The Beginning

Several months ago I watched an ugly worm crawling across the ground! That was the beginning of a thing. Now look at that insect with gorgeous wings, playing in the sunshine, sipping from the flowers, full of life; that is the end. That caterpillar is us, until we are wrapped up in the chrysalis of death; because when Christ shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Be content to be like the caterpillar who like Jesus, will be totally fulfilled when we wake up in his likeness. The end will be much better than the beginning.

“Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.”

Ecclesiastes_7:8  KJV

Look at Jesus; see his beginning. He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. The end is He now sits at his Father’s right hand, until his enemies are made his footstool. If we never bear the cross, we will never wear the crown; we must walk on the dirt road, or we will never walk the golden streets. We can take courage because “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.”

A rough-looking diamond is placed on the wheel of the jeweler. He cuts it on all sides. It loses a lot of what felt very costly to itself. But when the king is crowned; the diadem is put on his head with all its’ shining glory. Light will flash from the very diamond which at this moment is very unhappy with the filing and polishing of the Jeweler’s tools. We can compare ourselves to a diamond like that, because we are one of God’s people; and right now we are in the cutting process. Exercise faith and patience, because on the day when the crown is placed on the head of the King of kings… there will be flashes of glory streaming from us. God said, “They shall be mine, in the day when I make up my jewels.”

Let’s be excited about the beginning of a New Year. It is a reminder that we are still in time. The day is coming when time will be no more. The end will always be better for a follower of Christ. Better is the end of a thing than the beginning.

Alvin Yoder

12/30/2012

Attitude

Our attitude determines our altitude. I don’t know who coined that phrase, but I have seen the reality of it often over a lifetime. It’s not our aptitude, but our attitude that has the most powerful effect on all of our relationships. When we realize that, wisdom would tell us to spend more time learning to direct our thoughts, instead of our outward skills. A person’s attitude is more important than a clean face. Our attitude is more important than the color of our skin. Our attitude is more important than the part of the country we are living. In today’s passage of the Bible we are instructed to have the same attitude that Jesus had. The Greek word for attitude is phroneō.  It means… “to direct one’s mind”.  Jesus never focused on the color of his skin, or his outward skills. Jesus directed his mind toward encouragement, love, compassion, joy, harmony, unselfishness, being interested in other people. We are commanded to have this same attitude.

“Have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”

Philippians 2:5 GNB

When we put our thoughts in neutral, like our vehicles they tend to go roll downhill. One songwriter wrote about our bent toward leaving the God we love. We need to learn to “direct our thoughts” away from discouragement to encouragement. We need to direct our thoughts away from our own interests to the interests of others. We can direct our thoughts away from depression to joy…which is defined as cheerfulness in the Strong’s Concordance.

Eddie made living selling balloons at a fair. He had many colors of balloons including red, yellow, and green. Whenever business got slow, he would release a helium filled balloons into the air. When children saw the balloons go up, they all wanted to buy one. It would always increase his sales. One day, Eddie felt something tugging his jacket. A little boy asked him, “If you let go of a black balloon, would that also fly?” Eddie said, “Son, it is not the color of the balloon, it is what’s inside that makes it go up.”

The same thing applies to our lives. It is what is inside that counts. It is what goes on inside of us that makes us go uphill, spiritually speaking. What makes us go up is our attitude. God’s Holy Spirit lives inside of us. He can give us the power to direct our thoughts in the same way as Jesus Christ did. It will always take us up when we release this kind of an attitude.

Alvin Yoder

12/28/2012

Mormons and Christians

Here is a link to a thoughtful post by Ed Stetzer regarding how we ought to think of and relate to Mormons: http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=39047.  He wrote of being cautious about using the term "cult:"  

I hope they keep in mind how a lost world understands that term -- and how your Mormon neighbor understands the term. We all should ask, "Will it make them more willing to hear the truth?"

He does make the point, without compromise, that Mormonism does fit the definition of a cult theologically, but counsels that we shouldn't use that term when trying to witness to a Mormon.  And we should witness to Mormons, as they veer from the plain truth of scripture in important ways.   But our goal in doing so is not to be proven right, but to bring them to a true, life-changing understanding of the gospel.  

Marriage Vows

Forty six years ago Rose and I stood and made a sacred vow in front of God, a preacher, and an audience of several hundred people. We promised to “love & cherish each other till death do us part”. That vow has been tested many times, but it has helped us to not forget that we made that vow to God.

“…who leaves her husband, the closest friend of her youth,

and forgets her marriage vows to her God.”

Pro 2:17 GW

A beautiful young woman with long blond hair, blue eyes, and soft skin with no blemishes came to America from Sweden. She was raised by good Christian parents and received Christ at a very young age. Her friends said they never heard Lynda speak a harsh word about anyone. She dated the same young man in her freshman year of college till she graduated and they waited to have sex till they were married. They made these vows to each other one week after graduating from college.

In the presence of God and these witnesses, I take you to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.

