TO BOLDLY GO WHERE WE HAVE NEVER GONE BEFORE!

 

      

      Hello again, I'm Arlen Yoder from the Soulwinnersr.us website. Remember—the angels in heaven rejoice when a loved one or friend gives their heart to Jesus.

      I have a brother and a sister-in-law who are “Trekkies”, meaning they are Star Trek television show fans. I watched the show from time to time, but was not as much of a fan as they were. The famous Star Trek Mission Statement was “To Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before”. The title of my post today is a take-off on that mission statement: It’s “TO BOLDLY GO WHERE WE HAVE NEVER GONE BEFORE!” We are, instead of being ‘Star Trek Adventurers', we are on what I call ‘Gospel Trek Adventurers'. You might also call us "Gospel Trekkies”.
      I was reading Jeremiah the other day, and I was a little startled by how direct or bold he was in his conversations with God. I think I would be a little frightened to be so bold. Here’s an example where, in Jeremiah 14:21, Jeremiah said the following to God:

“For your name’s sake, don’t despise us. Don’t disdain your glorious throne. Remember your covenant with us; do not break it.”

      Can you imagine it? Jeremiah didn’t ASK God not to break His covenant with Israel; He BOLDLY TOLD Him!
      One of the benefits of online Bible programs is that we, as Christians, can look up the usage, timing, and context of certain words and phrases. We can never fully understand God’s ways, but by reading and seeking to understand them, we can attempt to emulate Him, however feeble our attempts may be.

Let’s look at a few uses of the word 'BOLD', ‘BOLDNESS’, or ‘BOLDLY’:

1. The writer of Hebrews 4:16 wrote:

 “Let us therefore come BOLDLY to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

      The writer encouraged believers to approach God directly and boldly, with the assurance and belief that God would help them.

2. Hebrews 13:5-6 gives an older, retired man like me hope and assurance. Satan loves it when I worry and fret over my circumstances, especially as they relate to having enough resources to live on. But the writer in Hebrews again uses the word "BOLDLY" to minimize my fears. He wrote:

“Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you. Therefore, we may BOLDLY say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

      Now, let’s look at some times when we, as Christians, are encouraged to be very bold, and the believers in the Bible WERE very bold in the face of adversity. We’ll do these rapid-fire:

1. The writer of Proverbs 21:29 proclaims the following: “The wicked flee when no one is pursuing them, but the righteous are as BOLD as a lion.” Now, that’s not just a little bold!

2. The writer of Mark 15:43 wrote: “Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, came and BOLDLY went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’s body.” Joseph of Arimathea shed any fear he had of Pilate, who had just authorized Jesus’ crucifixion, and asked ‘boldly’ to bury Jesus appropriately.

3. Jesus, in Luke 11:8-10, encouraged believers with needs to use BOLDNESS in approaching Him in 'asking', 'seeking', and 'knocking' to have their needs met, and He would gladly do so.

4. Acts repeatedly refers to, 11 times, the Apostles either praying for BOLDNESS, or BOLDLY proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to their audience, usually in the face of great opposition.

5. In 2 Corinthians 3:12 and Ephesians 3:12, the writers cite the hope and faith that we have in Christ that gives us great BOLDNESS to share Him with others.

6. Lastly, the writer of Ephesians 6:19 declares the following: “Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with BOLDNESS the mystery of the gospel.” Our journey as Christians is full of great mystery and adventure, and we can also pray, like Paul, to have boldness to make known the mystery of the Gospel.

      The draw for ‘Trekkies’ watching the Star Trek TV show was the many mysteries and adventures the crew encountered, including dangerous events and alien beings.
      People can also be drawn to our ‘Gospel Trekkie’ lives and want to join us in the many mysteries and adventures we encounter. And also “TO BOLDLY GO WHERE WE HAVE NEVER GONE BEFORE!”
      See you next time.

ARE YOU 'A WISE GUY, EH?'

