Bodies that Never Die

When our family members and close friends are facing death and dying, we think a whole lot more of the next world. This week I have watched my dad’s body get weaker and weaker as he is running the last mile of his earthly journey. He has always been built with a strong muscular frame that seemed to be indestructible. Time after time things took place that tested his body, like a serious car accident, a heart attack, hip replacements, and cancer. Yet, he revived from each of these and continued to get back into life with renewed zest. Now these earthly attacks have taken its toll on his body and it’ becoming a reality that he is leaving the “tent” to go to his heavenly home. As I looked at dad’s frail muscles and his weakening body last Tuesday morning, it was easy to see that he will soon take his last earthly breath. He has often spoken of his desire to leave this earthly tent and go to his heavenly home. The Bible speaks of our bodies as being more like a tent than a house. A tent gives us the idea of a temporary living arrangement…which accurately describes where each of us lives right now.

“Our bodies are like tents that we live in here on earth. But when these tents are destroyed, we know that God will give each of us a place to live. These homes will not be buildings that someone has made, but they are in heaven and will last forever. While we are here on earth, we sigh because we want to live in that heavenly home. We want to put it on like clothes and not be naked. These tents we now live in are like a heavy burden, and we groan. But we don't do this just because we want to leave these bodies that will die. It is because we want to change them for bodies that will never die.”

(2 Corinthians 5:1-4) CEV

Hudson Taylor, founder of China Inland Mission, in the closing months of his earthly life said to a friend, "I am so weak. I can't read my Bible. I can't even pray. I can only lie still in God's arms like a little child and trust." 

(This next paragraph is a quote from a book…SEPTEMBER)

“Death is nothing at all. It does not count. I have only slipped away into the next room. Nothing has happened. Everything remains exactly as it was. I am I, and you are you, and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged. Whatever we were to each other, that we are still. Call me by the old familiar name. Speak of me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference into your tone. Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without an effort, without a ghost of a shadow upon it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was. There is absolute and unbroken continuity. What is death but a negligible accident? Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner. All is well.”

“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.” –C.S. Lewis

Jesus said in John 11:26, “Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” Jesus taught us that even when a believer’s body dies, the believer inside that body will not die. 2Corinthians teaches us that when we as Christians leave our earthly bodies, we will be given bodies that never die.

Al Yoder

11/9/2011

Consider One Another

Heb 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Even though the phrasing of this verse in the King James Version is a little awkward to read, it is more in keeping with the original than some more modern translations.  The goal really is to consider one another.  How do we do that?  By caring enough to take the time to do it.  If we are going to help each other and even maybe provoke or challenge each other to do more and better things for the Lord, we need to, first of all, take the time to really consider one another.  There may actually be few things worse than being encouraged and challenged by someone who doesn't really know you and hasn't tried to approach you in an individual way.  

Tonight I heard about a meaningful exchange that happened at one of our small group meetings.  Something hard was shared which only could have been done in a setting of love and trust.  Growth in the church happens when people care about one another, when people minister to one another.  There are many "one anothers" in scripture.  I'm thankful I'm a part of a church that tries to really work this out with the help of the Holy Spirit.  

Here is a blog that reminded me of the blessing that we have in our group.  It's also a challenge for each of us to be the kind of brothers and sisters who will take the time to "consider one another." 

The Words of God Shall be Fulfilled

People have always challenged God’s Word since the very beginning of time. In Genesis 3, Satan asked Eve in the Garden of Eden, “Has God really said you would die if you disobeyed Him? You won’t die”.  Adam and Eve did die.   In the 1700’s professed atheist Voltaire said “Within 3 decades, The Bible will be extinct".  Jesus said “heaven and earth will pass away, but my word shall never pass away.” I just read that Bible sales are estimated between 2.5 billion up to 6 billion in the 20^th century.

“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.”

(Revelation 17:17) KJV

In Mark 13, Jesus told his disciples as they were walking out of the Temple in Jerusalem, "Do you see all these great buildings. Not one stone will be left on another." To the disciples this Temple was permanent.

In their minds nothing could bring down these walls. "Look, teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!"

The smallest stones in that structure weighed 2 to 3 tons. Many of them weighed 50 tons. The largest existing stone, part of the Wailing Wall, is over 39 feet long in length and nearly 10 feet high, weighing hundreds of tons! The stones were so immense that neither mortar nor any other binding material was used between the stones. Their stability was achieved by the amazing weight of the stones. The walls towered over Jerusalem, over 400 feet high in one area. Inside the four walls was 45 acres of bedrock mountain shaved flat and during Jesus' day a quarter of a million people could fit comfortably within the structure. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s seating capacity was equal to the people who could fit inside this temple.

 You can then understand the disciples’ surprise when Jesus said that this massive building would be leveled to the ground.  Forty years later, in 70 AD the Temple was destroyed by Rome.

“Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”

(Luke 21:33) KJV

History has taught me that it is a waste of a person’s time to listen to Satan’s suggestions that God’s words will not come true. May we find comfort and meaning in knowing that every single word of God will be fulfilled. No other book or person has ever been proven so trustworthy. If God said it…that settles it!

Al Yoder

11/29/2011

Behold He is Praying

Yesterday a sister in Christ called to ask for prayer as she went to help someone who was very much in need of assistance. When we arrived home, there was a message on our answering machine that God had heard our prayers…”things had gone very well”.  I am amazed at how often we as Christians talk about praying for each other, and at how seldom we just get right to it and pray.

