“THEN THEY CRIED OUT TO THE LORD IN THEIR TROUBLE”

     

     In some Bible passages, the writer used certain phrases repeatedly. Psalm 119, for example, is the longest chapter in the Bible. The writer referred to God’s Word, or its 9 synonyms in each of the 176 verses.
     My wife is an author, and she says that a good writer usually limits the usage of the same word in each paragraph or literary section. But in Psalm 119 the writer repeatedly used the same nine synonyms for God’s Word, and I think he likely did so to get his point across about how important God’s Word is in our lives, and in the struggles we face.

     Psalm 107 is another Bible passage with repetition. It has four instances of the following phrase, which is the focus of this post. Here it is: “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble.” I think again God uses repetition to get His point across. In this case to get His point across to us the importance of crying out to Him when we are in trouble.

     Four times the writer indicated that the Israelites experienced trouble, mostly as a result of straying away from serving Him.

1. Verses 4-5: “Some wandered in the desolate wilderness”, where “they were hungry and thirsty”, and “their spirits failed them.”
2. Verses 10-11: “Others sat in darkness and gloom—prisoners in cruel chains—because they rebelled against God’s commands,” and “despised” His counsel.
3. Verses 17-18: “Fools suffered affliction because of their rebellious ways”—and they almost died as a result.
4. Verses 23-27: “Others went to sea in ships”. The writer wrote that these sailors saw firsthand God’s “wondrous works”, but as is the case of many sailors on an ocean, they will at some point encounter severe storms. He wrote that they “reeled and staggered”, and that “all their skill was useless” to counter the trouble and the sure death they faced.

     In each of these four cases, God didn’t ignore them when they cried out to Him in their trouble. He could have easily done so because of their wickedness and straying away from Him.
     But in each case, because of His great mercy, God heard their cry to Him in trouble and acted to meet the need they had or to ease the pain they felt.
     Following are the four outcomes of the four instances:

1. Do you remember the ones living in the wilderness who were hungry, thirsty, and their spirits failed them? “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble”—and “He rescued them from their distress. He led them by the right path to go to a city where they could live.” The writer ended by saying the following: "Let them give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love and his wondrous works for all humanity."
2. What about the ones who sat in darkness and gloom, who had cruel chains of bondage? “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble”—and “He saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and gloom, and broke their chains apart.” The writer ended again by saying the following: "Let them give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love and his wondrous works for all humanity."
3. Then there were the fools that suffered affliction because of their rebellion and almost died as a result. “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble”—and “He saved them from their distress. He sent His word and healed them, he rescued them from the pit.” The writer ended the third time by saying the following: "Let them give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love and his wondrous works for all humanity."
4. Lastly, were the sailors on the troubled seas that even their great sailing skills couldn’t save them from sure death. “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble”—and “he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed.” Last, but not least, the writer ended by saying the following: "Let them give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love and his wondrous works for all humanity."

     It didn't matter how bad the people were--God cared and still cares about all people, or humanity, who cry out to him in their trouble. In each of the four cases, the people ended up praising God mightily for His faithful love and wonderful acts of rescuing them.

     You might ask what Psalm 107 has to do with winning souls for Jesus. I would say it has a lot to do with it. Most people, myself included, won’t even consider “crying out to the Lord” for help until we’re in dire need—until we realize our very serious trouble without God’s help.
     Many, many people today don't even realize the serious trouble they're going to face at some point in their lives. Things may be going along smoothly now. But as I tell my son, at some point in all our lives—every one of us—will experience extreme adversity.
     It’s difficult to pray for lost people to experience extremely adverse circumstances, sometimes even ones that lead them to the door of death. We don’t want to see anyone suffer.
     But sometimes these extremely trying circumstances are what’s needed for a person to—then cry out to the Lord in their trouble—and for God to wonderfully rescue them.

KISS (KEEP IT SIMPLE SAINTS)

     God’s plan is very mysterious and compelling. Mystery, as it relates to God, His Son Jesus, and the workings of the Holy Spirit, is mentioned thirty-two times in the Bible. 

     Not only is God very mysterious, but He is very powerful beyond comprehension. The Old and New Testaments are filled with exclamations of how powerful He is. And Paul in Ephesians 1:19 exclaims that His great power extends to us as believers. It reads the following, 

“—and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.”

     So with the great mystery and power of God, one would think that the Bible and God’s plan for our lives would be very difficult to understand. The beauty of the Bible and the Gospel is that Jesus said in Mark 10:14-15, 

“Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 

     So, if a child can understand God’s mystery and power, and according to Jesus the only way to enter God’s kingdom is to come to Him like a child, then it should be simpler than we sometimes make it.

     I talked about in my last post how I gave my heart to God. It was a simple event. I had great need—and God met me directly at my point of need. I recently have been trying to find a church that follows those same, KISS (Keep It Simple, Saints) principles—a church that teaches that everyone is at a point of great need, whether they know it or not—and God is right at hand to meet them at their point of great need.
     I respect the many different theological perspectives that people bring to the table—and I’m not saying that a church has to be perfect. But I believe that churches that stray away from that Keep It Simple, Saints formula, may be going down a confusing, hurtful path.
     I agree that the major tenets of the Bible should be very important and stressed frequently. I just think that with secondary issues there’s a balance between establishing very specific theological perspectives, rules, and practices, AND, on the other hand letting God’s Word and His wonderful Holy Spirit guide each of us individually and corporately on the mysterious path He has for us, without trying to have everything spelled out explicitly beforehand.
     I know that what I’m talking about might seem muddy without giving a few examples of what I consider some secondary issues, so here goes.