      Hello again, I'm Arlen Yoder from the Soulwinnersr.us website. Remember—the angels in heaven rejoice when a loved one or friend gives their heart to Jesus.
      I hate to admit it, but as a kid in the 1960s, I frequently watched “The Three Stooges”, a slapstick comedy filmed in the 1930s and 1940s. On The Three Stooges, if anyone was wronged on the show, usually Moe, he almost always said to the wrongdoer, “Oh, a wise guy, eh?” Then he would conk the ‘wise guy’ on the head. So, the title of my post today is a take-off on that saying. It’s entitled, “ARE YOU ‘A WISE GUY, EH?’ ”
      I recently came across a Bible chapter in Proverbs entirely devoted to wisdom. This piqued my interest, and, amazingly, I found the words “wisdom” and “wise” over 400 times in the Christian Standard Bible. At times, they were statements with a negative connotation, such as when Jesus said that some religious leaders were “wise” in their own eyes. But the vast majority had positive connotations, encouraging the use of wisdom in living a Godly life and remembering ‘wise’ patriarchs like Joseph, Moses, and especially Jesus, the Son of the Living God. And everyone has likely heard of the “Three Wise Men” who came from far-eastern lands to witness the cosmic event that was the birth of Jesus!
     So let’s ask ourselves, “When was the ‘birth’ of wisdom?”
Proverbs 8:22-31 explains it: 

“The Lord acquired me at the beginning of his creation, before his works of long ago. I was formed before ancient times, from the beginning, before the earth began. I was born when there were no watery depths and no springs filled with water. Before the mountains were established, prior to the hills, I was given birth—before he made the land, the fields, or the first soil on earth. I was there when he established the heavens, when he laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean, when he placed the skies above, when the fountains of the ocean gushed out, when he set a limit for the sea so that the waters would not violate his command, when he laid out the foundations of the earth. I was a skilled craftsman beside him. I was his delight every day, always rejoicing before him. I was rejoicing in his inhabited world, delighting in the children of Adam."

      So it’s evident that God used His infinite wisdom to birth creation and mankind.
      We already talked about the Patriarchs, Bible heroes, and especially Jesus, who was well known for being by far the wisest person who ever lived on earth. Dee and I often talk about leaders and politicians who blatantly lack wisdom and any fear of God. So let’s talk about men and women who use the Godly wisdom discussed in Proverbs to lead governments, institutions, businesses, churches, and even families. The entire books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes share many benefits of wisdom. For the sake of time, let’s look at only the first four chapters of Proverbs to see what the benefits of being ‘a wise guy’ are.

1. Proverbs 1:

• Proverbs 1 declares that wisdom “calls out in the street”, or “cries out above the commotion.”
• Wisdom will bring us: discipline, shrewdness, knowledge, discretion, guidance, secure living, “undisturbed by the dread of danger”. I think the most wonderful outcome of wisdom is the following found in Proverbs 1:23: “If you respond to my warning, then I will pour out my spirit on you and teach you my words.”

2. Proverbs 2:

• Proverbs 2 declares that diligently seeking wisdom will lead us to “understand the fear of the Lord” and to “discover the knowledge of God”. 
• Wisdom will bring us: success, protection, understanding of righteousness, justice, integrity, “every good path”, and even land ownership.

3. Proverbs 3:

• Proverbs 3 declares that wisdom will bring us: happiness, pleasantness, peacefulness, safety, many “full of life” days, well-being, favor, healing, and yes, even “riches and honor”. I’m sure, however, that didn’t mean decadent riches. I feel very ‘rich’ even though I live a middle-class lifestyle.

4. Proverbs 4:

• Proverbs 4:23 gives us the warning to use wisdom to “guard your heart above all else”. This means that wisdom should lead us to avoid all forms of sin. It goes on to say in verses 25-27: “Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.”
• Lastly, I will read one of my all-time favorite Bible passages found in Proverbs 4:18 that declares a wonderful outcome for us who live by God’s wisdom: “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.”

      So, in conclusion, with all the things listed in the Book of Proverbs about the benefits of having wisdom, meaning God’s wisdom, are you and I on the path to becoming A Wise Guy, Eh?

THE GREATEST ‘SUPER’ BOOK OF ALL TIME, REVEALING THE GREATEST ‘SUPER’ HERO OF ALL TIME!

     Hello, again, I'm Arlen Yoder from the Soulwinnersr.us website. Remember—the angels in heaven rejoice when a loved one or friend gives their heart to Jesus.
     The title of my post today is “THE GREATEST ‘SUPER’ BOOK OF ALL TIME, REVEALING THE GREATEST ‘SUPER’ HERO OF ALL TIME!” I Googled the phrase "who was the greatest superhero of all time," and AI disagreed with my assertion in this post. AI indicated that Superman was, in fact, the greatest superhero of all time. Here's why AI made that assertion: AI said, 

"Superman represents the ultimate picture of a good man with ultimate power. Despite being a godlike alien, his upbringing as Clark Kent keeps him grounded, moral, and relentlessly optimistic. He set the standard for the entire superhero genre and remains the definitive symbol of hope."

