Vol. 39, No. 11

November, 2015

THE DAY THEY LEFT JESUS BEHIND

(Luke 2:41-51)

“Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and His mother knew not of it.. But they supposing Him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey, and they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found Him not they turned back again to Jerusalem seeking Him. And it came to pass that after three days they found Him in the temple sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking Him questions. And all that heard Him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw Him they were amazed, and His mother said unto Him, son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And He said unto them, “How is it that ye sought me. Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? And they understood not the saying which He spake unto them. And He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them, but Mary kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

This is indeed a passage filled with promises, types, pictures and foreshadows. Much “home made” doctrine can be traced to this passage. Some have used this text in their effort to prove that a child cannot be saved until he/she is twelve years old. “This is the age of accountability,” some claim. Ridiculous! Jesus said, “Suffer the little children to come unto me.” In fact, if they do not come to Christ when they are very young, it is most difficult to reach them when they are older. As I have stated, many “types and pictures” are seen in this text…

TEMPLE. (v46). The Temple was the center of the Jewish life. It was the place of activity, of worship, of the teaching of the Law. It was a high day for them to be able to visit Jerusalem and to see this place where God’s Glory once dwelt in the Holy Place inside.

A few years later, Jesus entered the same temple and drove out the money changers and them that sold oxen and sheep and doves and told them not to make “my Father’s house a house of merchandise..” (Jn 2:13-21). In His sermon on the Mount in Mt 24, Jesus said of the temple,“There shall not be one stone left upon another that shall not be thrown down.” This was fulfilled in AD 70 when Titus and his army destroyed the city and leveled the temple. There will be another temple built on that site . The antichrist will enter that temple and demand to be worshiped as God. There is so much to read about the temple. It is part of world history and future. When Jesus spoke of the temple being destroyed He spoke of His body as being that

temple. And the New Testament believer’s body as being the temple of the Holy Spirit, (1Cor. 6:19). Yes, the temple has so much to do with God’s plan for the ages..

PASSOVER. (v41). This is the season when the Passover Lamb will be sacrificed for the sins of the people. This started in the land of Egypt, (Ex. 21:1-20). In just a few years, this young Jesus in our text will be that PASSOVER LAMB who gives His life for the sin of the world. “Christ, our Passover.” (1Cor 5:7).

THREE DAYS. (v46) are mentioned. Of course, three days are the number of the days from His death on the cross until His Resurrection. When asked for a sign in Matthew 12:38-42, He stated that “As Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Of course, on that third day after His crucifixion, He came forth bodily from the tomb, victorious over death, hell and the grave.

Now, back to the DAY THEY LEFT JESUS BEHIND.

THE SUPPOSITION..

They supposed Him to be in the company, (v44). They took for granted that He was with them, but He was not. And the same thing is true today. Many just “suppose” that He is with them but He is not, unless you have personally made sure that He is with you. If His parents could make that mistake, how much more so can we make that same mistake. Don’t make your journey through life, or through one more day just “supposing.” Make sure He is with you. REMEMBER, He will not come into your life without your asking Him in..

WHAT’S WRONG? People ask…

For example, A husband married to his wife a dozen years asks his wife for a divorce. He has decided to live with another man, THE DAY THEY LEFT JESUS BEHIND. A wife left her husband to live with another woman, THE DAY THEY LEFT JESUS BEHIND. A teen-ager confesses to his parents, “I am a practicing homosexual.” THE DAY THEY LEFT JESUS BEHIND. A Young girl visits an abortion clinic and destroys her unwanted child, THE DAY THEY LEFT JESUS BEHIND. A young man walks into his classroom and murders his teacher and some classmates, THE DAY THEY LEFT JESUS BEHIND. A teen-ager cries out for help as he is helplessly addicted to drugs, THE DAY THEY LEFT JESUS BEHIND. A company vice president has extorted his company’s funds, THE DAY THEY LEFT JESUS BEHIND. A young man murders his parents, THE DAY THEY LEFT JESUS BEHIND. A young woman writes from a prison cell, THE DAY THEY LEFT JESUS BEHIND. A young man writes, “I have a natural life sentence.” THE DAY THEY LEFT JESUS BEHIND. WHAT’S WRONG? Crime, drugs gangs, violence, lives wasted, ruined, What’s wrong? Jesus has been left behind. We have prepared for our journey through life except for one thing…We left Jesus behind. Don’t just “Suppose” Make sure He is with you. We can trace our problems back to one thing. We have LEFT JESUS BEHIND.

THE SAYINGS..

“His Mother kept all these sayings in her heart.”what sayings?

“I must be about my Father’s business.” Mary must have thought of the time when the angel of God appeared to her and said, “Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son and shalt call His Name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give Him the throne of his father David. And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end.” (Lk. 1:31-33). He came to seek and save the lost. He came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. He came that our life might be different and not like the ones we have just mentioned..