1. Churches that disagree on the biblical correctness of altar calls, which I didn’t even know existed until recently. Some churches believe and teach that an altar call is a manmade, unbiblical, and misguided act, despite the many prominent evangelists across a couple of centuries, including Billy Graham, that did altar calls.
2. What it means to be Holy Spirit-filled. Some preachers and teachers firmly believe and teach that a person can be saved, but they won’t receive the power to fully fulfill God’s will until they speak in tongues.
3. What the role of women in the church is. I grew up in a Mennonite, Amish community where head coverings in the church were mandatory, and a woman’s place in the church was clearly defined and strictly adhered to. On the other side, I have lived for many years in what some might call the “English” world where no Christian women wear head coverings and they don’t adhere to strict policies related to women in the church. In both instances, I have encountered great and godly women. By the way, my Mom and both grandmothers wore head coverings.
4. A specific Bible translation that is deemed the only trusted one. Growing up in Berlin, Ohio, we had Berlin Pioneer Days every year, a three-day festival with rides and events. Scattered on the grounds were pockets of three or four persons in tight circles praying. I knew one man in the group, and he was a staunch King James Version-only believer, as were the others in the group. I think it was good to pray for salvation for the many unsaved people that attended Pioneer Days, but after those people might become saved, this man and his friends would stress the importance of the newly saved believer reading only the King James Version Bible, and that other Bible versions would lead them astray.

     So, there you have a few examples of what I think are secondary issues in the church. I don’t have all the answers to these secondary issues, and I would be interested to find out your perspective on these, and others. But I think in most cases—the KISS (Keep It Simple, Saints) approach might be the best one to take.

THANK YOU, GRANDPA MOSE YODER

 

     Grandpa Mose Yoder died in 1977 at the age of 92. I wasn’t particularly close to Grandpa, for which I have some regrets. He was a hardworking farmer and operated a lumber sawmill until his late 80s when his family made him stop after he injured himself. His family said that when they went to visit him, oftentimes he was sitting in his little “daughty (grandparent) house” reading his Bible by lantern light.
     Dad went to visit Grandpa at least once per month, usually on Sunday afternoons. He often longingly offered us boys the chance to go along, but we were way too busy playing or watching sports or watching Sunday evening TV. We just couldn’t miss Death Valley Days, The Wonderful World of Disney, or some other innocuous show—that would change our lives forever—not?
     We had an auction at our place, I think around 1975. Dad had determined because Mom didn’t drive, and Dad was fairly handicapped with severe arthritis, that it was time to move up to Berlin, closer to stores, post office, and in general just have a smaller property to take care of.
     Grandpa Mose, almost 90 years old at the time, was at that auction. I was about 21, and I remember standing next to him in our small barn, and I tried to strike up a conversation. But after so many years running the sawmill, likely without hearing protection, he was very hard of hearing. I felt sad that I went so many years without communication with Grandpa, and now it was almost impossible.
     So, when Grandpa died about two years later, I felt very sad, lonely, afraid, and unloved. I had a good job at the time and was making plenty of money—but I felt very empty. I likely didn’t show it on the outside, but I was very distraught on the inside.
     So, after Grandpa’s burial in the Amish Cemetery about two miles away, I didn’t go back to the farm for lunch. I drove for miles on country roads. I had no remedy for the way I felt. I had no answers—no psychological insights at that time, as I became a mental health worker many years later.
     It was just me, myself, and I on those lonely country roads—or so I thought. I’m kind of a crybaby, so I was crying profusely. I’m not sure what prompted me in my pathetic state to pray, because I had only prayed rote prayers in the past—like “Now I lay me down to sleep”. I had gone to church in the past, although not regularly. But for all the times I went, I still didn’t know anything about God and how He worked in peoples’ lives.
     But—God heard my cry to Him, and my desperate plea for help—and he answered me. I can’t explain it, but He was just—there. I knew without a doubt that God heard my prayer. I no longer felt alone.
     I went from extreme sadness, loneliness, fear, and emptiness—to ecstatic joy, peace, and love. I went back to the all-day funeral gathering a changed man.
     I don’t want to insinuate that I’m glad Grandpa died—or even that I was very close to him. But I think his funeral was the catalyst for my life-changing encounter with God. And for that, I want to thank Grandpa Mose Yoder.

HAS ANYONE READ EPHESIANS LATELY?

     Have you felt the doldrums recently? If you have, I almost guarantee one book of the Bible will help lift you out of the doldrums.
     Ephesians in the New Testament was written by Paul while under house arrest in Rome. You'd think that a man arrested and held against his will for his faith wouldn’t be able to write anything uplifting. If we think that, we're wrong.
     Let's begin with Ephesians 1, and hopefully, this will spur you on to read more.