A businessman friend of mine pauses before starting a floor covering installation to pray for God to equip him & his employee with wisdom and expertise, so they may bless their customer with quality workmanship. It reminds me to do that in my vocation as well.

Do we really believe that God pays attention when we call out to him for his wisdom and help with our everyday activities? Does the Bible give us any insight as to whether Jesus cares whether we pray or not? I’m reading through the book of Acts and chapter nine makes it very clear that Jesus is very aware of those who pray from the heart.

And there was a certain disciple in Damascus named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias! And he said, Behold me, Lord. And the Lord (Jesus) said to him, Arise and go into the street which is called Straight and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus.

For behold, he is praying,

(Acts 9:10,11) MKJV

George Muller, as a young man was a thief a liar and a gambler. He stole government money from his father when he was 10, and at age 14 he was playing cards and drinking with his friends while his mother was dying.  His father sent him to the University of Halle, where a fellow student invited George to a prayer meeting. There he saw a man on his knees praying. When Muller went home, he knelt by his bed and asked God to bless him wherever he went and to forgive him of his sins. Muller promptly gave up his stealing, lying, and gambling and wished to become a missionary. He began to visit the churches and began preaching. In his lifetime he housed and fed over 10,000 orphans, gave away over 285,000 Bibles and more than 1,459,000 New Testaments. His ministry took in $2,718,844 without soliciting people for money or ever going into debt. Muller believed that God wanted him to pray and trust Him for the finances needed.

Before Muller was saved, he had five close friends. He began praying for their salvation. After many months, one of them came to the Lord. Ten years later, two others were converted. It took 25 years before the fourth man was saved. Muller persevered in prayer until his death for the fifth friend, and throughout those 52 years he never gave up hoping that he would accept Christ! His faith was rewarded, for soon after Muller's funeral the last one was saved.

God did see Muller praying there on his knees in 1825, and what a difference that made on so many other peoples lives for good. God still sees people who humbly cry out to him in prayer. Jesus still sees when people pray today.  Behold…Sarah is praying!…Behold Dennis is praying! …Behold (your name here) is praying! Sometimes we see an immediate response from God. At other times it may be many years before we see a response from God, but Jesus always responds to a genuine prayer!

Al Yoder

11/15/2011

Struggling and Striving in Prayer

Does “pray without ceasing” mean a kind of lifestyle in which we honor God, but not specifically or deliberately?  Does it mean a kind of acknowledgement of God in which we call Him Lord and say that our lives are lived as a constant prayer, or does it rather mean that our lives are soaked in prayer of all types, both silent, breathed prayers, deliberate prayers, heartfelt groanings to the Lord, and shared prayer times with brothers and sister?  I think it is definitely the latter.

I’m concerned that the notion that some have of what it means to pray without ceasing is a kind of cop-out.  It is a way of saying that, though we don’t pray nearly as often or as much as we ought to, we really are praying all of the time because we are Christian people and our whole lives are really a prayer.  I believe there is some truth to the notion that our whole lives become prayerful as the Holy Spirit fills every part of us and permeates all that we do.  But I don’t believe that this becomes an auto-pilot situation.  It is harmful, I believe, to think that there is a place in our Christian lives in which we are automatically pleasing God, that we need no longer deliberately seek Him, study the scriptures to get to know Him better, worship Him, and pray fervently for all that we depend on Him for, which is everything. 

I don’t think deliberate, thoughtful prayer time is for beginners, and then the mature saints move into an automatic kind of life which is always blessed by God without seeking Him in prayer and supplication.  Why don’t I believe this?  Because the Biblical witness runs counter to it. 

Jas 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

What is fervent prayer?  I think it is more than just a lifestyle prayer.  I believe it is more than just a silent, thankful heart expressing itself throughout the day, though that is a good attitude.  Fervency is actively intentional.  Praying for one another is actively intentional.  It is something to strive toward. 

Col 4:12  Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.

Is struggling in prayer an experience we have regularly?  It is if we realize how much we need Jesus, and how incapable of living life without Him we truly are. 

Rom 15:30  I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf,

Again, Paul calls the saints to strive together with Him in prayer.  Our prayer life is to be active.  It is even a struggle sometimes.   Good things come  through the type of prayer that the Bible calls struggling or striving in prayer.  This is something we do when the Spirit of God directs our hearts in prayer to Him in intense ways.  It may be for others or it may be for ourselves.   Recall the way that Paul described His prayer for his thorn in the flesh:

2Co 12:8  Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.

Though the thorn was not removed, the Lord revealed Himself clearly to Paul about the nature and outcome of his thorn.  His prayer was answered in a clear way that gave Paul peace in his struggle.   Do we want our prayers answered in this clear, Christ-glorifying way?  Then we should plead, strive, and struggle in prayer. 

It is the same old tune you’ve heard many times before: we need to pray more.  But just because we’ve heard it many, many times already doesn’t make it any less valid.  I’m as prone as the next person to tiring of hearing the same thing over and over again.  But there is not one of us who has made it to such a place in our lives where there is not more of a need for prayer each and every day.  We have an enemy who would love to disrupt our praying.  He would love for us to be content with trivial and transient praying that we like to refer to as “prayer without ceasing.”  He would love for us to dismiss the old-fashioned notion of deliberate times of prayer in which we seek God and lay our hearts before Him in total surrender.  He would love for us to think of a prayer closet and regular time spent in it as a quaint notion favored only by Puritans and really old people.   But remember, it wasn’t old Mr. White Hair that recommended our spending solitary time with the Lord.  It was Christ Himself.  And Jesus modeled a deliberate, regular prayer habit for us.  If anyone could say that he was so connected to God that he didn’t need to spend actual special time in prayer, it would surely be Jesus, right?  Yet we read over and over of Him taking time away from others to seek the Lord in prayer (Matt. 14:23, Mark 14:35, Luke 9:18, Luke 9:28, Luke 11:1, to name a few.)  Do we need more deliberate, intentional prayer than Jesus, or less? 

