The true story of Ira Yates: A Study in Faith

Ira Yates was born in West Texas in 1859 and grew up around Texas Longhorn cattle. Starting late, he attended public school for only 3 weeks before starting to work on a ranch. With his brothers, he drove herds of Longhorns up the Chisholm Trail to the cow-towns in Kansas.

He always thought of West Texas as a place of opportunity, but two times early in his adult life he lost everything he had. Once he got a job filling pot-holes in the streets of San Angelo to earn money to feed his family. He tried running a butcher shop and then a livery stable, always struggling to make ends meet. In 1911, in partnership with a friend, Yates bought a ranch in Crockett County, TX. In 1913, while still running that ranch, he gave 216 head of cattle valued at fifty dollars per head, ($10,800) for a failing dry-goods store in Rankin, TX, despite pleadings of his wife and the advice of friends who warned him against the crazy venture.

The store was going pretty good when, in1915 he traded the store for a ranch that covered 25 sections of land (16,640 acres) about 60 miles from the Mexican Border, land that friends called “worthless.” A previous owner told Yates “a crow couldn’t live on that land, the water is scarce, greasy and smells bad and the place is not worth the taxes due on it." In that part of West Texas it is dry and dusty and it takes an average of 10 acres of land, often 15 or more acres, to support a single cow. Nevertheless, Yates made the deal and moved his wife and nine children to that dry desert, worthless country.

In 1926, when Yates was about to lose everything yet again, a young oil explorer approached Yates and said, “Let me drill 4 exploratory wells on your land. You never know what we might find.”  Ira Yates answered, “Why not. I have nothing to lose.”

At 1,100 feet, the drillers struck oil it what became one of the largest major oil fields in the world at that time, and they did it on Ira Yates “worthless” West Texas ranch. It was the day before his 67th birthday. Within months his wells were flowing 80,000 barrels a day. At today’s price, that would be $5,760,000 a day! People were coming from all over the country trying to lease small parcels of land with drilling rights from Yates. If they drilled and struck oil, Yates would get royalties, money from every barrel they pumped out of the ground. One day as he sat on his front porch, he sold $180,000 worth of leases.

Ira Yates had owned that “worthless” land, including the mineral rights, for 11 years and had struggled to feed his few cows and his family. 11 years of wondering how long he could keep it up, sometimes wondering where his next meal would come from.

For all of that 11 years that oil had been there, right under his feet as he walked that dry, sun-baked land. For all of that time, untold millions of dollars were legally his, available to the “believer”, but unseen to those with no vision. For all of those years, he had been a billionaire but was unable to access that wealth because he could not see “the evidence of things not seen”. Remember that “greasy water”? That was “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

It took a young “evangelist”, an oil explorer with a vision to make Ira Yates see the possibilities.

Remember these words of God

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish:

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

 :

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him

Church Bulletin for Father's Day, June 16th, 2013

FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK:

Today is “Father’s Day”, a day set aside to remind us to honor our earthly father’s. So, each year we have a day that is meant to remind us to keep number five of the Ten Commandments!

The first national celebration of Father’s Day was on June 19, 1924, by proclamation of President Calvin Coolidge. But it all started because of a lady named Sonora Smart Dodd. Sonora was sitting in church in 1909 listening to a Mother’s Day sermon when she began to think about her father. Sonora’s mother had died and her father had raised Sonora, taking her to church and doing his best to train up his daughter in the way she should go. Sonora wanted him to know how special he was to her for all his parental sacrifices and for being, in her eyes, so courageous, selfless, and loving. Twenty-five years later, through Sonora’s efforts, President Coolidge designated the 3rd Sunday of June as “Father’s Day”.

God did say, “Honor thy father” (Exodus 20:12/ Deut. 5:16), The word “honorable” means “praiseworthy”; “admirable”; “morally principled”. What are we to do if our father has missed the mark? We look to Matthew 6:14-15 and Matthew 11:25-26.