1. Ephesians 1:3. Most of us would accept blessings, right? How about when Paul wrote, “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ”? I repeat God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.” That is one heap of blessings—blessings that fill every corner of heaven.
2. Ephesians 1:4-5. Do any of you feel unwanted and unloved? Have any of you experienced being chosen last before playing a softball or basketball game? Paul wrote that God “chose us”—not last, but first—to be “adopted as children through Jesus Christ”, and that he had great “pleasure” in doing so. Imagine the joy of a family, sometimes not able to have children of their own, that they feel when they meet and enjoy sharing the lives of their adopted child or children. Now multiply that—by perhaps—let’s say 1 million times—and you might get close to understanding how God feels about us.
3. Ephesians 1:6-7. Do you feel guilty sometimes about things you’ve done, and sometimes things you haven’t done? Paul wrote about the grace God is readily willing to “lavish” on us. Lavish, according to Webster, means that God gives us grace “abundantly”, or to embellish that a little bit more, He “extravagantly” gives us His grace.
4. Ephesians 1:11. How many of you think of your possible earthly inheritance from parents, family members, and others? It’s natural to do so. But sadly, numerous TV shows tell the stories of people who establish elaborate plots to kill parents, family members, and others to get an inheritance or life insurance money. Paul wrote, however, that we have an inheritance awaiting us far greater than any earthly inheritance, and only Jesus—no one else—had to suffer and die for us to get it.
5. Ephesians 1:13-14. If you’re like me you might feel a sense of insecurity. You and I may always be waiting for having done to us as the saying goes, “for the other shoe to drop”—or for our sense of security to be snatched out from under us. But Paul said, “In him (Jesus) you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.”

     Well, are you convinced yet about the good things that the book of Ephesians has for us? And we just barely got started, only covering part of Chapter 1.
     Do any of you like to read a good mystery or adventure novel, or watch a mystery or adventure movie? The book of Ephesians six times uses the term "mystery" related to God and His Son Jesus. That lets us know the story of Jesus doesn’t take a back seat to any mystery or adventure ever written. And we are a part of that unfolding mystery and adventure!
     Well—do I have you convinced yet—to read the Book of Ephesians?

DO YOU AND I HAVE A ONE-TRACK MIND?

     In 1953, one year before I was born, Lionel Train Company had a promotional campaign entitled “A ONE-TRACK MIND!” Here is a picture of the promotion. Lionel touted the fact that young boys were fixated on—and almost obsessed about having a Lionel train and track set.
     So my question today is—is it good to have a one-track mind?
     When I became a Christian some people in my family, and others thought I was way too focused on God and Christianity. They told me several times that they didn’t want to hear from me about their need for God.
     I also worked many years in a community mental health center, and sometimes in meetings with other mental health professionals, I heard the words, “religiously preoccupied” as it related to specific clients. These professionals shared their concern about clients who in their words were going “off the deep end” with their religious views—and their concern that the religious preoccupation would take those clients further into unreality.
     Psychologists tout the benefits of having a well-rounded mind with various interests. While they understand that some of our greatest inventions and creative performances come from people that are obsessed with a focus on one thing--they readily discuss the pitfalls of those obsessions.
     Reading Acts in the Bible has given me some perspective about having a one-track mind about our Christianity. I’m sure that Paul and the apostles had other interests that they talked about among themselves and with other people. But the writers of the Acts never made it evident. Everywhere the apostles went they shared Jesus with people in large crowds—and small gatherings. Nothing interfered with their purpose of sharing the gospel with everyone they met. Acts 28:30-31 sums it up:

“Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house (in Rome). And he welcomed all who visited him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.”

     It could be said of Paul from those verses that he had a one-track mind focused, obsessed if you will, on sharing the love of Jesus with others. Do you and I have such a one-track mind?

POWER GRID INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEMS

     In the last year, our electric power has gone off about four times, sometimes for extended hours. Mostly it was due to the weather, or a car hitting a pole. But we have frequently been hearing in the news about the fragile state of the power grid infrastructure in the United States.
     I think we as Christians also have power grid infrastructure problems. What we’re lacking is an up-to-date power grid infrastructure in our lives to be able to access the great power God has for us. Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:19 the following:

“—what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.”

     What then is the infrastructure that we’re lacking? I’ll give a few ideas that I have.

1. I think we have a lack of knowledge of the 385 times that power is mentioned in the Bible, most of those times related to God’s power, Jesus’ power, the power of the Holy Spirit, and lastly the power God makes available to us as believers.
2. If we do know about the many, many mentions of power, I think if you are like me, it’s difficult to internalize and know how to access that great power that’s available to us.
     

     How then do we bolster this power grid infrastructure in our lives? Again, I have a few ideas.

1. If you have a Bible computer app or program, just type in the word “power”, and look up the almost innumerable references to God’s power, and especially His power available to us who believe.
2. Write down several of those verses and put them in your prayer list or journal.
3. Meditate daily on those scriptures about power.
4. Pray fervently that God shows you His great power available to you.
5. Remember that God is ready and very willing to allow you to access His great power. Jeremiah 33:3 states: 

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things which you do not know."

6. Talk to other believers about God’s great power available to us, and pray that it will have a snowball effect collectively in the lives of the believers around us.

7. Remember, this isn’t the power to get rich and successful—but it’s the power to fulfill God’s will in our lives to bring glory to Him.

8. I believe strongly that the main way to bring glory to Him is to tell others about His wonderful love for them—and to tell them how to have a relationship with Him.

THE PATH OF LIFE

     This week I read a scripture verse that I almost can’t stop thinking about. David in Psalm 16:11 wrote:

“You (God) reveal the path of life to me;
in your presence is abundant joy (some versions have fullness of joy):
at your right hand are
eternal pleasures.”

