Vol. 35, No. 2  February, 2011

A LITTLE IS A BUNCH, (WHEN GOD IS IN IT).
   By Dr. George Mills

“After these things went Jesus over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His miracles which He did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain and there He sat with His disciples. And the Passover feast of the Jews was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up His eyes, and saw a great company come unto Him, he saith unto Phillip, whence shall we buy bread that these may eat? And this He said to prove him for he knew Himself what He would do. Phillip answered him, two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them that every one of them may take a little. One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother saith unto Him, there is a lad here which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes, but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were sat down, and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, He said unto His disciples, gather up the fragments that remain that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, this is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain Himself alone.”
(John 6:1-15).

This miracle is repeated in all four Gospels; (Mt. 14:15-21) (Mk.6:30-44) (Lk. 9:10-17) (Jn. 6:1-15). And since it is so often repeated, I am sure that we can find many messages in the texts, but the one thing that I want us to see is the fact that God uses the small, the little things. Little things become big things when given to Christ for Him to use.

1. A LANGUID LACK. I thought much about the outline of this message and this word came to my mind.
“LANGUID” means, “a drooping from exhaustion, or weak.” “LACK” means,“something is needed, or lacking.” So the best way I can describe the condition of the crowd that day is “A LANGUID LACK.” These words fit the need of the hour. “They have nothing to eat.” (Mk. 6:36). This crowd had followed Christ from all regions and came to Him in this desert place. The hour is late and there would not be enough food in the surrounding villages to feed such a large crowd.

A. THE PLACE. This is near Bethsaida, (Lk 9:17). This is the hometown of Phillip, (Jn 1:44). Phillip would know the area and the Lord, I believe, singled out Phillip to test his faith. The Lord knew what He would do, (Jn. 6:6).

B. THE PROBLEM. After a careful search, the disciples found only five loaves, two fishes, and a few pennies, and the hour is getting late. “Whence shall we buy that these may eat?” asked the Master. To be sure, this is a great problem in this place.

2. A LINGERING LOOK. “Jesus lifted up His eyes and saw a great company” (Jn 6:5). He looked, He saw. This was not a passing glance, Jesus saw the crowd in their need of that hour. And as Jesus saw the need of that hour, he also sees the need of this hour. He sees the hungry and hurting masses today. I mean the spiritually hungry masses. The crowd of that day thought that they needed bread, but Christ saw them as needing the Bread of Life. Jesus used this miracle as the basis for His great discourse on the Bread of Life, (Jn. 6:25-71). He said, “I am the Bread of Life.” “I am the Living Bread which cometh down from heaven, if any man eat of this bread he shall live forever.”(Jn. 6:51). Christ used the simple, familiar things to reach the masses. To a farmer He said, “A sower went forth to sow,” and a farmer understood His simple teaching. To a thirsty woman He taught of Living Water and the woman understood His teaching. He said, “I am the Light of the world,” and those in darkness understood Him. And to a hungry crowd, He said, “I am the Bread of life.”
He saw them in their lack. And He sees us today. He sees, He knows, He understands. When no one can understand, He does.

3. A LOVING LORD.  Mark 6:34 says, “He was moved with compassion,” “He saw them as sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus had compassion for the multitudes of that day. He healed the sick. He opened blinded eyes. He cast out demons. Oh, all praise for the compassionate heart of Christ. Compassion made Him lay aside His Glory in Heaven and come to earth, to die for the spiritually starved masses of humanity. When He asked His disciples, “Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat?” Their only answer was, “SEND THEM AWAY.” But Jesus loved them, and He loves us today. Are you hungry? I mean deep down inside. Are you hungry for that something for which you cannot find any satisfaction?  A hunger not satisfied, a thirst not quenched? May I introduce you to Christ, the water of life, Christ, the Living Bread. He is there, where you are, waiting for you to invite Him in. He will not come into your life unbidden by you, but He will come in at your invitation. He came into my heart over 50 years ago. He changed my life, gave me peace, and purpose for life. I BLESS HIS HOLY NAME TODAY!

The DOUBTING DISCIPLES…
“But what are they among so many?”    “A few pennyworth of bread is not sufficient.”

BUT…THE LOVING LORD.. Let’s follow Him as He feeds this hungry host.