THE SCRIPTURES.

“Sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. These were not medical doctors, These were doctors of letters, doctors of Law. These are Rabbis, these are teachers of the Law. I wonder just what questions He was asking them. (cont’d pg 3)

Perhaps He turned to Isaiah 7:14 and read, “The Lord Himself shall give you a sign, behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and thou shalt call His Name Immanuel.” Don’t you suppose He was asking about that verse? Then He turned to Isaiah 9:6 and read, “For unto us a child is born, and unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” Surely He turned to Micah 5:2 and read, “But thou Bethlehem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been of old, from everlasting.” Would He not turn to Isaiah 5:6 and read, “All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” This is the Father’s business; the rescue of fallen man. Christ is the only person who can go to the scriptures and prove His lineage, length of days, and Lordship. He is the Eternal Son of God. Jesus said a few years later, and perhaps some of these same “doctors” were there when He said, “Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think you have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me.’ (Jn 5:39). Jesus is simply saying, “I am in the scripture that you read. If you are not careful, you will LEAVE ME BEHIND.”

THE SIGN..

“I must be about my Father’s business.” (v49).

He turns the conversation to the Heavenly Father. What is the Father’s business? The only answer, REDEMPTION. As we have said, He came to do the Father’s will. He came to give His life a ransom for many. He came that we might not go in the direction that many are going today. He came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. The Father’s business is more than the Temple, more important than the Holy Days, more important than the discussions about the Law. More important than any other thing we can think of. At age 12, Jesus was received into Judaism as a member of the religious community. He satisfied all the demands of the Law. He is the Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, spotless Lamb of God.

THE SEARCH.

“They sought for Him among their kinsfolk” but could not find Him there. May I ask, Is He among your kin. Are you doing your best to get them to Christ? “They sought for Him among their acquaintance.” But could not find Him there. Is He among your acquaintances? Your friends? But today, let us turn the search to ourselves. Have you left Jesus behind? They searched for Him, but they searched in the wrong places. And so it is today… THINK ABOUT IT…

You leave Jesus behind when you depend upon your good works for salvation. We are reminded again and again that “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. You leave Him behind when you trust anything other than His finished work.

You leave Jesus behind when you depend upon your Church membership for Salvation. Church membership never saved a soul. You can join every church in your city and still not be saved.

You leave Jesus behind when you depend upon water baptism to save you. Baptism is a work that man can do. Water baptism never saved a soul.

You leave Jesus behind when you depend upon your own goodness and morality to save you. If you read Romans 3:1-10 you will find there is none good, no, not one.

You leave Jesus behind when you depend upon partaking of the Lord’s Supper for your Salvation. Some call it “sacraments.” These things are symbols of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus. They will never be anything but symbols. Partaking of the Lord’s Table is a wonderful blessing and privilege. Every time we partake we remember His Work for us. But a cup of juice and a wafer never saved a soul.

You leave Jesus behind when you (cont’d pg 4) depend upon some way other than the Blood sacrifice upon the Cross. I heard one popular radio preacher say, “there is no efficacy in His Blood, but the Bible says “without the shedding of blood there is no remission.”

Have you left Jesus behind? Have you tried to make your journey through life without Him? Like His parents found, a day’s journey without Him is not very pleasant. He is there in Heaven, still about His father’s business.

He is there where you are, ready to hear your heart’s cry.

He is there where you are to take the journey through life with you.

“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.”

In Rev 3:20, Christ says, “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me..” The Church door that He knocked upon was the Church door at Laodicea. The Church had anything you wanted. If you needed this or that for Church, they had it. But they were lukewarm, spiritual naked, and blind. They had left Jesus behind.. And so it is with so many today. “We have everything but Jesus.” THIS WORLD IS A WILDERNESS. It is not our friend. The world offers many ways. Many ways lead in many directions. Christ is the way, the ONLY way to God. Don’t leave Him behind.

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THINK ABOUT IT…Think carefully about it. Christ’s work is a finished work. We cannot add anything to it, or take anything from it. We must receive it, or reject it.

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AND THE WORLD IS A WILDERNESS..A barren place, a thirsty place. Drink from the well of Salvation, freely. What the world offers is temporal. What Christ offers is Eternal!

IN PLACES WRONG

By Pastor George Mills

“And ye shall seek me and fine me when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

(Jer. 29:130

In places wrong they searched for Him,

While here He lived with man.

They searched the high, they searched the wise,

The lowly and the grand.

When He was born the wise men came,

As angels sang His birth,

To governors, and places high,

To find the King of earth.

Can we find Him in government,

This promised King of man?

“No place for Him in man’s affairs,

Your search here is vain.”

In vain they searched among their kin,

They looked among their friends,

“I must work my Father’s work,

The Temple, your search ends.”