     If you’re like me you might think of the inevitable difficulties or negative things in life. Jesus put it into perspective in John 16:33. He said:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

     Back to Psalm 16:11. Many, many people in today’s world, or if we want to tell the truth, throughout the centuries, claim they have the answers to life’s problems. They offer solutions, or paths if you will, to remedy the many ills in society.
     But what excited me about what David said about God, is that God alone—no one else—reveals the path of life for us that leads to abundant joy and eternal pleasures. And that path is only through His Son Jesus Christ.

HAVE YOU HAD THE VEIL REMOVED? (An Easter Plea)

     I didn’t realize it then, but before I became a Christian back in the 70s I had a veil over my heart.

     What was having a veil over my heart like? For me, it was like swimming upstream and never being able to reach my destination. I was searching for meaning in my life, but it eluded me.
     On the day of my Grandpa’s funeral in 1977, the veil was lifted. God met me in my car, and I knew my life was changed forever.
     So what about you? Have you had the veil removed as 2 Corinthians 3:15-18 explains so well? This Easter season is a prime time to do it by asking Jesus to forgive you for your sins and accept him into your heart.

KEITH GREEN'S AMAZING 10-YEAR LEGACY!

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

Hello Friends:

     Welcome to the Soulwinnersr.us website. Remember again what Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
     I’m again piggybacking off the Jesus Movement theme. Even though I gave my heart to Jesus about five years after the height of the movement, I grew up during that time and I call myself a “hippie wannabe” with my long hair, beard, and my definite search for meaning in life. My last website post and video were about the “The Jesus Revolution”, based on a 1971 Time article, and the “Jesus Revolution” movie currently showing in theaters across America.
     For this post I explored a little bit more about Keith Green, a prolific Christian music artist, who gave his heart to Jesus in 1972, one year after the Time magazine “Jesus Revolution” article was written. Keith also grew up in the hippie scene in the Los Angeles area where Pastor Chuck Smith had such an impact on the hippie culture. The interesting thing is that I didn’t hear or read of any connection between Green, Pastor Smith, and the Jesus movement.
     Keith Green was less than three months older than me, so I can identify with him in the era we both grew up in. But I can in no way identify with him in the area of talent. He was a child musical prodigy and at the age of eleven Keith was the youngest person ever to sign a major recording contract. Decca Records’ goal was to make Keith a teen idol. My wife and I watched him perform on “I’ve Got a Secret” in 1965. I did a video with 11-year-old Keith Green on the piano and singing—transposed into twenty-four-year-old Keith Green again on the piano and singing.
     The problem with the 11-year-old Keith Green’s recording career was that the Osmond Brothers, and particularly Donny Osmond, stole the limelight. Keith’s rock-‘n’-roll career waned, and I could only find proof of two recorded singles.
     Soon afterward as a teen, Keith drifted and he struck out on his own to find out what life had for him. He experimented with drugs and spirituality. In his search for God, he was struck by one fact. All the other religions said that Jesus was a prophet. They said that Jesus was one of many ways to experience God. It struck Keith, however, that Jesus said about Himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father (God) except through me.” Keith was swayed by the fact that Jesus claimed to be the “only” way to reach God. 

     So in 1972, with this logical deduction, Keith made a calculated decision to follow Jesus, since he claimed to be the only way to find God. The problem was the fact that Keith wasn’t yet born again. That came sometime later when attending a small Bible study. It was told that when Keith finally gave his heart totally to Jesus in 1972, his fervor which was so evident in his music, turned to a fervor for Jesus, and telling others about the love of Jesus.
     Friends said Keith wasn’t a perfect man. Sometimes he could be overbearing if people didn’t see things the way he saw them. But there was one thing. He was on a path in the next ten years that left a legacy that will never be forgotten. Following is Keith Green’s amazing 10-year legacy:

• 1972: Keith Green gave his life to Jesus.
• 1973: Married Melody Green. 
  
• 1975: Keith and Melody started taking people in need into their small house, dubbed “The Greenhouse”, because it was a place of “growth” for people in their faith in Jesus.
• Their home in Los Angeles became too small, so they purchased a home next door, and rented five more to eventually help up to 75 people at one time.
• 1977: Keith and Melody started the non-profit Last Days Ministries. 
  
• 1977: Released his first album with Sparrow Records entitled, “For Him Who Has Ears to Hear”.
  
• 1978: Released second album “No Compromise”.
  
• 1978: Greens started publishing “The Last Days Newsletters” from their garage.
  
• 1979: Negotiated release from Sparrow Records to produce albums to give away at no charge. Also, to go on free-to-the-public concert tours. Keith felt that the Gospel shouldn’t be sold. He only accepted love offerings for albums and concerts.
  
• 1979: Outgrowing their space in LA, they packed up and moved to Texas, and started their ministry there on 180 acres of land that included an airstrip. The ministry grew exponentially in the next three years, including nationwide distribution of the “Last Days Newsletters” to students.
  
• 1980: Released third album “So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt”. Bob Dylan, a good friend of Keith, played harmonica on one of the songs.
  
• 1981: Released the “Keith Green Collection”.
  
• 1982: Released “Songs for the Shepherd”.
  
• 1982: Tragic plane crash, killing Keith, two Green children, a family with six children, and the pilot.
  
• 1984: “The Prodigal Son” was an album released by Melody in 1983 after Keith’s death.
  