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”  What does that say for those who feel like their hunger has been nicely sated, that their thirst has been well and truly slaked, thank you very much?  As long as we live on this earth, we will never have the total and complete connection with the Lord that we will one day enjoy if we are His children.  So how could we not live our lives thirsting for more and more of Him?  If nothing else, our prayer times should be a time of hungering and desiring Him, yearning to draw nearer, struggling that we could leave the corruption that clings so closely to us and be forever separated from sin and totally united to Him.  And we long to see our loved ones living for Him as well, so we struggle in prayer for their souls.  We struggle and strive in our prayers.  We are filled with the precious Holy Spirit as we long for Him, as we ask God for Him, so our prayer time is a sweet time of fellowship as well, but we will still experience the struggle to pray as we ought.  To pray without ceasing is not a small thing.  To pray without ceasing is not the lame thing that it too often becomes in our casual conversation.  It is a lifestyle, true.  But it is an active striving with sweet rewards as we long for the Lord and are blessed by Him as we come to Him more and more. 

Fall Retreat This Weekend!

This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will be our annual fall retreat at Wonder Valley Christian camp.  We will be arriving at 5:30 Friday evening to begin the fabulous good time.  I hope you're planning to attend.  This is always a great time of relaxed conversations, good food, prayer, sharing, and Bible teaching.  It is, perhaps, a little glimpse of heaven in the way that we are able to spend time with each other without the concern for watching the clock quite as much as usual.  If you are unable to come to the whole retreat but intend to worship with us on Sunday, you'll need to drive out to the camp.  We'll have morning worship at the normal time, 9:30 a.m., with lunch to follow.  I hope to see you there!

Saved from Death by Amazing Grace

We recently studied John chapter 8 in our Wednesday night Bible study (a study to which you are invited, every Wednesday night at 7:00 at the Agape building).  The beginning of the chapter is the the familiar story of the woman caught in adultery.  As she was drug into the temple to be thrown at the feet of Jesus, you can almost picture the smug looks on the faces of the men, those Pharisees and scribes who wanted so badly to see Jesus make a misstep.  You can hear their chauvinism as they say that the law requires that "such women" be stoned.  We know they weren't interested in justice at all.  John tells us they had ulterior motives.  But consider this woman who became the unwilling byproduct of the hatred these men had for Jesus.  In her experience we are reminded of the wonderful grace of Jesus.  

Can you imagine this woman’s situation?  She had just been caught in adultery and dragged into the temple by these ruthless men.  She was probably guilty of having just been involved in an adulterous relationship, possibly moments before.  Then to be drug before this teacher, hearing that this crowd of men intended to stone her, can you even imagine the horror that went along with contemplating this kind of death sentence?  From historical records, it seems that this type of execution was seldom carried out in Israel during the time of Jesus, but it was not unheard of.  It is still practiced in far flung areas of the world today.  But then, while trembling in fear and contemplating a painful end to her life, she hears this teacher respond calmly to the angry mob.  He says a couple of sentences after writing in the dirt, and gradually the crowd disperses.  Then Jesus says the words that are so amazing: “neither do I condemn you.  Go and sin no more.”  What an amazing grace she experienced that day!  She literally saw herself go from horrible death to abundant life.   

Should it be any less amazing for us that Jesus has made the same pronouncement over us?  As we come to Him for salvation, He tells us that He removes the condemnation of sin from us, the just verdict of which meant our everlasting death.  He tells us that we are forgiven.  We deserve His mercy no more than this woman did.  We are just as guilty, and the just wages of sin are death.  But God, in His infinite mercy, pronounces us, "not guilty."  And we are credited with the righteousness of Christ.  We go from condemned sinner deserving death to innocent, righteous child of God in the instant that God does His saving work, through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus.  I want to remember always the enormous weight that was lifted from me, just as palpably as this woman felt the incredible relief that came from the crowd dispersing and Jesus giving her His pardon.  Lord, help us to be always amazed by Your grace!

But we must not forget His parting words to her: go and sin no more.  This is what we are called to as well.  Realizing, in all of its fullness, what our salvation from death means, how can we not embrace a sinless life as the goal of our lives, to live to glorify God in every part of our lives?   We owe more than we can possibly repay, and that is not what God asks of us.  But our joyful obedience to Him is what He has set us free for.  We know that we are unable by our own strength to do this, but God has provided what we need to do this in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and His promise that He will always be with us.  Let us go out in joy from being released from death, and let us go out with the intention to live a holy life for Jesus!

Are You a Knocker?

Many years ago I tried to sell things door to door.  I soon found out that my gift did not lend itself to that type of selling. I would go up to someone’s door and be scared to knock…afraid someone might come to the door! At other times I would knock and could hear people inside moving around but they would not answer the door.  It takes courage for people to walk up to a door and begin knocking, but it is such a rewarding thing to go past the fears we have and discover how many wonderful people are out there in our world. However, sometimes we knock on a person’s door and they open and say, “What do you want?” with a very serious and rough tone of voice. Others open the door with great enthusiasm and invite us in with open arms.  In this world we will have some challenging times when we step out into new territory. However with God, he opens many doors to those who are knockers.

“Everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find, and for the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

(Matthew 7:8) GW

Some people go around knocking everything all the time.  They complain about this and they complain about that.  They can never think of anything good to talk about. But, that is not the kind of a knocker Jesus talked about in this story of a woman that wanted bread. When we go around knocking everything and everyone, it’s a result of too little faith. A person of faith will persevere though anything.  The winds and the rains may beat on our house, but genuine faith will never quit knocking. It always believes and never gives up because it is convinced the door will one day open.

During World War 2, some escaped prisoners of war hid for some time in a cellar in Cologne, Germany. They wrote on the wall this inscription:
I believe in the sun, even when it is not shinning.
I believe in love, even when feeling it not.
I believe in God, even when He is silent.

Friend, don't stop knocking - faith will open the Door if you just continue knocking! Keep on knocking!
Faith will help you make it through the darkest time of the night! Ask, seek, and knock.  This has the idea of: ask and keep on asking; seek and keep on seeking; knock and keep on knocking. EVERYONE who does these things will see doors open up!  Do you want a door to open for you? Be this kind of knocker.

Selah….

Al Yoder

10/8/2011

The Lord Appeared in a Dream

Over and over the Bible makes the statement, “The Lord appeared in a dream”. The Lord appeared in a dream to Gideon, to Joseph, to Daniel, to Jesus earthly father Joseph, to Paul, and to prophets. Do you think God still appears to people in dreams? The word appeared could also be translated “showed” or “to lighten”. In other words God revealed His will to them in this unique way. He showed them things they were in the dark about. Rose and I have lost something and looked everywhere we could think of with no avail. A number of times after we asked God to reveal the location, in a dream during the night the places were revealed to us. In the passage of Matthew concerning Jesus earthly father Joseph, again and again the Bible says God appeared to him in a dream. Joseph always responded with instant obedience and God rewarded him with safety and blessing as a result.

“While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived.”

(Matthew 1:20)

A married couple from India moved to Canada so the husband Bhupinder Singh could work for a major bank as an Information technology professional. One night, after praying and reading their Sikhi scriptures, his wife Mona had a dream. In this dream, the Lord Jesus himself came to her and told her about what she has been praying for. At that point, they had never read the Bible or knew much about the Lord Jesus or gone to any church. She immediately realized that the Lord Jesus is the true, real & living God. “That’s why He knows what I have been praying as per my Sikh scriptures. She immediately accepted the Lord Jesus. Bhupinder thought, I have got everything from my own Guru / religion, so why do we need a new God?" Bhupinder began to seek out the truth about his wife¹s new revelation. He called a local church and spoke with a pastor. Bhupinder asked him,"Do I have to change my religion or my dress code to come to your faith?" He was told that Christianity is not a religion but a direct relationship with God and that whatever kind of dress he wore, it was okay. "I wanted some proof that what the pastor told me was correct". So I asked him to give me a Bible. He gave me a copy of New Testament. ”

After I started reading the New Testament, all my questions were answered in the first hundred pages. I soon realized that all the books I¹ve read earlier are just derived from the Bible. Now I am reading the original book.” "My wife and I started studying the Bible seriously," Bhupinder says. "Soon we stopped reading and following other scriptures. We started doing everything according to the Bible. Our entire life has changed. We spend a lot of time reading the word of God. We meditate on it and use it in our day to day lives." "The Lord has also blessed us. He is using us to bring lost souls to Him in our social circle & South Asian Communities”, says Bhupinder. “We are seeing a big change in their life through physical and most importantly spiritual healings, answered prayers and quick resolution of issues by blessings from true & living Lord.”

Whether through dreams or through His Word, God is still speaking to his people. Will we hear his voice and respond with instant obedience like Joseph did? God’s power and presence will flood our lives when we respond in this way to His voice. Joseph was an ordinary man, but God used him in extraordinary ways because of his obedience. When God appears to you and me, will we respond like that? God still used ordinary people to do extraordinary things when we are eager to obey Him.

Selah,

Al Yoder

9/15/2011

Brothers and Sisters Loved by God: Assurance Even in Suicide

For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you.  1 Thessalonians 1:4

Do you need some good news today?  Some encouraging word to get you started in the morning, or maybe something positive to counteract the overwhelming negative attitude that pervades the culture outside of Christ?  How about this statement from 1 Thessalonians.  What better news can there be than that the all-powerful God of the universe loves you?  In fact, not only does He love His children, He has chosen them as His children.  We are not His children because we chose Him, but because He chose us.  That is good news indeed.  If it depended upon my choosing Him, I might fall away during a low time in my life.  I might question my status as a child of God during a time of discouragement.  If it depends upon my complete and unquestioning faith in God, then I'm afraid I'd be in and out of a right relationship with Him depending upon my attitude and ability to think correctly.  But God has made it clear that He has chosen us, and He sustains us even in the worst of times.  His love breaks through any circumstance.  

In Romans chapter eight, Paul lists a whole host of things that we are tempted to think can rock our world and take away all of our hope.  But he says that none of these things, in fact no thing at all, no part of creation, can keep us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.   

He begins His list by saying that neither life nor death can separate us from God.  Do you know someone who has committed suicide?  Have you been taught that suicide is an unpardonable sin?  This teaching is nowhere to be found in scripture.  To be sure, suicide is a sin, it is a terrible sin.  But our sins have been forgiven in Christ.  His sacrifice and atonement are the antidote for sin once for all time.  Christ's one-time sacrifice atoned for sins into the past and out into the future, both to Old Testament believers and into the future to us.  It was a once for all time sacrifice, not one that must be repeated every time that we sin.  When a believer dies, there is not some necessity of a final confession before he passes on.  That is a theology taught by our Roman Catholic brothers and one with which we disagree.  Confession is important in overcoming sin, but it is not the thing which forgives us of our sin.  Christ's atoning work overcomes sin, and that work is complete.  And God chose us for Himself, and neither life nor death can separate us from His perfect love.  Once we are His, we are always His.