I have faced that in my own life and God allowed me to see that my own Dad was just a guy, struggling to get through life. All he needed was my forgiveness. That’s when Philippians 4:7 took on real meaning for me and caused me to have a “Happy Father’s Day”

_______________________________________________

DEVOTIONAL FROM THE PASTOR’S WIFE:

The 14^th chapter of Luke tells of a man who planned a “great supper”. When everything was ready, he sent his servants to tell the invited guests, “Come; for all things are now ready.”

But, like a lot of people today, the invited guests began to make excuses for not coming. The man then told his servants, “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.”

When that was done, there was still room for more, so the man told his servants, “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.” What a tragic thought! Invited, everything prepared but refusing to go! In John 14:2, Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” Revelation19:9: Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.

 ____________________________________________________________

Here is something that you might find interesting.

In a recent survey, The Institute for American Church Growth asked 10,000 people the following question:

"What was responsible for your coming to

this church the first time?"

This is how they answered that question:

“I had a special need at the time”.............2%
“I thought I would try this church”.................3%
“I like the Pastor”...............6%
“I had visited here before”..................1%
“I like the Sunday School”........1%
“I like the social programs they have”.............3%
“Other”............................5%
“Someone invited me to come”……79%

Think about it! 79% of church visitors came because someone invited them! Someone listened to what Jesus said in, Luke 14:21-23, “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.”

            He was saying to us, “Go out and invite people to come to God’s house, no matter their situation in life!

Now, answer these questions for yourself:

1 - If you knew that the world, as we know it, would end one month from now, how many people would you invite to church this month?

2 - How compelling would your efforts be?

3 - Would God be pleased with your efforts? (Matthew 25:21)

Invite someone to Church today!

Full-Term Abortion Legalized in New York 

The following article is shared from ChristianPost.com: "After an intense debate for and against the proposal, the New York state Legislature passed a bill Tuesday that makes it legal for doctors and other health care professionals, such as midwives and physician assistants, to perform abortions up until birth for any reason in the state.

The so-called Reproductive Health Act that abortion advocates have been trying to get passed for 12 years and has been vehemently opposed by religious and conservative groups, passed with a 38-28 vote and thunderous applause in the state Senate chamber. The bill codifies federal abortion rights guaranteed under the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision and removes abortion from the state's criminal code.

"We have a president who's made it very, very clear that he wants to overturn Roe v. Wade,"  state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said at a news conference ahead of the vote Tuesday, according to the Albany Times Union. "Today, here in New York, we are saying no. We are saying no, not here in New York. And we're not just saying no. We're saying that here in New York, women's health matters. We're saying here in New York, women's lives matter. We're saying here in New York, women's decisions matter."

Abortion was legalized in New York some three years before the Roe v. Wade decision, but remained on the state’s criminal code, making it a felony to perform late-term abortions according to the Democrat & Chronicle.

The law defined homicide as "conduct which causes the death of a person or an unborn child with which a female has been pregnant for more than 24 weeks."

The Reproductive Health Act removes abortion from the penal code, and further notes in part that: "Every individual has the fundamental right to choose or refuse contraception or sterilization. Every individual who becomes pregnant has the fundamental right to choose to carry the pregnancy to term, to give birth to a child, or to have an abortion, pursuant to this article."

The New York State Catholic Conference said in a statement on Facebook that Democrat New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was expected to sign the controversial bill at a reception in the Executive Mansion immediately after legislators voted to approve it. And Cuomo appeared ready as he celebrated Sarah Weddington, the lawyer nationally known for successfully arguing the winning side of the Roe v. Wade case before the U.S. Supreme Court. Weddington was recognized in the chamber during the vote.

“Sarah Weddington made history in 1973 when she won the Roe v. Wade case at the age of 27. I am so thrilled that this incredible woman is joining us at the bill signing of the #ReproductiveHealthAct, which will protect Roe v. Wade in the State of New York,” Cuomo tweeted before the vote Tuesday.

As the debate over the bill was underway Tuesday, supporters chanted, "Free abortion on demand, can we do it, yes we can." Those who opposed the proposal chanted back while holding posters with images of babies and signs reading messages such as “I regret my abortion.”

Religious groups such as the Office of Adult Faith Formation of the Archdiocese of New York, called on the faithful Tuesday to pray in anticipation of the bill’s passage.