     So, the amazing facts are that Keith Green, in 10 short years became a Christian, started an outreach ministry to needy people, released six albums with fifty-four very, very impactful songs, and expanded the Last Days Ministries exponentially to reach students all over America. What a legacy!

Until I see you next time, keep sharing the wonderful love of Jesus,
Arlen

THE JESUS REVOLUTION: CAN IT HAPPEN AGAIN?

 

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

Hello Friends:

     Welcome to the Soulwinnersr.us website. Remember again what Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
     Time Magazine put out an article in June 1971 where the cover page reads, “The Jesus Revolution”. 

     The article inside discussed the turmoil of the late 1960s and early 1970s with the Vietnam War, protest riots, and the hippie movement with its prevalent drug usage. The result was that thousands of young people, including hippies, turned to Jesus for answers. On the first page of the article, it explained the following wanted poster popular at the time that was put out by a Christian underground newspaper:

WANTED

JESUS CHRIST

ALIAS: THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD, KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS, PRINCE OF PEACE, ETC.

Notorious leader of an underground liberation movement.

• Wanted for the following charges:
• Practicing medicine, winemaking, and food distribution without a license.
• Interfering with businessmen in the temple.
• Associating with known criminals, radicals, subversives, prostitutes, and street people.
• Claiming to have the authority to make people into God's children.

APPEARANCE: Typical hippie type—long hair, beard, robe, sandals.

• Hangs around slum areas, few rich friends, often sneaks out into the desert.

BEWARE: This man is extremely dangerous. His insidiously inflammatory message is particularly dangerous to young people who haven't been taught to ignore him yet. He changes men and claims to set them free.

WARNING: HE IS STILL AT LARGE!

     I went to see the “Jesus Revolution” movie on Thursday afternoon with some friends. The experiences shown in the movie brought back memories, some bad—some good.

     I graduated high school in 1972, so I was aware of the hippie movement, and after high school, I entered my phase of what I call “hippie-wannabe”. I grew shoulder-length hair and a beard. I even had one friend tell me, “Man, you look like Jesus.” Soon afterward, however, my hair on top mostly fell out, and I then looked like—and felt like an insecure bald man.
     I did just a little bit of the drug scene in those days—but like both Greg and Cathe Laurie in the Jesus Revolution movie, I had two really bad experiences tied to using drugs. I’m thankful, in retrospect, for the bad experiences, because with the last one, after three days of extreme paranoia, I made up my mind, even without living for Christ, to never use drugs again.
     In the Jesus Revolution movie, Pastor Chuck Smith was on his last leg as a pastor. His Calvary Chapel church was floundering. His daughter then introduced him to a hippie she met named Lonnie Frisbee. The relationship started rocky between the Jesus-freak hippie and strait-laced Pastor Smith. But later they warmed to each other, and Lonnie began bringing other hippies to his church, against the wishes of many in the congregation. The church began to flourish with young people attending from far and wide.
     Lonnie Frisbee in the movie said eloquently what was driving young people toward Jesus. He said, “It’s desperation, man”! Young people were desperate for hope. They were desperate for true love. And they were desperate for meaningful friendships.
     I enjoyed the movie quite a bit, even with the flaws of some of the characters on full display. After the movie concluded I asked a teenage boy in the lobby, “Do you think a Jesus Revolution can ever happen again?” He shyly said he thinks it can.
     So, what do you think? Can a Jesus Revolution happen again? What will it take? Can people in today’s world be so desperate that they again call out to Jesus for help—and are you and I so desperate for our loved ones and others that we call out to God—for Him to bring another Jesus Revolution?

Until I see you next time keep sharing the wonderful love of Jesus,

Arlen

WHAT HAPPENED?

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

Hello Friends:

     Welcome to the Soulwinnersr.us website. Remember again what Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
     I’ve been watching some Adam Bowbrow ping-pong videos on YouTube. Adam is trying to bring ping-pong back into popularity all over the world. Back in the day, I was a pretty good ping-pong player, but I realized recently, without any practice, I'm fair, but no longer good at ping-pong.
     Adam, in his ping-pong videos, shares a meme with almost every video. It’s of a Chinese man who Adam played in the past. In the meme, the man was in disbelief at an unbelievably good shot made by Adam. He then smiled at Adam, and uttered the famous words—"What happened?”  It’s a very funny meme.

     The meme mirrors my concern about—“what happened” to mine and our power in the church. After all, didn’t Jesus promise us power with what He said in Acts 1:8? “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
     Didn’t Jesus promise us power in John 14:12? He said, “Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.”
      Didn’t Paul write about power in Ephesians 1:19? “What is the immeasurable greatness of his (Jesus’) power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.”
     Didn’t Paul pray for God’s power to be manifested in us in Ephesians 3:16? He wrote, “I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through His Spirit.”
     Paul once again wrote in Colossians 1:11 about the power we have access to. He wrote, “Being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience.”
     In James 5:16 James wrote, “The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.” James didn’t say that our prayers might be just a little powerful—but very powerful.
     Peter in 2 Peter 1:3 wrote, “His (God’s) divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” We as believers have direct access to God’s divine power.
     Power is mentioned in some form 385 times in the Bible. Most times it refers to the power of God, His son Jesus, and His Holy Spirit. But as you have just seen, there are many references to God’s great power that He gives you and me as believers.
     So my question is about us as believers not realizing that great power—“What Happened?”