“Where is He?” the Jews did ask,

As feast days they observed,

He is not there among the host,

He’s in the Temple, teaching Word.

“Can He be found among the wise,

The debaters or the grand?”

You’ll not find Him with the wise,

His Cross makes wisdom vain.

They searched for Him within the tomb,

While angels watched that day,

“He is not here, He lives again,

Come see the place He lay.”

And yet for Truth man’s search goes on,

But he looks in places wrong,

You’ll find Him at The Father’s side,

As He leads His Church along.

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FROM MY HEART

By Mildred Mills

SHOWED UP UNINVITED

I had been busy all day and decided it was time

to sit and rest a while. The day had been a good day with absolutely no problems until I sat down to rest, then I discovered we had an uninvited “thing” in our den! A lizard had made it’s way into our house and the rest period was over for me. I tore the den apart, furniture and all, trying to get rid of this“thing” that had entered my home, and life uninvited! I don’t have a problem with lizards as long as they are in the yard where they belong, but I do not want a lizard in my den. This “thing,” this uninvited “thing,” took me by surprise. I was not expecting a problem of any kind as I sat there with all my house work done, my supper cooked, dishes done, and ready for some relaxation, but then this “thing” came into my life uninvited and there was no rest for this lady until it was “all over” for the uninvited “thing!” At times in our lives we have “things” to just “show up” when they are not invited, like the morning you find a lump and you feel fine, but the doctor tells you it is cancer, or the dreaded phone call that informs you of a loved one’s death, or maybe you no longer have a job. I could go on and on listing “things” that just “show up” in our lives uninvited. So many disappointments that just “show up” and they are all so uninvited, so unexpected but one day they just “show up” and we have to deal with it, but we are not alone during these times, Jesus has promised to be with us and see us through each and every “thing” that will just “show up” in our lives. We did not see it coming, but He did. He knew the end from the beginning. No surprises for Him! When these “things” just “show up” let’s trust Him with it and ask Him to take care of the “thing” that has shown up so uninvited.

“In the day of my trouble I will call upon Thee, for Thou wilt answer me.” (Psa.86:7).

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psa. 46:1).

“Be not dismayed what e’er be tide,

God will take care of you.”

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SMALL THINGS

By Pastor George Mills

“There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes, but what are they among so many?” (Jn. 6:9).

“For who hath despised the day of small things?” (Zech 4:10).

We are living in the day of the “super,” the “large” the “gigantic.” It is as though the individual is of little or no use today. We have substituted “Mom and Pops store” for the Super Market, the neighborhood hardware store for the “Super Home Center,” the corner Drug Store, for the “Super Drug Chain, and the neighborhood Church for the big “Super Church.” Sometimes this causes us to wonder, “What can I do, I have very little to offer anybody.” Please allow me a few moments to challenge you, and show you that we can all make a difference. In our text in John, ch. 6 when the disciples finished their debate about what could NOT be done about food for the crowd, Jesus took a lad’s lunch and fed 5,000 and had twelve basketsful of leftovers. We see Christ as Lord over nature as He stills the storm, and Lord over disease as He healed the sick, and Lord over the demonic world as He cast demons out of their victims, and He is Lord over the elements as He multiplies the bread and fish and feeds over 5,000. We could say much about the DOUBTING DESCIPLES, or the HURTING HEARTS of the HUNGRY, or the COMPASSION OF CHRIST, but the real lesson that I want us to see today is the way that God uses SMALL THINGS. Some never really serve Christ because of our excuses. You know, “I have no talent. No ability, I can’t speak, I can’t sing, I just can’t do anything.” Today, let’s not discuss the things you don’t have and try to see the things that you do have, Within every one of us there are talents, gifts, abilities that God has given to us to use for His Glory. “Wherefore He saith, when He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.” (Eph 4:8). God gave you a gift, or gifts when He saved you. Now, it is up to each of us to know what our gift may be and to use it for the furtherance of the Gospel. This is why Paul wrote in Romans 12, “that we may know what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 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. All of my life I said to myself, “I can’t.” I was bashful, shy, and for sure I have no talent. I always wished that I could, but you know, “I can’t.” One day along life’s road I met Jesus Christ. I asked Him into my life. He saved me from the penalty and power of sin and gave me a new start. God did a wonderful work of Grace in me. Now I can sing, “How precious did that Grace appear, the hour I first believed.” Then suddenly there was within this shy, withdrawn person a desire to reach out beyond himself. I well remember just after I was saved in August, 1960, I arrived at my workplace one day. Before I entered the building, I had prayer and asked the Lord to use my life in the reaching of others with the Gospel. Since that day God has proved in various ways that I have abilities that I did not know that I had.. I have seen first hand that “LITTLE IS MUCH WHEN GOD IS IN IT. I once shuttered at the very idea that I would stand before others and speak, But God has allowed me to do that for over 50 years. I am not a writer, but I have written many sermons and articles on many subjects. I am not a poet. English and literature were my worst subjects in school. All I know is that when I started this Publication over 40 years ago, I needed a poem for that first edition, so I wrote one, then another, and another, etc. I am not a typist, but with the “hunt and peck” system, using two fingers, I have typed many, many messages. I am speaking about LITTLE THINGS. God uses LITTLE THINGS for His Glory.