4. A LAD’S LUNCH.  “There is a lad here which hath five barley loaves and two fishes.”  Perhaps this lad heard that Jesus would pass by that day and he wanted to see him, so his mother made him a little lunch to satisfy his hunger. Little did he know that the Lord would use that little lunch to feed the crowd.

A LANGUID LACK, 5000 hungry people.

A LAD’S LUNCH, A fish sandwich, given to our Lord.

A LOVING LORD. Let us see what our Lord can do with small things.

When the disciples finished their debate as to what could NOT be done, Christ took the Lad’s Lunch and fed over 5000 and twelve baskets full remained. Jesus is Lord over nature as He walks upon a stormy sea. He is Lord over disease, as he healed the sick. He is Lord over demons as He sends them away. And He is Lord over the elements as He multiplies the bread to feed the hungry host. My, what a LOVING LORD can do with only a LAD’S LUNCH.

5. A LASTING LESSON.  As I stated at the beginning, there are many lessons to learn from this text. We could say more about,
THE DOUBTING DISCIPLES, or
HUNGRY HEARTS, or the
COMPASSION OF CHRIST. But let us see what Christ can do with SMALL THINGS. A Lad gave Christ what he had, and a crowd was fed.
So many never serve Christ because they never really gave their life for His use. Oh yes, they are saved by His Grace, but are really never used. We offer all kinds of excuses…
“I have no talent, no ability, I can’t speak, I can’t sing, I can’t study, I can’t do anything.” Let’s not discuss the things we don’t have, but the things we do have. There is within every one of us who have received Christ, gifts, talents, abilities given by God for us to use for His Glory. Everyone He saves he blesses with gifts; “Wherefore he saith, when He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men.” (Eph. 4:8). See Ro. 12:6-8. Let us present ourselves unto Him as a living sacrifice that we may know and prove His will for our lives.
I hesitate to use myself in any illustration, but I know more about me than I know about anyone, so allow me to use myself for a few moments. All of my life I said to myself, “I can’t.” I was bashful and shy, and very sure that I had no talent, no ability. I always wished that I could do things like others, BUT, I can’t. One day along life’s road, I met Jesus Christ. I asked Him into my life, to forgive my sin, and to save me. Believe me, He did! He has done that wonderful work of Grace in my life. “HOW PRECIOUS DID THAT GRACE APPEAR THE HOUR I FIRST BELIEVED.” Soon after I was saved, within this shy, bashful person there was a desire to reach out beyond myself. I remember just after I was saved, when I arrived at my work place, before I entered the building, I had prayer and asked the lord to use my life in reaching others with the Gospel. Since that day God has proven over and over again that within me I had abilities that I did not know I had. All are gifts of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The same is true with you as a Christian. I have seen first hand that A LITTLE IS A BUNCH, when God is in it. I once shuttered at the very idea that I would stand before people and speak, but God has allowed me to do that for over 40 years. I am not a writer, but God has allowed me to write many, many messages. I am not a poet. English and literature were my worst subjects. All I know is, that one day when I first began writing this Publication, I needed a poem, so I wrote one, and then another, and another, etc. I am not a typist, but with the old “hunt and peck” system I have typed many, many messages, tracts, and booklets. I know nothing about broadcasting, but I began the CHURCH IN THE WILDWOOD BROADCAST in 1966. I know nothing about computers, but, I am learning. Please do not think that I am boasting in myself.  I am only trying to show you what God can do. God uses “Little Things.”

YUKON BAPTIST CHURCH is a small Church. Some have the idea that this is a large Church and are very surprised when they see that we are not a large Church. But God is using this Church.

THE WILDERNESS is a small publication. This ministry has no funds, no large bank account. But with support from this local Church, and folks out there sending in offerings, this Publication has been sustained since 1976. PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME!  An inmate recently sent me some stamps. He sent what he had, so we used his stamps to send out Gospel Literature. Just another “small thing,”

THE BIBLE (KJB) does not occupy much space, but in it is the wisdom of the ages. “Thou through Thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies for they are ever with me.” (Psa. 119:98).

THE GOSPEL contains only a few words. It is about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Belief in the Gospel has changed the vilest of the vile into useful vessels in the service of God.

PRAYER is a small thing. It needs no education, no philosophy, no great speaking ability. “AND THE PRAYER OF FAITH SHALL______   ______” (fill in the blanks).