Until I see you next time keep sharing the wonderful love of Jesus,
Arlen

WEIGHING IN ON THE ASBURY REVIVAL

 

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

Hello Friends:

     Welcome to the Soulwinnersr.us website. Remember again what Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
     Most of you have probably already heard of the Asbury Revival going on right now at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, and many other campuses around America. Many people see what's happening to our young people as a good, and even great thing. Others are sounding the alarm that Satan is behind what's happening. I thought I would weigh in on it, although most of you have likely already made up your mind about how you feel about it.
     Many packed their vehicles and headed to Asbury University, including my pastor—and to other universities to experience the revival event. I’m not sure of the motivation of everyone going to these places, but it’s not my job to question motivation. In the same way, it was not anyone’s job to question the motivation of people flocking to see and hear Jesus in the hills of Galilee. Jesus was able to perceive the motivation of people then—and I’m sure He can perceive the motivation of people going to these universities to experience the revival firsthand.
     For the last couple of years I have been praying—or trying to pray daily for young people in America and around the world to have an awakening. The future of our church depends on our young people. I think it’s OK for me, and a myriad of Christian people praying for revival in our young people to take just a tiny bit of credit for what’s happening at Asbury and these other universities. James in James 5:16 wrote, “The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.” I think God is telling all of us who prayed and are praying for revival among young people. “Good job. Keep up the good work.”
     But before we take too much credit for the revival, I think I heard God telling me the real bottom-line reason for His movement in the hearts of people at Asbury University and other college campuses. It’s found in 2 Peter 3:9. Here it is: ”The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.”
     The bottom line is God has such a great love for us and unwillingness for anyone to die and go to hell, that He intervenes in the lives of people—as I think He is currently in the Asbury Revival—so that many will accept Him and eventually go to be with Him in heaven.
     Just like in the book of Acts, there will be unscrupulous people that try to take advantage of the situation. But, God was able to take care of it then—and I'm sure He can take care of it now.

Until I see you next time keep sharing the wonderful love of Jesus with others,
Arlen

MAKING ORDER OUT OF CHAOS

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

Hello Friends:

     Welcome to the Soulwinnersr.us website. Remember again what Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
     I’m struggling lately with thinking of content related to evangelism for my website videos. And for that matter, sharing the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ with others.
     Our family has been hit with many unforeseen blows in less than two months. It started with the frigid snow and wind storm before Christmas resulting in a power and internet outage. After that several other things went wrong:

1. Our garage door sensors stopped working requiring me to get new ones. The door opened, but we had to shut it manually until I installed the new sensors.
2. We got a new internet service provider after our old one failed three times in the last year for up to two days. This change required many changes with emails and all the websites that used our old email. What a long chore that was!
3. Our basement started leaking some water again after last summer thinking I had it fixed. It's not bad, but any water in a basement is not good.
4. I had to take my wife’s laptop to a computer repair shop to replace her hard drive with a solid-state drive. Thankfully, my cloning of the drive was successful! I was sweating it for a while. Some computer companies sure don’t make laptops very accessible to change things.
5. An unexpected problem out of the blue with Social Security.
6. Heat pump failure. Does anyone realize the cost of replacing an old R22 coolant system with a new R410 system? It isn’t cheap.

     I don’t deal well with circumstances causing chaos in my life. Anyone that knows me understands that I like things to be orderly. When things get out of order and chaotic my feeble brain almost can’t take it.
     I don’t think I have a full-blown Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or OCD, but I do think I have some OCD tendencies like perfectionism or a preoccupation with details. It makes it difficult at times for me to move forward with a task if something else is looming in the background. I’m very prone to try to resolve first the nagging background problems, or chaos if you will.
     My OCD tendencies have followed me all my life, even into employment. My former bosses acknowledged it in me, but I think they sometimes saw the benefits of it, as long as I was able to reign in the time-consuming aspects of it. 

     I had one boss tell me when I was thinking about going back to college to get a higher degree, “Arlen, just do what you have to do to pass. No employer will ever look at the grades you got.” That boss didn’t know me very well, thinking I might be able to do something just half-hearted.
     At my last job, I ran an employment program. I took time to assure the procedures of the program were as repeatable and standard as possible. The benefit of the extra time I took was that I and the workers under me didn’t have to strive so hard to follow the standard procedures. My bosses knew that I would to the best of my ability follow the directives of the State of Ohio oversight board to whom our program was accountable.       Also, the national accreditation board every three years was always very impressed with my attention to detail. One accreditation official from New York City even gave me his card and encouraged me to consider becoming a fellow accreditation official, traveling the country to make sure that other employment programs did things correctly. I was honored, but with a family to consider, I declined to pursue it.
     Now that I’m retired I still have that drive to get things right—to make order out of chaos. It has helped me to write grants for Mission to Amish People. It has also helped me when doing remodeling projects at home and for others. I am persistent to try to do things right.
     But how does this OCD tendency to make order out of chaos affect my drive to share with others the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ? It hasn’t been easy, as evidenced by the fact that I haven’t posted anything in about a month. And worse yet, I’ve only personally shared the gospel with two heat pump guys.
     My conclusion is that my only option is to trust Jesus and His Holy Spirit to help me make order out of chaos. Probably my favorite verse lately that I’m calling on to help me is found in Jeremiah 33:3. I have used it in several posts in the last number of weeks. Here it is:

“ Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know."

     Who is better to help us make order out of chaos than God?