YUKON BAPTIST CHURCH IS A SMALL THING. Because of our outreach ministry across the nation, and in foreign lands, some people had the idea that Yukon Baptist Church is a Giant Tabernacle with a large printing operation, with offices and secretaries, and some giant mail operation. And when they finally see the Church they see a small old frame building with none of the above.. My office is a small remodeled classroom, and I am that secretary. But God has used this SMALL THING to reach out to many around the world. Yukon Baptist Church has ministered to many, many military personnel and their families through the years. God has called some into full time service who were saved at Yukon Baptist Church. DON’T DESPISE A SMALL THING! As this small lad gave what he had to Christ, God used it and him to bless multitudes..

THIS PUBLICATION IS A SMALL THING.

Physically, it is less than half the size of many monthly publications. This Ministry has had no funds or financial backing. Along with the generosity of this Church and folks out there who have helped us with gifts, we have been able to reach many places around the world. I cannot say THANK YOU enough.. When you put all the gifts together, a LITTLE becomes a BUNCH!

THE BIBLE IS A SMALL THING.

It does not occupy much space. Compared to some of the volumes that men have written, why the Bible is just a small book. But in the Bible is the Wisdom and Plan of God. Study your Bible (KJB). You will learn where you came from, where you are going, and how to get there. You will learn about yourself, about human nature, about God, about His power in Creation and Redemption. “Thou, through Thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies for they are ever with me.” (Psa. 119:98). Just about every TV preacher offers a book or books he has written with the promise that “This book will change your life.” No book, written by any man, ever, will change your life. You may change a habit, but only the Bible can change your life. And remember this;;;”Don’t try to change the Bible, let the Bible change you.”….And, “Don’t go through the Bible, let the Bible go through you.”

I am so amazed at the attacks against the Bible,(KJB) we see today. I recently heard a popular radio preacher say, “About these new versions..they are ALL watered down…every one of them. Nothing can match the Majesty of the King James Bible.” (Thank you my dear preacher brother.).

THE GOSPEL IS A SMALL THING.

The Gospel is only a few words about the Life, death, and Resurrection of Christ.(1Cor. 15:1-4).

Compared to the great documents of the world, the Gospel is only a small phrase. The Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln to end slavery and set men free has more words than does the simple Gospel, but no document ever created by any man can free someone like the Glorious Gospel of Christ can!

PRAISE THE NAME OF THE LORD!!!

ENCOURAGEMENT IS A SMALL THING.

It takes very little effort to speak an encouraging word. Encouragement is one of the three-fold purposes of this Publication listed on the back page of every edition for years. We want to encourage you to live for Jesus, to use the talents He has given you. God wants to touch your life. I want to encourage you to go on for God. Take the example of the little lad in our text. Give what you have back to Christ, let Him break it, and bless it, and multiply it for His Glory.!

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I CAN’T, BUT GOD CAN

(Ex. 4:10)

By Pastor George Mills

Moses said, “I cannot speak,

My tongue is very slow.”

But God said, “I can speak for you,

You just need to Go.”

So Moses did the Lord’s command,

As to the King, he went,

And wondrous things were done by him,

When to God his tongue, he lent.

So let us learn from Moses’ plight,

And rest upon the Lord,

And walk by Faith and not by sight,

Just trusting in His Word.

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“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” ( Phil 4:13)

A LITTLE IS A BUNCH

(John 6:1-14)

By Pastor George Mills

“Master, the crowd is hungry,

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 only a lunch and some pennies

And the hour is growing late.”

“Whence shall ye buy that these may eat?”

He asked, as if I knew the way

To feed the multitude so great,

In the desert place that day.

I think He was trying to prove me,

Just to see how I would re-act,

But I had not the faith that would move me,

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,

Then He 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,

My faith was tried, and the Master proved,

When I saw what He did with the bread.

This is the lesson that He taught that day,

Just do as the lad, so plain,

And give to Christ the thing you have,

And see what will remain.

Five thousand hungry fed that day,

From just a little lunch,

When given to Christ to have His way,

A Little becomes A BUNCH!

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AND THE WORLD IS A WILDERNESS..It is no friend to the Christian…

The world offers it’s counsel and advice. Listening to the counsel of the ungodly got us into the fix we are in today.

“Oh how I love thy Law. It is my meditation all the day.” (Ps 119:9)