And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.  Phil 1:6

Has God begun a good work in you?  The promise is that He will bring it to completion.  Did He begin a good work in a loved one who took his or her own life?  Be assured, be certain because nothing is more sure or certain than the Word of God, that God will bring His good work to completion in that loved one, even though their life may have ended in a tragic way.  There is little that can be said at a tragic time like this that can take away the pain.  We grieve rightly because it is a sorrowful thing to lose someone.  But we must never bring question into a situation in which there is no question.   God loves His children, He has chosen us and He will finish the work He began in us.  Thank God for the assurance we have in Him, that our salvation is sure not because of our perfect behavior and right thinking in the matter, but because God has chosen us, He loves us, and He will not let us go once we are His.  

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.  I and the Father are one.  John 10:27-30

The Whole Picture

Some people read the Bible by opening it at random and without looking point his finger at the page. They look at that as God’s word for them for the day.  Sometimes that works positively, but other times it has a negative effect because it is taken out of context. Such was the case of the man who said, “Lord, show me what you want me to do”…using that method. His Bible opened up to the scripture that said, “Judas went out and hung himself.” He than closed the Bible and reopened it pointing to, “Go and do thou likewise.”  That’s why it is unwise to not compare scripture with scripture to get the whole picture. At times we communicate with people by only giving them a small part of the whole picture. Yet we expect them to understand where we are coming from. It’s not fair to the person who wants to be our friend. It’s also not fair to the Holy Spirit when we try to interpret what he is saying based on one verse of scripture.

“These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

I Corinthians 2:13

A Texas teacher was helping one of her kindergarten students put on his cowboy boots. She could see why he had asked her for help, because even with her pulling and him pushing the little boots still didn’t want to go on. She had worked up a sweat by the time the second boot was on. The little boy said, “Teacher, they are on the wrong feet.” She looked, and sure enough they were.  It wasn’t any easier to pull the boots off than it was putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as they worked together to get the boots off and back on the right feet. Then the boy announced, “These aren’t my boots.”  Once again, she bit her tongue and struggled to help him putt the ill-fitting boots off his little feet. No sooner had they gotten the boots off when he said, “These are my brother’s boots. My mom made me wear them.” Now the teacher didn’t know if she should laugh or cry. But she wrestled the boots back on the little boy’s feet again. As she helped him into his coat, she asked “where are your mittens?” He said, “I stuffed them in the toes of my boots.”

Sometimes, like the little boy, we only give people bits and pieces of information. Yet, we expect them to understand what we need from them. If the little boy would have shared more information with the teacher up front, the job would have been much easier for both of them. If we allow God to share more information with us up front, we will see the whole picture and our lives with be infinitely more balanced and meaningful. Comparing scripture with scripture is treating God fairly and it makes our life easier because we see the whole picture.

Al Yoder

9/7/2011

God Sent Me

When life’s circumstances seem to slam us around and we feel mistreated and misunderstood, how should we view these things? Are we just the random product of this world with unexplainable experiences? Or, is there a God who is divinely orchestrating things to make us a more effective part of His vast plan to save people? In Genesis 45, Joseph had been treated horribly by his brothers and unfairly thrown into jail by an angry owner. Yet, when it was within his power to kill his brothers and his former slave owner, he showed them mercy and pled with them to not be angry with themselves. Joseph said “God sent me to save lives”.

“God sent not his son into the world to condemn us, but that the world through him might be saved”. (John 3:17)

‘Then Jesus said to them (his disciples) again, Peace to you. As My Father has sent Me, even so I send you.” John 20:21

Joseph said, “Don't worry or blame yourselves for what you did. God is the one who sent me ahead of you to save lives.”    Genesis 45:5   CEV

Leslie Perrott tells about an experience that made her appreciate the power that grace had on her life when her husband showed her mercy. “We all have those days where things go wrong. Like the day I was on my way to the grocery store when I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw my five-year-old had fallen fast asleep. My mind sifted through the possibilities . . .I could wake John up when we get to the grocery store . . . but then he’ll be really crabby, and once he’s awake, he won’t go back to sleep. Or I could just turn around, take him home, and tuck him into bed since Les is working there. I could grocery shop just that much faster. I knew Les was hard at work on a book deadline, but it was more likely that John would sleep at home than in the grocery cart. So I returned home, carried John into the house, tucked him into bed, and told Les that he’d be in charge of our little one for a while. I sped back to the car with the kind of urgency that only a mom trying to fit in multiple tasks during a child’s naptime can entirely identify with. I jumped into the driver’s seat, and as I backed out . . . the open car door smacked against the side of our garage completely ripping the door off the car. I’d forgotten to close the door when carrying John into the house. The ripping and tearing sound brought my husband Les flying down the stairs out of his study, which is directly above the garage. He was wide-eyed as he saw me crying, sitting there behind the steering wheel. The cause of this one-car accident was obvious. I gripped the wheel, bracing myself for what Les was about to say. But he didn’t yell. He didn’t lay blame. He kissed me on the cheek and said, “I was thinking we needed a new card door, so this is perfect.”

