Unlocking the Greater Things

In the Spring of 1983...

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 1

43The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.”

44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter.

45Philip 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.”

46Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”

48Nathanael 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.”

49Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.”

50Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”

51And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Chapter 2

1On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;

2and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.

3When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

4And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.”

5His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

6Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each.

7Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim.

8And He said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it to him.

9When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom,

10and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”

11This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

In the Spring of 1983, during my first enlistment in the Air Force at Wilford Hall Medical Center, I had already been walking with the Lord for nearly 3 years and was still getting settled to the base. And as is normally the way with God, there were no trumpets, no fanfare, no signs in the heavens to declare something spiritually significant was going to be taking place…that two lives were going to intersect and two journeys were getting started....I’ll not forget that day…I was walking back from the Dorm TV Lounge Room and a two people were walking down the hall way in my direction...ASK ARNOLD IF HE REMEMBERS THE MONTH, DATE AND DAY HE REDEDICATED HIS LIFE TO THE LORD.........and that started my journey in another level of service to the Lord…God graciously allowed me to be Co-Pastor in that little Victory Outreach storefront church, He brought me my wife, and taught me about serving.