“New Yorkers, join us tonight, it is important more than ever to pray as we expect that the Reproductive Health Act - Abortion Expansion will become law in the state of NY making late-term abortion legal in NY,” the group noted in a tweet." ________________________________________________________________

Please share you feelings and/or opinions on this law that makes it legal to abort a full-term pregnancy, even up to the moment of birth.

Isaiah 49:15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

The "Missing Day": Fact or Myth?

The Missing Day

For all the scientists and students who have a hard time convincing people regarding the truth of the Bible, here's something that shows God's awesome truth and that He is still in control.

Did you know that NASA scientists involved in the space program have proven that what has been called "Biblical Myth" is actually true?

Mr. Harold Hill, former President of the Curtis Engine Company, Baltimore, Maryland and a consultant in the space Program, relates the following: "I think one of the most amazing things that God has for us today happened recently to our astronauts and space scientists at Greenbelt, Maryland. They were checking the position of the sun, moon, and planets out in space in order to determine where they would be both 100 and 1,000 years from now. This data is needed so we won't launch a satellite and have it bump into something years later. We have to plot the orbits in terms of the life of the satellite in relation to where the planets will be during that life-cycle, so the whole thing will not bog down.

The team of scientists ran the computer program forward and backwards through the centuries until the very complex program popped up an “error” signal. This told them that there was something very wrong, either with the information fed into the calculation or with the results, as compared to the known standards that had been set. When the diagnostic was run, they found that there seemed to be a day missing in the space/time result. Knowing that this was not possible, they talked, compared their notes and scratched their heads and. There was no answer. Then, a team-member said, "You know, when I was a kid in Sunday School, they talked about the sun standing still." While they didn't believe him, they didn't have an answer either, so they said, "Show us."

He got a Bible and looked in the book of Joshua and found a pretty ridiculous statement for any one with "common sense." There they found the Lord saying to Joshua, in Joshua 10:12‑13, "Fear them not, I have delivered them into thy hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee." Joshua was concerned because he was surrounded by the enemy and if darkness fell they would overpower them. So Joshua asked the Lord to make the sun stand still and the Bible records theses words, “So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day." If the Sun “stood still” while the rest of the universe moved on, the result would be as if the Sun had moved backwards!

Reluctently, the scientists said, "There is the missing day!" They adjusted for the 24 hour day, ran the program again and found it was close, but not close enough for scientific evaluation. The actual elapsed time that was missing from THAT day was 23 hours and 20 minutes, not a whole 24 hour day. They read the Bible and there it was, "about (approximately) a whole day." This was too uncertain for them. 40 minutes were unaccounted for.

These little words in the Bible are important, but they were still in trouble because if you cannot account for 40 minutes you'll still be in trouble 1,000 years from now. Forty minutes had to be found because it can be multiplied many times over in all those orbits. As the scientist thought about it, he remembered somewhere in the Bible where it said the sun went BACKWARDS. The scientist told him he was out of his mind, but they got out the Book and found these words in 2 Kings that told of the following story: Hezekiah, on his  deathbed, was visited by the prophet Isaiah who told him that he was not going to die. Hezekiah asked for a sign as proof. Isaiah said "Do you want the sun to go ahead 10 degrees?" Hezekiah said "It is nothing for the sun to go  ahead 10 degrees, but let the shadow return backward 10 degrees." Isaiah spoke to the Lord and the Lord brought the shadow ten degrees BACKWARD!

Ten degrees is exactly 40 minutes! Twenty‑three hours and 20 minutes in Joshua, plus 40 minutes in Second Kings make the missing day in the universe!"

Isn't HE amazing!

References: Joshua 10:8 and 12,13 and 2 Kings 20:9‑11.

Church Bulletin for Father's Day, June 16th, 2013

FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK:

Today is “Father’s Day”, a day set aside to remind us to honor our earthly father’s. So, each year we have a day that is meant to remind us to keep number five of the Ten Commandments!