ENCOURAGEMENT is a small thing. It takes very little effort to speak an encouraging word. To encourage someone to “get up, dust yourself off, and start all over again.”
I must close this message for now. I just want to say, Give your heart and life to Christ. He can and will use you. He can make life worth living. First, know Him as your personal Saviour. “But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name.” “How do I receive Him?” The Bible says, “Ask, and ye shall receive.” He is there, wherever you may be, ready for your heart’s cry. You can begin today to really LIVE forever!

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THINK ABOUT IT. Since Christ did so much with practically nothing, that makes us prime candidates for Him to use.

He does not use the spectacular; He uses the weak, the small, the despised things, the base things that no flesh shall glory in His presence. (1Cor. 1:27-31).

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  A LITTLE IS A BUNCH
     (When God is in it)
         John 6:1-15

     By Pastor George Mills

“Master the crowd is hungry,
    And there’s nothing here to eat,
Only a lad with some fishes,
    But this would never meet,
The needs of such a number,
   The crowd is far too great,
And with only a lunch and some pennies,
   And the hour is growing late.

“Whence shall we buy that these may eat?
    He asked, as though they knew a way,
To feed a multitude so great,
    In the desert place, that day.
He was only trying to prove them,
   To see how they would re-act,
But they had not the faith to move them,
   And that’s just a matter of fact.

And then He bade the crowd sit down,
   And He took of the Lad’s small lunch,
He broke and blessed, and gave thanks to God,
   And a little became a bunch.
Twelve baskets full remained in store,
   On the day the crowd was fed,
Their faith was tried as the Master proved,
   When they saw what He did with the bread.

The lesson then, as He taught that day,
   Is to do as the lad, so plain,
Just give to Christ the life you have,
   And see what wondrous gain,
Five thousand hungry fed that day,
   From just a little lunch,
When given to Christ to have His way,
   Then a LITTLE BECOMES A BUNCH.

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          FROM MY HEART
              By Mildred Mills

              A LOVE STORY

“We love Him because He first loved us.”
As a little girl in Primary Class, I was told that Jesus loved me and every Sunday morning I was reminded of His love for me. I was taught the Bible stories that told of His love for the little children and I believed every word that I was taught of His great love. I knew in my heart that Jesus loved me and that made me a happy little girl. We were taught to sing “Jesus Loves Me,” and Jesus loves the little children,” the songs that told of His love for a little girl like me. He loved me and I knew it and before long I had fallen in love with Him, the One that first loved me. “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1Jn. 4:19).
The very first Scripture I memorized was John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” I soon began to realize that Jesus was not loved by everyone and that was hard for me to understand!  Why don’t they love Jesus? How can we not love the One that loved us while we were yet sinners? “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Ro. 5:8). The preacher would plead with the folks to come to Jesus after a sermon that told of God’s love, and in my little girl’s heart and mind I just could not understand why the people were not responding. Why were they not giving their hearts to Him? Why don’t they love Him? He loves them and they won’t love Him back. That was when I was a little girl, but now, many, many years later, He is still being rejected and His love spurned, and I still don’t understand it, how one can turn Him away.
He loves us with an Everlasting love!
“I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.” (Jer. 31:3).
He loves you and my prayer is that you will give your heart to Him and love Him in return.
Come to Jesus Today!

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              MY BEST
     By Pastor George Mills

How can I but give my all,
  To One who loved me so?
Can I give less than he who gave,
   And came to earth below?

Oh Saviour now I give myself,
   My best, my all to Thee,
My life to use as you know best,
   You gave your Life for me.

Lord take my life, my talent small,
   And mold me to Thy plan,
For each new day, Lord hear my plea,
   Help me do the best I can.

Help me Lord that in the day,
   Before Thy judgment Seat,
That I may have a crown for Thee,
   To lay before thy feet.

It is my prayer, that in the time,
   When we enter final rest,
To know that with the Grace He gave,
   That I gave to Him my best!

