The Feeding of the Five Thousand

Read John 6:1-14.

What really happened at lunchtime on that day? There have been many speculations. The feeding of the 5,000, actually more because that was just the count of men, is described as a miracle. The feeding of the 5,000 and the resurrection are the only miracles recorded in all four gospels.

There are questions.

Why did Jesus and the disciples not plan ahead? Apparently they did not expect the people to follow.

Did the people have food? Jesus approached it as if they did not.

Philip knew how much money they had and knew it would not be enough.

Andrew noted that a boy had five loaves and two small fishes. That would certainly not be enough. Possibly no one else had food.  If the people had food then  Jesus would not have needed to be involved. 

There was a need and there was no visible means of filling that need. The solution to that problem is certainly worthy of a report in all four gospels.

The spiritual principle involved is that God cannot meet a surplus. He can only meet a need.

How often do we ask God for a solution when we already have it? That is a most serious lack of faith.

I am going to be doing some entries on God's economy. We all, starting with me, need to get more into that subject.

David Sneed

Safety from 1014 B.C.

Cowboy Safety goes way back.

This morning I ran across a new reference from 1014 B.C. It is from the Bible. I use King James. Here is I Kings 4:25:

"And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon."

I could write a book about this. So could you.

This definition  of safety is easy to understand.

There is nothing complex. There is no equipment. No training. No licensing.

If you have ever been to the Mediterranean countries you can understand even better. There are vines and fig trees and olive trees and other types of plants. They provide shade and shelter. I love going to a restaurant. The tables are outdoors under the vines. RElax. There is no rush. Have a cold beer or a glass of wine. In Greece you would at least start with Raki that is already on the table. What would you like to eat? The proprietor is there. He or she will get it for you? "Have you got fish?" "Sure. Come in the kitchen and pick out what you want. My son just caught it this morning right over there." Do you get the point? This is the way to live all the time.

Safety is all about how to always feel that way where everything is what you want when you want it with no trouble.

Cowboy Safety is the technique for how to get it for yourself and your business and how to give it to others.

David Sneed

What is a Christian?

Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” To look at some “Christians” one would think that they believe in someone who said “I am come that they might have DEATH and have it more abundantly.” These people are dead in spirit and they are just biding time until their body is dead and their soul is cast into Hell.

According to the Bible, Christians were first called Christians at Antioch. And not by a church committee or a pastor. They were called that by the unbelievers. They were called that because they lived their life totally by “What would Jesus do?” The word Christian means “little Christ.” It was a derogatory term. “Who do you think you are anyway, Jesus?” the unbelievers would say. They knew what Jesus did. They knew that he taught and did differently from the world.

“Why are you so different?” the world will say. “Because of what Jesus did.” That is the reply of  a Christian, a “little Christ.” “What did Jesus do?” “He died for me and then he rose from the dead.”

The Bible says that we should “confess with our mouth.” According to the Roman Catholics it means to recite the Apostles’ Creed in church along with everyone else. Outside of church you may say “I believe in God.” According to the Bible, so do the devils “and they tremble.”

A Christian can say to unbelieving family, to believing family, to friends, to co-workers and to everyone, “I live because of what Jesus did for me.” A Christian will say that not just because people ask why they are different but because they want others to know.

Jesus went to the man at the pool of Bethesda. “Do you want to be healed?” he asked. The man did not say yes or no. The man gave Jesus an argument. After Jesus explained to him a better way the man got up and walked away healed. He knew that 38 years had been wasted doing things his way. That is repentance. Many so-called Christians today of all denominations continue to let their pride rule and they continue to sit by the pool unhealed.

“I hit him because he hit me.” “I took from her because she took from me.” “Why should I do that?” With that attitude no one will dare call you a “little Christ.” Unfortunately many churches today will call you a Christian particularly if you go to their meetings and give them money.

“Servants obey your masters.” “Children obey your parents.” “Wives obey your husbands.” “Obey all those who have authority over you.” These are commands from the Bible but they are not Christianity. Christianity starts after these things are done.

Teenager, when your parents say “Clean up your room.” Do you argue and talk back? That is not Christianity. Do you go clean up your room? That is not Christianity. Do you clean up your room, ask God to forgive you for letting it get so bad that your parents had to tell you, and resolve to keep it neat?  Do you apologize to your parents for the mess? After you clean your room do you then go to your brother or sister and offer to help them clean up their room? “Say… who do you think you are, Jesus?”

You work at Burger King. Do you smile at customers, wipe down the counters, bring out more cups, help a co-worker wait on a customer? Or do you slouch around with a frown and do as little as possible?

Do you parents say “work for me for one hour” and you argue about it and maybe refuse to do it? Or do you say “how about if I work two hours?” Say..who do you think you are, Jesus?”