The newly married couple loved to walk and exercise together, go on bike rides, go to movies, eat pizza, and all the things a normal couple would do with each other. Lynda taught school for a year and then became a surgical supply company’s bookkeeper. One day while working, she lost her balance and fell with no apparent reason. The next day she fell again, but this time was unable to get up. She lost all feeling in her legs and couldn’t move them. Her husband d came to the office and picked her up in his arms to carry her to a hospital. There the doctor diagnosed her as having Multiple Sclerosis. This couple, who had only been married 18 months, had all their future plans changed. For the next 30 years Lynda’s bones became brittle and broke easily. Her beautiful face became puffy and bloated. She went from a walker to an electric scooter, to a wheelchair. She could no longer feed herself, write her name, or control her bodily functions. She now needed 24 hours a day care from someone. Lynda’s husband said, “Had we not had a relationship and commitment to Jesus Christ and to each other, our marriage would never have lasted.” Very few mates stay with a spouse when the MS patient moves into those terribly difficult physical, psychological, and mental stages. Lynda’s husband David said, “We are not super saints or super Christians. Lynda & I are normal, ordinary people, empowered by God to do what God has called every Christian to do. God expects every one of his children to keep our marriage vows we made before Him on our wedding day”.

Selah

Al Yoder

11/2/2012

Like Shepherds... Like Wolves

Jesus deliberately uses the image of the sheep – the most dependent, helpless and stupid of all domesticated animals. They are easily disturbed by harmless things, and they are easily disturbed by dangerous things. And when danger comes, sheep have only one natural defense: running. And they're not very good at it. The sheep's greatest enemy in ancient Palestine and in many parts of the world is, was and always will be the wolf.

The number-one task of a good, faithful shepherd is to protect his sheep from the wolf’s attacks.  I am told that sheep do not do very well without a shepherd. Are we not so much like sheep? None of us do well without a shepherd. I need a shepherd. You need a shepherd. We all need a shepherd. When a sheep is lured away from the fold, that sheep is fair game for the wolves.

“Look after yourselves and everyone the Holy Spirit has placed in your care. Be like shepherds to God's church. It is the flock that he bought with the blood of his own Son. I know that after I am gone, others will come like fierce wolves to attack you.” (Acts 20:28-29) CEV

A close friend of mine told how her parents had cattle that were having baby calves. She said one day she looked out at the field and the cattle were running. She looked closely and noticed a pack of coyotes were chasing after them. They would separate the calves from their mothers, then attack them and tear them to pieces. The calves that managed to stay close to the herd were protected by the older cattle. The sheep that stays close to the sheepfold and close to the shepherd is never overtaken by a wolf. A sheep is never as open to the attack of a wolf as when the sheep strays or is lured away from the flock.

We will either be like a shepherd that seeks to protect the flock, or we will be like fierce wolves that attack the flock. It’s my hope that we will not be like the wolves that attack the sheep, but that we will be like shepherds to God’s church…reflecting our Good Shepherd.

Al Yoder

2/16/2012

Earnest Prayer

At times we say a prayer. At other times we pray earnestly. What is the difference? The Greek word is ektenēs which means…”something a person feels very strong about, something a person is willing to sacrifice time to bring about a positive change”. At times we may work or play alongside people who are just performing a basic duty. They have no enthusiasm or passion about accomplishing a goal. It is discussing to be on a team with this kind of spirit. Earnest people show great passion about helping accomplish a goal. Their enthusiasm is contagious and draws other people into greater commitment as well. Throughout the Bible we read of people on both sides of this way of relating to God. Almost always when we read about God’s supernatural intervention with people in trouble, it follows people who have prayed earnestly. The children of Israel in Egyptian bondage, Daniel in the Lion’s den, Daniel’s friends in the fiery furnace, Elijah facing 400 enemy prophets were just a few examples of God responding to people’s earnest prayers for help.. Here in Acts 12 is the story of a church praying earnestly for Peter who was locked up in prison for preaching Jesus.

⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

⁷ Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.

¹¹ Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”

Acts 12:5,7,11  NIV

In 1858 John Paton was a missionary in the New Hebrides Islands located in the country of Vanuatu. This country consists of 83 islands with 100 tribal languages. The Patons were the first white residents in an island full of naked and painted wildmen, cannibals. One night a group of these natives surrounded the entire mission station, planning to burn down the buildings and kill the Patons. John and his wife were terrified and prayed all night that God would deliver them. When daylight came they were amazed to see that all their attackers had left. A year later, the chief of that tribe was converted to Christ. Remembering what had happened, Paton asked the chief what had kept them from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, "Because you had hundreds of big men in shining garments with drawn swords circling the mission station, so we were afraid to attack." Paton told the chief that there were no men there at that time, only his wife and himself. God had sent angels in response to their prayers for help.

Never underestimate what is happening in the spiritual realm when you are praying earnestly!!!

Over and over the Bible records how God uses angels to help his people who prayed earnestly. Psalms 34:7 teaches us… “those who honor the LORD are surrounded and rescued from danger by the angel of the LORD.”  When you pray earnestly, picture an angel of the Lord being dispatched to that person or circumstance. It is only a matter of time before we will see an obvious answer to prayer. Remember: God’s delays are not near always his denials. Our earnest prayers tug at the heart of our God.

Al

1/16/2012

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