     As a boy who watched the half-hour Superman show every Saturday, and the boy who, when given the chance, ventured into the Dewitt Drug Store comic book section in Millersburg, Ohio, to read and buy Superman comic books, I would have agreed with AI back then.
     But things are so much different now, now that I know personally the real, greatest ‘super’ hero of all time. And it doesn’t even come close.
     I think John 21:24-25 explains much better than I ever could why Jesus is the greatest ‘super’ hero of all time, and why the Bible is the most ‘super’ book of all time. Here it is:

“This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if every one of them were written down, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written.” John 21:24-25

     In essence, John was saying that Jesus is the centerpiece, the ‘super’ hero, if you will, of the Bible's narrative, and the reason why the Bible itself is the greatest ‘super’ book of all time.
     As an add-on to the magnitude of what Jesus did in a short three years, when I’ve read the Bible lately, I’ve been struck by what I call the ‘superlative’ words or phrases throughout the entire Bible. I’m only going to focus on what I have listed as “MY TOP SIX BIBLE ‘SUPERLATIVE’ WORDS OR PHRASES” that make the Bible the greatest ‘super’ book of all time. Here they are:

1. UNSEARCHABLE AND UNTRACEABLE WAYS OF GOD,  found in Romans 11:33:

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgements and untraceable his ways!” Romans 11:33

2. INCOMPREHENSIBLE THINGS WE DO NOT KNOW, found in Jeremiah 33:3:

“Call to me, and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things which you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3

3. VAST THOUGHTS TOWARD US, found in Psalm 139:17-18:

“God, how precious your thoughts are to me; How vast their sum is! If I counted them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.” Psalm 139:17-18

4. IMMEASURABLE GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TOWARD US, found in Ephesians 1:18-19:

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.” Ephesians 1:18-19

5. THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS, found in 1 Timothy 3:16:

“And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16

6. GOD OF HOPE. (Note: AI said that Superman “remains the definitive symbol of hope”. The Bible declares otherwise.) Here is Romans 15:13:

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

     So, the conclusion is that Jesus is the ultimate giver of hope, NOT Superman. 
     What do you think? Have I convinced you that Jesus is the greatest ‘super’ hero of all time, and that, by pointing out just a few of the many Bible ‘superlatives’, the Bible is indeed the greatest ‘super’ book of all time?
     See you next time.

TURNS OUT I’M AN ALIEN TOO!

 

     Hello, again, I'm Arlen Yoder from the Soulwinnersr.us website. Remember—the angels in heaven rejoice when a loved one or friend gives their heart to Jesus.

“We are strangers, we are aliens. We are not of this world.” (excerpted from “Not Of This World” song by Petra)

     This short snippet of the song “Not of This World” by Petra explains the gist of my post today, entitled “TURNS OUT I’M AN ALIEN TOO!” It’s based on a children’s book by Lou Treleaven, “Turns Out I’m An Alien”, which explores the world of a boy named Jasper. Jasper, however, is very different, and the difference is most noticeable in his green hair and eyes. His foster parents know the real secret—that Jasper is an alien from another planet. He then gets pulled into an intergalactic adventure to save planet Earth.
     Do you know that you and I, as Christians and as the Petra song explains, are aliens too? We don’t have green hair and eyes, but we are also very different. It says so in Psalm 39:12, a Psalm of David: 

“For I am here with you as an alien, a temporary resident like all my ancestors."

     Do you also know we are a part of God’s inner-planetary adventure to save the world? Jesus said in John 12:47: 

“For I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.”

     Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20, before He ascended into heaven, 

 “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

     Then lastly, do you know that we are destined for an intergalactic journey to a wonderful new heaven, earth, and city? John the Revelator said so in Revelation 21:1-7:

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life. The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son." Revelation 21:1-7

     So the bottom line is, TURNS OUT YOU AND I AS CHRISTIANS ARE ALIENS TOO!, ON AN INNER-PLANETARY ADVENTURE TO SAVE THE WORLD, DESTINED FOR AN INTERGALACTIC JOURNEY TO A WONDERFUL NEW HEAVEN, EARTH, AND CITY!
     Remember again the excerpt from the "Not Of This World" song by Petra.

“We are strangers, we are aliens. We are not of this world.”

     See you next time.