Until I see you next time keep sharing the wonderful love of Jesus with others,
Arlen

ARE YOU AND I LIVING AN ABUNDANT LIFE?

          

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

Hello Friends:

     Welcome to the Soulwinnersr.us website. Remember again what Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

     Do you feel like you are living an abundant life? I fluctuate in my feelings about it. Sometimes I feel very close to Jesus and His wonderful Holy Spirit, and I feel very thankful for the life He has given me. Then things happen—and I don’t feel the same way.

     Starting in 2023 I’m trying more and more to focus on God’s promises. God’s promises to us as Christians are too numerous to mention all of them. I’ll share just a few of the nine that I try to look at each day:

• “I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” John 10:10. 
• Dictionary.com defines abundance as “an extremely plentiful or over-sufficient quantity or supply.” 
• I think it’s clear Jesus isn’t talking about financial wealth. Jesus, after all, wasn’t financially wealthy. He was talking about a life full of joy and contentment living for Him.
• “For he will give his angels orders concerning you, to protect you in all your ways.” Psalm 91:11.
• Do you ever think about angels protecting you? Do you ever think about the fact that we as Christians can be sure that angels are all around us, just ready to protect us?
• There is one song about angels that had a profound impact on me as a young boy over 60 years ago. Mom played at Christmas, a song sung by Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians entitled “Angels We Have Heard On High”. I remember laying on the couch and thinking it was the most beautiful song I ever heard. I remember picturing the shepherds in the field looking up at the sight and searching our Bible encyclopedia for more pictures. I still often play the song at Christmas.

Angels We Have Heard On High

(Verse 1)

Angels we have heard on high

Sweetly singing o'er the plains

And the mountains in reply

Echoing their joyous strains

(Chorus)

Gloria in excelsis Deo

Gloria in excelsis Deo

(Verse 2)

Shepherds, why this jubilee?

Why your joyous strains prolong?

Say what may the tidings be

Which inspire your heavenly song

(Verse 3)

Come to Bethlehem and see

Him Whose birth the angels sing

Come, adore on bended knee

Christ the Lord, the newborn King

(Verse 4)

See within in a manger laid

Jesus Lord of Heav'n and Earth

Mary, Joseph, lend your aid

With us sing our Savior's birth

• Also, some years ago we bought a Ring doorbell camera. Included in the box were Ring decals to place on our door, warning would-be intruders that the house was being protected. After that, Dee found in a store door window decals with an angel on them that stated the following: “Warning! This Property Protected By Angels Wireless Security System.” We loved it, but the decal faded severely, so I recently printed out a bigger, more colorful version of the decal. I placed it above my Ring decal on two of our front doors.
• We are now double-protected—but I’m sure that the Angels Wireless Security System in our house—and yours—offer much greater protection than Ring.
• Two great verses were written by Jeremiah in the Old Testament, and Paul in the New Testament that contain words describing God’s great, great love for us—and the insurmountable power He gives us to do His will.
• “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things which you do not know."  Jeremiah 33:3. 
• “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.

     I want to point out three things in these verses about God that will almost knock your socks off.

1. God will show us “great and incomprehensible things” that we don’t already know. 
• Think of people called savants. One dictionary defines a savant as a person that is "over-the-top smart" in a specific area. While we may take an entire day to solve a problem, a savant can figure it out in maybe, five minutes. God is saying, in essence, that if we call out to Him, He can make us spiritual savants.
2. God will cause the "eyes of your heart to be “enlightened”.
• To me, the term "eyes of your heart" is somewhat amusing. I said it in a recent Facebook post. The bottom line is that God wants to "enlighten" us. Again, He wants us to know what other people will never come close to knowing on their own.
3. God will use His “immeasurable” great power to help us and protect us. 
• That is one stupendous amount of power."

• Jeremiah 3:15: “I will give you shepherds who are loyal to me, and they will shepherd you with knowledge and skill.”
• I’ve always wanted a mentor in my life who is loving and passionate about Jesus. I don’t think of myself as a needy person. But in a way, all the people surrounding Jesus in and around Galilee were needy—so I’m in good company.
• Jesus was in no way mediocre. And I think He in no way wants the people that lead us to be mediocre. He wants them to be excellent. I’m not saying “perfect”—but I am saying “excellent”. And they need to be men and women that love Jesus with their whole hearts.

     There you have it. Four or five Bible verses—and there are many more where those came from—that can change your life—and where God and His Son Jesus are calling us to live an abundant life.

Until I see you next time keep sharing Jesus with others,

Arlen

"THIS 'LITTLE' LIGHT OF MINE

 

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

Hello Friends:

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

Hide it under a bushel? NO!
I’m gonna let it shine
Hide it under a bushel? NO!
I’m gonna let it shine
Hide it under a bushel? NO!
I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

Let it shine til Jesus comes
I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine til Jesus comes
I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine til Jesus comes
I’m gonna let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

     Welcome to the Soulwinnersr.us website. Remember again what Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