Of course I didn’t deserve that kind of grace in that moment. My thoughtlessness not only cost us money, it meant we wouldn’t be driving the next day on our long-awaited ski trip. But instead of guilt, condemnation, and anger, I got grace. Why? As Les said that evening over dinner, “If I were in your shoes in that moment, the last thing I would have needed from you was to be scolded.”

Can we see how God sends us into difficult circumstances to help people we would have never reached out to in any other way. Les was sent into the garage where her wife had just ripped the door right off their car to reassure her of his love.  Joseph was sent to Egypt where he experienced rejection and prison in order to save his family & many other people. What painful experience have you and I been a part of? Can you see that God perhaps sent you there to equip you to help many other people?

 God did not send Jesus into the world to condemn us; but to save (heal) us.  Jesus told us as his disciples ”… as my Father sent me,  so I send you.” That means we have a divine mandate to stop condemning and to begin helping people heal. When this truth gets a hold of us, we can say with Joseph…GOD SENT ME.

Al Yoder

8/23/2011

Smarter, Not Harder

Early yesterday morning I picked up my chainsaw and began cutting a very large hickory stump that stuck up in the middle of my lawn. After mowing around it for twenty years, I decided it had to be taken to the ground. It didn’t take me long to discover that the stump was very hard and my chain was very dull. Sweat was pouring from my red face to the ground, so that it was hard to even see well. Wisdom told me that it would be better to sharpen the chain three times, rather than break my back by trying to save time and cut with a dull saw.

How many times have we tried to overcome a spiritual problem in our lives the same old dull way? Though it never worked well for us, we keep trying the same old way…hoping for different results.

What do we call it if someone keeps on flipping the switch when a light does not come on, hoping maybe the next flip will make it work? We call that crazy, right? Wisdom would cause that person to try something else. In my reading through Ecclesiastes, I came on this verse with some very practical advice.

“If your ax is dull and you don't sharpen it, you have to work harder to use it.

It is smarter to plan ahead.”

Ecclesiastes 10:10  GNB

I would jump off the haymow of a barn to the floor without climbing the ladder, because it was quicker. Granted the landing was a fairly hard jolt on my feet and back, but it saved me the time it took to take the ladder. One day my dad saw me jump and told me, “you may save some time right now, but you could very well pay for it with back and joint problems for the rest of your life.”  How wise dad was. It pays to plan ahead and not just live our lives for the immediate pleasure of the moment.

A good gardener would know to keep his shovels and hoes sharpened. Working with a dull hoe would amount to pounding weeds rather than slicing through them, and a blunt spade will stop at roots and hard soil, whereas a sharp one will cut right through them.

Are we walking around with dull axes?  Are we less effective than we used to be? Are we simply going through the motions of serving God because of being near burnout and total exhaustion? That is not the way God intends for us to live. Of course, there are times when more work is required, more energy is spent, and you will be tired. How do we avoid this rut? Is it possible to have a great marriage, a strong sense of purpose, a successful job, a ministry that pleases God, and still enjoy life? I believe we can. The secret is found in keeping a sharp ax.
That is exactly what needs to be done with our relationships with God and people. It is far more effective to invest time and effort into these relationships before we feel the need for any help; rather than expecting our friends and family members to help us at a moments notice when they haven’t heard from us for a very long time! Sound familiar anyone? How many of you know it is harder to restore a broken relationship than it is to maintain one. I believe one of the keys to keeping our spiritual axes sharpened is by reading God’s Word.

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword…”  (Hebrews 4:12)

So, let’s work smarter…not harder, by daily reading God’s Word. Life will not be dull when we are sharpened by the word of God.
Al Yoder

Blessed By Vision

Proverbs 29:18

Butch, a brother in our church family recently had a knee replacement surgery. He said it would have been so much more difficult if he did not have a church family loving and caring alongside his physical family. He said “having people lovingly praying for me, helped me trust God with whatever He did with me” He had a vision of what Christ’s purpose was for the church. Pastors have the responsibility to impart the vision Christ has given for His church. God has a plan and purpose for us as a body of believers, a vision. We are fulfilling the will of God when we actively participate in the local church body.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he who keeps the law, he is blessed.”

Proverbs 29:18

In the past 53 years, I have watched many people come and go from church, and the majority left because they had no vision or a very small one at best. God's highest purpose for us is much more than to fill a pew every time the church doors are open. His plan for our life involves more than just attending church and listening attentively to someone preach a good sermon. God wants us to be actively involved in the church.

The church isn't a building or facility; it is not the walls, chairs and carpet. It is not an organization to better our society, though it will do that.  The church is much more than that. She is a living organism, called a Body in the Bible. It is made up of people who are born again, growing and maturing into the image of Jesus Christ. When there is a project to be done, we ask the question “who is heading this up?” We want to know who has the authority to get the job done. Christ is the only head of the church. The church represents Christ on the earth continuing the ministry Jesus began 2000 years ago.  (Eph.4:11-13, Rom.8:29, Acts 1:1)

 Proverbs 29:18 says that without a vision, people perish. The Hebrew word for vision used in this passage is "chazown" and it means sight, or vision. So, according to our text, God wants us to see something. God wants to reveal His will to us. The church does not gather to escape the fires of hell, but to find out what God wants us to be doing in our world. The text verse says without sight or vision, people perish. The Hebrew word is "para" and it means to loosen or dismiss.

The Living Bible:"Where there is ignorance of God, the people run wild"
New American Standard:"Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained"
New International Version:"Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint"

Soren Kierkegaard told a story about a wounded goose who landed in a barnyard with some chickens. He played and ate with the chickens. After a while that goose thought he was a chicken. One day some geese flew over the barnyard migrating to a warmer climate. They honked as they flew overhead, and the goose heard them. Suddenly something stirred within his breast. Something called him to the skies. He began to flap the wings he hadn’t used, and rose a few feet into the air. Then he stopped and settled back again into the mud of the barnyard. “He heard the cry, but he settled for less."