He does bad to you. You willingly do good to him. That is Christianity.

Your sister takes your clothes. You say “That sweater really looks good on you. Why don’t you keep it?” That is Christianity.

George Washington Carver was a believer. He had to endure the humiliation that was the condition for Negroes and for the poor. But Carver read Jeremiah 33:3 and could believe for great knowledge and works. He walked 100 miles to get to college. He slept on a shed floor and did all the menial jobs that no one else would do. “Carver, why do you do that?” “Because of what Jesus did for me”

A farmer is standing by the fence and a passer by says “God sure gave you a beautiful farm.” “He did” says the farmer. “But you should have seen it when He had it all to himself.”

One time Martin Luther was working in his garden. Someone came by and said, “What would you do if you knew that Jesus was coming back at 5:00 this afternoon?” “Well,” said Luther, “the first thing I’d do is finish weeding this garden.”

It is one thing to do rituals and call it Christianity. That is why we have so many different churches. In Jesus’ time as a man, there were only two denominations. He explained to the woman at the well that the Father did not distinguish churches. “The Father is looking for those who will worship in spirit and in truth.” Said Jesus.

I can get up and give a lecture on all the things that Zeus, Thor and other “gods” did. But no one will call me their follower. That is because those “gods” have not made a difference in my life.

If I truly believe that Jesus died for me and then his death made a difference to me I am a Christian. If I truly believe that what He did on the cross is important then I can tell others and I can tell others that Jesus did it for them. Like Paul, I will do whatever I have to do and even do it more so as an example to others. That is being a Christian.

 David Sneed

All things are possible from Brother Lawrence

“That all things are possible to him who believes; that they are less difficult to him who hopes; that they are more easy to him who loves, and still more easy for him who perseveres in the practice of these three virtues.”

Brother Lawrence

Does God Heal Through Doctors?

The thought that God heals through doctors prevails today. But we should be careful about this doctrine because the Bible says rough things in Revelation 22:18-19 about anyone who adds to the word or takes away from the word.

In Genesis 50:2 we read that Joseph called a physician to embalm his father.

In 2 Chronicles 16:12 we read that Asa “was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians.”

In Luke 8:43, we read that “a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any.” The account in Mark 5 also says that there were “many physicians” and that she “rather grew worse.”

In Colossians 4:14 we read that Luke was a physician. But in Luke’s account of the visit to Melita in Acts 28:8-9 it was Paul who ministered healing. “And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed and laid his hands on him, and healed him. So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:”

Where is a there any scriptural basis that God heals through doctors? Did someone receive a special revelation that God had a new plan?

When Eve was approached in the garden she saw (Genesis 3:6) “that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat,”  The serpent convinced Eve that God must want her to eat it or it would not have been there.

Just because something seems right does not make it right. The Bibles says (Proverbs 14:12) that “there is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

The medical profession seems to be the right thing. Not a week goes by that we do not hear of some new drug or some new procedure. Does that mean that the medical profession is God at work? Let’s see if the medical profession has the characteristics of God.

God is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). But the medical profession is a respecter of persons. If you are a white American male with private health insurance or if you are  wealthy you can have the best treatments available.

God’s gifts cannot be purchased. In Acts 8:20, Peter said, “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.”  The Bible says in Revelation 22:17 that “whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” But medical care takes money. And the more money you have the better off you are.

God’s gifts are appropriated through faith. But doctors are selected by sight for their reputation. The Bible says “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). A common church dinner conversation involves people bragging about the excellent coverage they have on their medical plans.

God does not take away a gift. In Romans 11:29 we read “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. Then why do Christians complain when some treatment is no longer covered by their plan?

God calls his ministers through his gospel (Ephesians 3:6-12.) Medical practitioners are often unbelievers. The Bible says in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” Are these unbelievers also his sheep?

God set gifts of healings in the church (I Cor 12:28).  Medical profession healings are licensed by the government and often paid for by taxes collected by the government or by tax subsidies and deductions allowed by the government. If you’ll watch your newspaper almost daily, medical profession deficiencies are dealt with by the Congress and the Legislature and not by prayer.

God does not change. But medical care keeps changing. In Malachi 3:6 we read “For I am the Lord, I change not.” In Hebrews 13:8 we read “Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today, and forever.” In Ecclesiastes 3:14 we read “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken away from it:”

If you believe that God heals through doctors and if you have had your life extended through medical procedures then when you give your testimony you should be sure to thank God that you are a white American and not like those such and such people in some country. You should thank God for noting how worthy you are to be able to afford such good surgeons who you believe are the ministers of God.

In Matthew 8 when Jesus was making some comments about how the Centurion was more of a believer than the church people, Jesus said “But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Read the Bible and you’ll see that he was talking about church people who don’t believe in healing by God’s ways.