     Well, a good singer I’m not. I recently asked my wife, Dee, “Why wasn’t I blessed with a good singing voice like some?” She just laughed. But at least I tried.
     There are varying versions of the "This Little Light Is Mine" song. The one I sang today is the one I remember singing as a child in the Mennonite Church. It puzzles me that the writer of the song used the word "little" to describe light in the life of a Christian. Perhaps, if you think of it—the "little" light—is not so little after all!
     During the Christmas season, people focus on lighting up trees, houses, and indoor and outdoor spaces. As a family, we love to travel to lighted neighborhoods, perhaps with families hosting annual parties, and dream of what it’s like for them at Christmas.
     The Wise Men in Matthew 2 followed the light of a star to find Jesus in Bethlehem. They wanted to see Him who was “born King of the Jews". Behind me is a lighted tree with a lighted star on top to commemorate the occasion.
     The word light is mentioned, in various sentence structure forms, 274 times in the Bible. But the majority of the time it is to contrast light with darkness—to equate light to good—and to equate darkness to evil.
     In the Old Testament are many memorable verses about light. Who can forget Psalm 27:1. “The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?” Or Psalm 119:105. “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path."
     Proverbs 4:18 is one of my favorite passages in the entire Bible. Here it is, “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.”
     A little later Isaiah 9:2 prophesied the birth of Jesus. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness.”
     Are you blown away by these very few of many references to light in the Old Testament? Just wait! The New Testament references to Jesus' birth, and the light He would bring to mankind is unbelievable!
     Matthew 4:16 reiterated Isaiah’s prophesy about the birth of Jesus. “The people who live in darkness have seen a great light, and for those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.”
     In John 8:12 Jesus explained who He was. “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
     John 1:4-5 says about Jesus “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.”
     John 11:9-10 explains men walking, or not walking, with the light of Jesus in their lives. “Aren’t there twelve hours in a day?” Jesus answered. “If anyone walks during the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks during the night, he does stumble, because the light is not in him.”
     John 12:46 explains further, “I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me would not remain in darkness.”
     Let’s go on to Saul, saved after Jesus met him and blinded him, ironically, with an unbelievably bright light. Paul, Saul’s new name given by Jesus, was gloriously saved. Paul said in Acts 26:17-18 about Gentiles, “I am sending you to them to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me. ’to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.”
     Paul further talked about the light of the gospel message in 2 Corinthians 4:4, “In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
     Paul went on to say in 2 Corinthians 4:6 about Jesus, “For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.”
     Peter joins the bandwagon talking about light in 1 Peter 2:9. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
     The apostle John joins the discussion about light in 1 John 1:5. “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him.”
     Then John said in 1 John 1:7, “If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
     Let's continue with the Apostle John in Revelation 21:22-25. He’s just been given a vision of the New Jerusalem that came down out of heaven after the destruction of the earth as we know it. “I did not see a temple in it, because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Night will be no more; people will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will give them light,—"
     So, in conclusion, the song “This Little Light of Mine”, is a very good “little” song. But I hope and pray that you and I see that—the “This ‘Little’ Light of Mine” mentioned in the song—is not so little!

Until I see you next time keep sharing Jesus with others,
Arlen

CHECKMATE!

 

"Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19

Hello Friends: 

     I have heard the song “King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Glory, Hallelujah” for many years. But I don’t think I ever really internalized what it means. I sang it as a fact that I heard from a song, not a realization in my heart.
     This morning I read Revelation 1:5 and was struck by its plainness. John the Revelator wrote, “and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth.”
     These days we are aware of backchannel meetings of rich power brokers whose goal is to sway the course of history. They are engaged in sort of a chess match to influence leaders and even kings to their way of thinking. I can almost see their wry smile at the power they wield over the masses, not even really caring about who might suffer as a result.
     But, on the board with these backchannel chess match pawns, is a more powerful Chessmaster. Psalm 2:1-6 explains it.

1Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
2The kings of the earth take their stand,
and the rulers conspire together
against the Lord and his Anointed One:
3 “Let’s tear off their chains
and throw their ropes off of us.”

4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord ridicules them.
5 Then he speaks to them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath:
6 “I have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”

CHECKMATE!

Until I see you next time, keep sharing Jesus with others, 

Arlen

HIGH HOPES FOR CHRISTMAS

 

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

Hello Friends:

     Welcome to the Soulwinnersr.us website. Remember again what Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Last week I discussed the fact that God will show us “incomprehensible things” when we call out to Him—things impossible to understand. I would say that to be shown incomprehensible things, and other Holy Spirit-led experiences we have are high points in our Christian lives.
     But—do you ever feel let down? Do you ever feel let down during, or after the Christmas season? I usually go into the Christmas season with high hopes of many people coming to Christ, especially family members. I feel the incomprehensible joy of knowing Christ, born in a stable over 2000 years ago—but many family members around me don’t feel the same way—or at least don’t express that they feel the same way.
     Each year I usually watch many Hallmark and Hallmark-like Christmas movies. They’re very predictable, and they always—I mean always have a happy ending. But I often feel a lot like Billy, the little boy in The Polar Express movie. Billy declined to get off the train to see Santa Claus and said, “Christmas just doesn’t work out for me. Never has.” Then the hero boy who has no name, and doesn’t really believe in Santa himself, said, “Look, I don't know if Christmas is gonna work out for you or not, but it's Christmas Eve. Don't stay here by yourself."
     This is what I feel God is telling me each year, but with just a slight variation. Here it is. I feel God is saying to me who has high hopes but feels let down during the Christmas season, “Look, I know that you feel Christmas isn’t going to work out for you, but it’s Christmas Eve when I sent My Son to earth. Don’t give up hope, and keep on trying to tell people about the wonderful love of Jesus.”

Until I see you next time keep sharing Jesus with others,
Arlen