If we hear God’s vision, why settle for less?   Proverbs 29:18 ends by saying “blessed” or happy are those who do these things. So, go ahead…flap those wings and get blessed by God’s vision.

Al Yoder

Free Indeed

Many Americans don’t know what Independence Day really means. What we celebrate is the day we were set free from the dominance of the country of England in 1776.  That was the time we were set free as a people to worship God as we understood Him. We no longer needed to be in bondage to a foreign government to take away our income with heavy taxes and our freedom to worship as we pleased. 

One evening Rose and I hosted a young man for supper. As we visited together about his work and his children, he responded that it was a positive time for him. We then asked how his relationship was with his wife, to which he responded “very difficult!”  We tried to be helpful to him, but suddenly we discovered that we were not doing well in our own communication with each other.  The harder we tried to rectify the problem with words, the less we understood each other. It was discouraging to know that we might have caused this young man’s evening to be ruined. After he left, Rose and I tried again to talk about what had happened to the two of us, only to still feel like there was a breach in our spirits. It was at that point that God spoke to me saying, “Why don’t you ask me for help with this challenge?” I felt rebuked for not thinking about asking Him sooner. The moment we finished praying, there was a huge change. It was as though we had been set free of the invisible bars that had kept us from understanding each other.  It is a wonderful experience to live in a free country, but it is even more powerful to be set free from the spiritual warfare that hinders our oneness with each other and with our God.

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”

John 8:36

Harry Houdini, the famed escape artist issued a challenge wherever he went. He could be locked in any jail cell in the country, he claimed, and set himself free quickly and easily. Always he kept his promise, but one time something went wrong. Houdini entered the jail in his street clothes; the heavy, metal doors clanged shut behind him. He took from his belt a concealed piece of metal, strong and flexible. He set to work immediately, but something seemed to be unusual about this lock. For 30 minutes he worked and got nowhere. An hour passed, and still he had not opened the door. By now he was bathed in sweat and panting in exasperation, but he still could not pick the lock. Finally, after laboring for two hours, Harry Houdini collapsed in frustration and failure against the door he could not unlock, and it swung open! The door had not been locked, but in his mind it was locked. All he really had to do was lean against the handle and walk out of the jail cell. 

We, like Houdini, sweat and get frustrated by our sincere attempts at overcoming a difficult situation in our life. Then when we get to the “end of our rope”, we cry out to God and Jesus sets us free, and we are free indeed!

Al Yoder

7/4/2011

Shield of Faith

When I try to fight off self pity with mental reasoning, I usually am overcome with it. When alcoholics try to overcome their addiction with logic, they are consistently defeated.  Matthew 4 gives the story of Jesus response to every fiery arrow shot at him by Satan. His shield every single time was “It is written”. He never used logic. He always used Scripture. He was never defeated. God’s Word was Jesus shield of faith. He didn’t just have it in his possession. He used it.

The shield is something we must take up, something we are required to raise. Just strapping it to our arm won't do any good at all if we don't make the effort to hold it aloft and use it. The Roman shield was a very large, slightly curved rectangular shield featuring at its center a large metal knob. A shield is associated with faith because it does for the body in warfare what faith does for our spiritual warfare.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

...above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

Ephesians 6:16

A shield guards. While a physical shield protects us physically, faith can protect our spiritual lives even in the middle of the most severe trials.

A shield deflects. Satan is always hurling his fiery darts of fear, doubt and worry in our direction, but the only time they can hit us is when we let our shield of faith down—when we stop believing that God is in control; that He is working everything out for our good; that whatever happens is for the ultimate best of everyone involved, however little it seems to be that way.

A shield is the first line of defense. While the rest of our armor helps protect us from Satan's onslaught, it is not what you ideally want to be using to absorb every hit. You do not, for instance, go out into battle intentionally blocking everything with your head.

A shield can incapacitate. The metal knob in the middle of the Roman shields allowed soldiers to give their enemies a painful blow that shoved them away for a better line of attack. Our faith in God can also give Satan a good shove backwards and give us a chance to fight back by obeying our Lord Jesus.

The Roman army had a very effective tactic that made use of their large shields. When enemies would begin firing arrows and other objects at the army, their soldiers would close ranks into a rectangular pattern—and those on the outside would use these shields to make a wall around the army. Those in the middle would raise their shields over their heads to protect everyone from the airborne missiles. When the army joined their shields together, they were almost unstoppable.

And if we in the Body of Christ join our shields—that is, strengthen each other with our faith, building up and serving within the Body as we are able—we will become an unstoppable force able to overcome every spiritual demon that tries to defeat us.  We have the shields. Let’s use them to help each other.

Selah,

Al Yoder

6/16/2011

Restoring Relationships

My wife Rose wants to go away for a vacation. I want to stay home. Suddenly we can have a huge argument and an invisible wall between us. We are very close, but we are also very different. Everyone in close relationships will need to deal with conflicts. They cannot be avoided. In a conflict it is important to remember that each one of us genuinely believes what we feel and think is right. Conflict itself is not bad, but not resolving it can be. Jesus assures us in John 16:33 that we will all have trouble. So let’s not get discouraged if we are facing some conflict…we are still in the world. Even mature Bible characters like Paul and Barnabas had such a difficult conflict between each other, they parted ways for a while. They couldn’t come to an agreement about John Mark, who had defected and gone home while on a former journey with Paul. Barnabas wanted to take him along and Paul did not. An invisible wall went up between some very otherwise mature disciples of Jesus Christ.

