GATHERED TOGETHER

Have you ever felt like you hit the ditch spiritually?   We might call it a spiritual funk… a kind of lazy,  edgy or irritable,  down in the dumps feeling.  Then we get with a two or three Christian friends and suddenly everything changes for us. We begin feeling joy again.  Life seems more manageable.  We may not even be able to lay our finger on what made the big difference. Could it be that Christ came into our midst in an extraordinary way? Could it be that the Holy Spirit had gathered us together?  Jesus usually sent His disciples out two by two, because they did better together.

A tourist drove his car into a ditch in a desolated area. A local farmer came to help with his big strong horse named Buddy. He hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, "Pull, Nellie, pull!" Buddy didn't move. Then the farmer hollered, "Pull, Buster, pull!" Buddy didn't respond. Once more the farmer commanded, "Pull, Coco, pull!" Nothing. Then the farmer nonchalantly said, "Pull, Buddy, pull!" And the horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch. The stranger was most appreciative, but asked the farmer , “why did you call your horse by the wrong name three times? The farmer replied, “Well….Buddy is blind and if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn't even try!" 

Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name,

there am I in the midst of them.”

(Matthew 18:20)

 Jesus explains that we are not wired to be lone ranger Christians.  Perhaps an independent spirit is our greatest sin.  He promises to be in our midst when we are gathered in His name, even if there are as few as two or three. We are not the Body alone, as individuals. We are the church only when we are together. This accents beautifully the washing of the disciples’ feet and His telling us to do the same to one another, as well as the teaching that He is present in the least of our brothers. He is telling us to be Christ to one another, and treat one another as we would treat Him. The presence of Christ is best seen in us when we work together in unity as Christians.  When we gather together in this way, the world will notice.  We don’t have to sell Jesus to anyone…it will be obvious that Christ is in our midst.  Together, we can easily pull each other out of the spiritual ditches we drive ourselves into.  There is tremendous power when in Jesus name at least two or three are gathered together. 

Al Yoder

 TRUST IN THE LORD

Trust is very difficult for many adults. Maybe it is because of some negative experiences with people they trusted in their childhood. Charles Wesley often told his brother John, “If the Lord gave me wings, I’d fly”. His brother John Wesley replied, “If God bids me fly, I will trust Him for the wings.” It is stupid to trust in someone that is not trustworthy. Trust is at the root of all good relationships. It is not even safe to rely on what we think we know, because even we can let ourselves down. There is one person who will never betray our trust. It is always safe with all our heart to trust in the Lord.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know.”

Proverbs 3:5 GNB

E. Schuyler English wrote about a man who lived on Long Island. One day he fulfilled a lifelong ambition by ordering a very expensive barometer. When the instrument arrived at his house, he was extremely disappointed to find that the indicating needle appeared to be stuck, pointing to the section on the barometer marked "HURRICANE." After shaking the barometer vigorously several times, he sat down and wrote an angry letter to the store that he had purchased the instrument from. The following morning on the way to his office in New York City, he mailed the letter. That evening he returned to Long Island to find not only the barometer missing, but his house as well. The barometer's needle had been right; there was a hurricane!

This man did not trust the barometer to tell him the truth, like many people do not trust God’s Word. Wise people realize that while it is not always safe to trust in instruments or people, it always pays to trust in the LORD.

Alvin J. Yoder