon as we got out of the vehicle, the Holy Spirit descended like a big warm blanket, wrapping around us. We didn’t hear anything unusual, nor did we see anything. But as surely as Moses heard God at the burning bush, we KNEW that God wanted us to come to Saboba.

We still had hurdles to overcome, chief among them being finding a sending agency to sponsor us. And after connecting with a mission group, we learned the Church needed us in Saboba with only four months in which to raise funding. Although we had been assured that there would be some kind of salary for me as a doctor from an outside agency, we later found that information to be false. But by late January 1993, we were taking up residence in Saboba, even though we had electricity for only 2 hours a night by generator, no running water, and only an LP gas refrigerator and stove for the kitchen.

That first year was complicated because people who should have introduced us to regional health authorities failed to do so, leaving those authorities in doubt about my credentials. But when a tribal war broke out in February 1994, our facility suddenly became the only source of medical care for 100,000 people. We started operations and lab procedures and stuffed 37 patients into a small U-shaped health center building. We re-named the facility the Saboba Medical Centre to reflect the increased level of care. Several years later, the facility received its current name, the Assemblies of God Hospital, Saboba. From that modest beginning, the Assemblies of God Hospital has grown into a district hospital serving not only our district but patients from several other surrounding districts as well as communities across the Oti River in Togo. When we said “Yes” to the Holy Spirit in February 1992, we had no idea what would come from that decision.

Today, we continue to volunteer at the hospital, doing whatever we can to help staff, patients, and their families. Obviously, God has sent many people to help build up the place. Studying the story of Moses, you realize that Moses also had groups of elders who helped solve problems for the people he was leading.

As we enter a new year, ask God to help you to be open to His leading and His visions. God is always doing new things and He will certainly do them for you just as surely as He did for Moses.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, please help us to be open to Your Holy Spirit so that You can guide us in new directions. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

MOSES AT THE BURNING BUSH

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”

So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover, He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Moreover, God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.”

Moses was supposed to be killed at birth; however, God allowed Pharaoh’s daughter to find him floating in the basket in the back waters of the Nile when she came to bathe. Pharaoh’s daughter rescued Moses and then gave him to his own mother as a wet nurse. Moses was raised and educated in Pharaoh’s palace; however, somehow, he realized that he was a Hebrew and that he was to help his people. Moses had to flee Egypt after killing an Egyptian foreman who was mistreating Hebrew slaves, spending forty years herding sheep in the wilderness. At this point, Moses was eighty years old and had undoubtedly resigned himself to herding sheep for the rest of his life. And that was when God suddenly appeared as a flame in the midst of a desert bush, burning brightly but leaving the bush unharmed.

Think about it-here’s an eighty-year-old man herding sheep in a remote area when God suddenly appears and calls him to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. Moses must have had several reactions, including, “Who? Me? You’ve GOT to be kidding!” When God proceeds to inform Moses what He intends for Moses to do, Moses is appalled. “But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”  

God is unimpressed with Moses’ skepticism, exerting His authority instead. “So He said, “I will certainly be with you… And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.”

You can scarcely blame Moses. After forty years away from Egypt, Moses figures nobody remembers him anymore. And a scruffy shepherd is scarcely going to impress the Hebrews, let alone Pharaoh. Moses even tries to wriggle out of this task by claiming that he is not a polished public speaker, but God doesn’t care. What fits Moses for this monumental task?

God knows that Moses is brave, resolute, and tough. It takes physical stamina and courage to herd sheep under harsh conditions, protecting them from wild animals. God knows that Moses does speak the language of the Egyptians as well as the language of his own people. God also knows that Moses fears Him and reveres Him. Frankly, the Hebrews have been in Egypt for 400 years; many of them are now mixing Egyptian religious practices in with what few things they know about the One True Living God.

We all know the story. Moses and his brother Aaron go to Pharaoh and begin negotiations. Before things are through, God hits Egypt with ten plagues of escalating severity, culminating in the death of first-born animals and humans. Only the blood of innocent lambs smeared on the doorposts of Hebrew houses protects them from that final plague. Moses does lead his people out of Egypt.

As we face a new year, what lessons can we learn from the story of God calling Moses? ‘

1. “God is more interested in your availability than your ability. “We were told this by veteran missionaries when we first came to Ghana.
2. God is always doing new things, and we must be prepared to take part in those new things also. We should always be willing for God to expand the scope of our lives. One retired lady in Texas found her calling as a volunteer driver when she saw that another lady needed transportation for doctor’s appointments and cancer treatments. Then that same lady began transporting a man who was legally blind to and from work, so that he could continue to support himself. The father of a school boy found a new calling when he began coming to the school to greet children and teachers in the morning and send them home with his best wishes in the afternoon. Many of those children came from broken homes or homes where love and encouragement were in short supply. The school was so impressed that they created a special parking place for that man so that he could easily fulfill this simple ministry. You never know what God might call you to do.
3. God isn’t worried about age or status. Look at Moses. God wasn’t bothered by Moses’ age or his occupation as a shepherd; in fact, God viewed those qualities as a plus. If Moses hadn’t spent all that time out in the wilderness, he would never have been able to lead others through it. And Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, was even more desert-savvy than Moses, another plus.
4. “Where God guides, He provides.” This saying was a favorite of Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission. At one point, CIM had 1500 missionaries on the field in China, all of them supported by faith donations.

There’s a great deal more to learn from the story of Moses as we enter the new year. But today, why not ask God what new thing He wants to do in your life? Never doubt that God will surprise you!

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us feel stuck in ruts. Thank You, that You are the One who can deliver us from ourselves and get us going forward into a glorious future. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.