“And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other…”

Acts 15:39 KJV

      From the book STRUGGLING FOR WHOLENESS, Jan Kiemel Ream, tells a personal story we can all identify with.

On the way home from Sunday church dad and son Nash were traveling in the front seat. Jan and son Tre were in the back seat. Just before climbing into the car they had smiled and hugged their friends, the perfect picture of love and harmony as a family.  This day was also their wedding anniversary.  Suddenly Tre threw his award pen from Sunday school on the floor, because he could not get the bubble gum off. They were on the way to meet friends for lunch and then to a parade close by.  The dad called back for a Granola Bar, and Tre threw one forward to him. This irritated the dad and he sternly told Tre not to throw things in the car. Tre burst into tears and yelled back, “Well, if I’m not to throw things in the car, how come you threw that hard-boiled egg into the front seat on our trip to Pennsylvania?”

      The dad refused to say anything and continued to drive toward their friends’ house, which caused the mother to explode with “Answer him, Dad. He at least deserves that!” The dad then told Jan to “shut up” or they would turn around and go back home. She yelled back, “I will not stop.” The dad spun the car around and headed for home, with Jan screaming “We can’t go home. These people are expecting us. We will ruin their afternoon.”  The dad coldly said, “I can’t imagine our family doing anything but ruin their afternoon in the state that we are in.”

    Upon arriving at home Jan called their friends, telling them “We are in a state of conflict. I’m humiliated to have to admit such. I know we were to be at your house this minute and, to be quite honest, I’m not sure there is any way we can pull out of this struggle we are in, recover and still meet you.”  Dad, Mother and Billy sat down and each one had the opportunity to say where they were coming from. In less then fifteen minutes each one apologized for their part in making it a difficult time, and the mother called their friends to say, “We will meet you at the parade. I think we have worked through our conflict.” On the way home that evening Billy said, “Mom and Dad, this really has turned into a really good day!” Dad and son both seemed to be closer then usual.

Conflicts will not destroy a relationship, unless we refuse to resolve them. Conflicts can be useful to bringing us to an even closer, more loving feeling between us. If we refuse to take the time and energy to resolve them, a wall will be built between us with stored up anger and hurt that can negatively affect all of our other relationships. The Bible lets us in on how Paul & John Mark must have resolved their differences because Paul was asking for Mark to come and help him in his ministry again. In 2 Timothy 4:11 (CEV) Paul wrote, “…Mark can be very helpful to me, so please find him and bring him with you.”

“God has done all this. He has restored our relationship with him through Christ,

and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships.”

 2Corinthians 5:18

Let’s purpose to resolve every conflict we can as much as we are able to do that. Let’s not let Satan get the advantage over us by letting hatred free rent to stay in our hearts. Let’s restore as many relationships as possible. This is our ministry.

Al Yoder

5/25/2011

A Paralyzed Mouth

One day after spending time with a neighbor who indicated a desire to study the Bible, my pastor at that time expressed a negative spirit about the way I went about it. It left me speechless, because it had taken a great deal of courage for me to venture into what was new territory for me.  It seems like for some reason when I wanted to talk about Jesus to the unsaved my mouth would feel like it was paralyzed shut.  Have you ever felt like God wanted you to say something, but it just wouldn’t come out of your mouth?   I was reading in Luke 1 about a man called Zechariah that God had sent his angel Gabriel to announce the good news that they would be having a baby boy.  Zechariah just could not believe what he was told, because he and his wife were already very old.  The angel then told him that he would be unable to speak until their baby was born, as a sign that this was truly a message from God. From that moment till John the Baptist was born Zechariah’s mouth was paralyzed. He had to use sign language to communicate with people.

“When he did come out, he could not speak…”

Luke 1:22

There are different things in life that cause us to become speechless.  Sometimes like Zechariah, it may be for spiritual reasons.  At other times we may be involved in a serious accident and don’t know how to process what happened to us. 

We may feel like our mouth is paralyzed when someone we least expect it from, begins to swear and degrade us.  One day  after I had completed a small job for one of my cabinet shop customers, a call came for me to stop by their house to pick up their check for payment.  After arriving, the man began calling me names I had never been called before to my face.  He yelled at me, saying that I had taken advantage of them as seniors by over charging them, even though he had an itemized description of materials and labor on his statement.  I calmly told him he could adjust the charges if they felt taken advantage of.  Yet the man continued to cuss at me in a very angry tone instead of adjusting the bill.  Feeling shaken and totally speechless with what was happening, I climbed into my truck and headed down the road with the man still visibly agitated and flailing his hands in the air at me.  At the time, I feared he may be mentally challenged and have a gun to shoot at me.  This was a wealthy man whom I later discovered had taken advantage of other businessmen like myself. It brought up feelings of failure and a much deeper appreciation for the rest of my wonderful customers!

There are other times when my inadequate feelings about myself keep me from giving people the affirmation they have coming.  At other times fear of rejection may keep us from talking to people about their relationship with God. Jesus often would come to his disciples with the words, “fear not”.  May God help us to go beyond our fears to speak out the words that bring healing, hope and happiness to those who so desperately need to hear it from us.  Sign language is one way to communicate, but words are so much easier to understand.  When Zechariah’s son was born, God gave him back his speech again. Let’s not let our fears paralyze our mouth.

Al Yoder

5/14/2011