The Bible says in Psalms 103:3, “who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases.” If God now heals through heathen doctors maybe he now saves through some heathen practice. Maybe salvation is now of works.

If you run to your doctor when you’re sick maybe you’re closer to him than you are to Dr. Jesus. Maybe you don’t really believe in eternal salvation either. 

David Sneed

Is Healing for Today?

Much of the teaching we hear is that God did things in the past,  will do things in the future, but at some unknown point quit doing it. Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today and forever.” If you want to know what God is doing today look at what he did yesterday.

A woman with an issue of blood for 12 years spent all of her money on doctors and was not made any better (Luke 8). Somebody (with faith) told her about this man Jesus who had healed others. The woman went and the place was crowded. “If I can just touch his clothes” she said. When she touched, Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” His disciples answered, “Who touched you? Everyone’s touching you”  He turned and saw the woman and said “Thy faith hath made thee whole.” That’s how Jesus healed then and that’s how he heals today. If you’re such a good Christian, have you told anyone that Jesus heals? Do you believe in Hebrews 13:8?

Was it different then because she could touch his clothes and we can’t do that today? The Centurion in Matthew 8 told Jesus that his servant was sick and needed a healing. Jesus said he would go to the house and heal him. The Centurion said “I’m not worthy to have you come to my house. But speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. Jesus said, “as thou hast believed so be it done unto thee.” The servant was healed in the selfsame hour. As you go about as a disciple of Christ do you ask Jesus for healing of unsaved people who have no faith? Do you have the faith of the Centurion (who was not even of Israel or a child of the kingdom)?

But that healing was just for that one person you say. Well the Bible says in Matthew 4 that Jesus healed everybody that wanted to be healed. The only time that Jesus did not heal everybody was when he went back to Nazareth. The Bible says “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief (Matthew 13:58). If you are not seeing healing is it Jesus’ fault? The disciples in Matthew 17 could not cast out a demon and they asked Jesus why they could not. “Because of your unbelief” (verse 20). Jesus told them that they needed to pray and fast.

In Matthew 8 when Jesus was making some comments about how the Centurion was more of a believer than the church people, Jesus said “But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Read the Bible and you’ll see that he was talking about church people who don’t believe in healing.

But, you say, my church does believe in healing. But we also believe that God calls people home. A few weeks ago we had Sister Jones on our prayer list. She wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t come to church. Then the next week we prayed that when she went for tests that they would come back negative. Then the next week we prayed that she would get through surgery ok. Then the next week we prayed for her full recovery. This week the Lord called her home and we had her funeral.

Well since your church is such a strong believer in healing why didn’t it do what the Bible says? James 5:7-15 is talking to church people. “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”

Most churches ignore this command. If this command is followed it’s usually done as a religious ritual while the “believer” is under the care of a doctor. The church did not teach Sister Jones about this scripture because it really does not believe it does any good. The church today has lost the power of the early church but it is not because Jesus changed. There is so much carnality in the church today that like in Nazareth, Jesus can do no mighty works “because of their unbelief.” For sickness it’s much safer to publish a list in the church bulletin even when the sick person didn’t ask for it.  So what if it’s not scriptural. It seems ok and we’ve always done it this way.

I heard one woman say, “We used to preach it and we went to the altar and didn’t get healed.” In other words she no longer believes that God heals. Maybe the churches no longer believe God saves. Maybe that’s why many of them have quit giving altar calls for salvation.

I’ve been to healing services where people didn’t get healed. But I’ve been to many more evangelistic services where people didn’t get saved. That does not mean that salvation is gone.

Psalms 103:3 says, “who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases.” If God does not heal any more maybe he does not forgive sin any more either. You say you believe in Jesus in John 3:15 when Jesus says that “whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Why do you not believe in Jesus when he says “as thou hast believed so be it done unto thee.” Why do you not believe him when he says that you fail “because of your unbelief?” In Luke 17:5 the disciples said “Lord, increase our faith.”

Today we hear that God heals through doctors. I have yet to see any scriptural basis that God now works through a system that is flawed and constantly changes. The Bible says rough things in Revelation 22:18-19 about anyone who adds to the word or takes away from the word. It also says (Proverbs 14:12) that “there is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

Some say that Jesus healed then because of all the unbelievers. We’ve got more unbelievers today than there were then. If there was ever a time that healing was needed to show God’s power it’s today.

In Malachi 3:6 it says, “For I am the Lord, I change not”

God has not changed. He still heals and he still saves.

What do you believe? 

David Sneed

Two Definitions

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 KJV


FAITH IS

Believing it is so
When it is not so
Until it becomes so
Because God said so