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    TEEN TALKS THAT MATTER
 By Ashley Stevens

             THE TRUE LOVE

WOW! Can you believe that a whole month has past in this New Year? It has been going by so fast. We are now in the Month of February and the thing that stands out the most to me about it is Valentine’s Day. The most well known holiday for love! I know that when we celebrate Valentine’s Day we are all wrapped up with spending time with the one we love. We look forward to getting candy and flowers, but have you ever stopped and thought about the one who loves you more than anyone else could? I think that we need to be focused on the one true person who showed us the greatest love that could ever be shown, and that is our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. What greater love could He have shown? He showed us the great love He had for us on the Cross of Calvary, where He shed his blood for sinners like you and I. He knows you better than any person in this whole world. He paid the ultimate sacrifice for us! He showed us then and He continues to show us the greatest love possible. He doesn’t care what you look like. He doesn’t care what color you are. He doesn’t care if you are red with pink and blue polka dots. All He cares about is if you know Him as your personal Lord and Saviour. He is looking for you. He loves you more than anyone. I think that this Valentine’s Day we need to take some time to focus and think about the One who loves us the most. HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!!
May God bless your life each and every day.

     Until next time…Ashley Stevens

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            CURSES, CURSES
           By Pastor George Mills

Identifying and removing the ancestral or generational curse is another teaching that is rapidly growing over the airways.
This teaching says that “if we (Christians) have a problem with, say, alcohol, or drugs, and we can’t seem to do anything about it, it is probably because of a curse passed on to you because of your ancestor’s sin.” They say:
1. You must identify the curse by searching your generational tendencies, trends, and,
2. Break the curse by saying some prayer of condemnation to that curse.
There is no such Biblical teaching that curses are passed on to the next generation. This is just a crutch that some use.
 “I just can’t help it, I have to fight my parent’s demons.” Nonsense!  I wonder what kind of salvation is being offered today. When Sound Doctrine is forsaken and we follow every wind of doctrine that blows, we begin to fall for anything. Charlatans are making much money off false teaching. Books and tape sales add up to big dollars. This is NOT deliverance, this is bondage.
Get a concordance and look up the word, ‘curse.’  It appears in the New Testament 12 times. Eight of the 12 times is mainly referring to foul language, like “cussing,” Three of the 12 times,’ curse’ refers to Christ being made a curse for us. He bore the curse of sin for me, Hallelujah to God! The last time ‘curse’ is used is Rev. 22:3 which says, “No more curse.”’ Cursed’ appears five times. Four of the five times it refers to the Christ rejecters. The fifth time it refers again to Christ who bore every curse. Not one time in the New Testament is there any hint of our passing along a curse to the next generation.
As a father, I pass along to my children my genes and my wife passes her genes. We pass to our children our Adamic nature which was passed to us from Adam. Christ took care of that for us in His Finished Work of Redemption.
Gentiles are not under the covenants God made to the descendants of Israel. “He showeth His word to Jacob. His statutes and His Judgments unto Israel. He hath NOT dealt so with any nation, as for His judgments, they have not known them.” (Psa. 147:19-20).
No one can take a verse from here, and one from there, and another from there and put them together and build sound doctrine. However, many try. If you know Christ as your personal Saviour,

1. Anything that puts fear or dread, or worry in your heart is not of God. “God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

2. We are NOT under the Old Testament Law.  We (gentiles) never were. Some of this teaching seems to come from Exodus 20:5 “Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.”  Nine of the Ten Commandments are repeated in the New Testament and not one of these make mention of a curse being passed to the next generation.

3. We do not pay for our parents sins. If a man is a drunkard, or a drug addict, his children, many times have an awful price to pay in the community. If the children follow in his steps, this is NOT a generational curse. Each generation must give account of itself. Tendencies, strengths, weaknesses, defects, etc, do NOT mean that someone is under a GENERATIONAL CURSE!
This is NOT Biblical!  

4. Some say, “I know that I am saved, but “THAT SIN” just keeps coming back to trouble me. I have confessed it, but again and again, it bothers me.”1John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Confess it. Take it to God in prayer. The fact that it troubles you is proof that the Holy Spirit is dealing with you about it. This is not offering an excuse for one to commit sin. As long as you are HONEST and SINCERE with God in dealing with “THAT SIN,” you will gain the victory. This is NOT a CRUTCH, this is a CURE!   

“Christ hath redeemed us from the CURSE of the Law, being made a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree.” (Gal. 3:13). 

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“Temptation is the tempter looking through the keyhole into the room where you are living. Sin is your drawing back the bolt and making it possible for him to enter.” (author unknown)