The first national celebration of Father’s Day was on June 19, 1924, by proclamation of President Calvin Coolidge. But it all started because of a lady named Sonora Smart Dodd. Sonora was sitting in church in 1909 listening to a Mother’s Day sermon when she began to think about her father. Sonora’s mother had died and her father had raised Sonora, taking her to church and doing his best to train up his daughter in the way she should go. Sonora wanted him to know how special he was to her for all his parental sacrifices and for being, in her eyes, so courageous, selfless, and loving. Twenty-five years later, through Sonora’s efforts, President Coolidge designated the 3rd Sunday of June as “Father’s Day”.

God did say, “Honor thy father” (Exodus 20:12/ Deut. 5:16), The word “honorable” means “praiseworthy”; “admirable”; “morally principled”. What are we to do if our father has missed the mark? We look to Matthew 6:14-15 and Matthew 11:25-26.

I have faced that in my own life and God allowed me to see that my own Dad was just a guy, struggling to get through life. All he needed was my forgiveness. That’s when Philippians 4:7 took on real meaning for me and caused me to have a “Happy Father’s Day”

_______________________________________________

DEVOTIONAL FROM THE PASTOR’S WIFE:

The 14^th chapter of Luke tells of a man who planned a “great supper”. When everything was ready, he sent his servants to tell the invited guests, “Come; for all things are now ready.”

But, like a lot of people today, the invited guests began to make excuses for not coming. The man then told his servants, “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.”

When that was done, there was still room for more, so the man told his servants, “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.” What a tragic thought! Invited, everything prepared but refusing to go! In John 14:2, Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” Revelation19:9: Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.

 ____________________________________________________________

Here is something that you might find interesting.

In a recent survey, The Institute for American Church Growth asked 10,000 people the following question:

"What was responsible for your coming to

this church the first time?"

This is how they answered that question:

“I had a special need at the time”.............2%
“I thought I would try this church”.................3%
“I like the Pastor”...............6%
“I had visited here before”..................1%
“I like the Sunday School”........1%
“I like the social programs they have”.............3%
“Other”............................5%
“Someone invited me to come”……79%

Think about it! 79% of church visitors came because someone invited them! Someone listened to what Jesus said in, Luke 14:21-23, “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.”

            He was saying to us, “Go out and invite people to come to God’s house, no matter their situation in life!

Now, answer these questions for yourself:

1 - If you knew that the world, as we know it, would end one month from now, how many people would you invite to church this month?

2 - How compelling would your efforts be?

3 - Would God be pleased with your efforts? (Matthew 25:21)

Invite someone to Church today!

REVIVAL !

REVIVAL IS COMING TO UPPER CANE CREEK CHURCH!

Sunday, August 5th through Wednesday, August 8th

Sunday evening service starts at 5 PM (Central/Alabama time)
Monday through Wednesday services start at 6:30 PM

Brother BOBBY BROOKS, Pastor at Old Davistown Church of God will be the evangelist.

Upper Cane Creek Church is located at 661 County Road 65, between Edwardsville and Fruithurst, AL.

From Heflin, go east on Hwy 78, eight miles to County Road 65. Turn left on Co Rd 65. The church is 6/10ths of a mile on the left.

From GA, go west on Hwy 78, eight miles past the GA/AL state line. Turn right on Co Rd 65. The church is 6/10ths of a mile on the left.

Come and worship with us!

Are You a Church "Leader"?

Matthew 9:36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

After Jesus was crucified and had come forth from the tomb, He appeared to the disciples several times over a period of forty days. John records in chapter 21 of his Gospel, that, when Jesus appeared to them the third time, He ate a meal of bread and fish with them. Then John tells us, starting in verse 15, “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.” Remembering the words of Paul in 2^nd Timothy 3:16-17 (“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”), I would like to take a few minutes to talk about the role of church leaders.

During His time on Earth, Jesus spent a lot of time preparing His disciples to be Shepherds for His sheep. But, like too many church “leaders” today, the disciples began to show a competitive spirit, as seen in Luke 9:46 (“there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest”). But Jesus said, in Mark 10:42-43: “Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister.” He did not mean that the “great among you” would be your Preacher or Pastor. The word “minister” used in that verse was the Greek word “Dee-Ak’-On-Os” that literally means “servant” or “waiter” as in “one who serves at a table”. We get our word “Deacon” from that word.  Continuing in verse 44, John records that Jesus said, “And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Jesus demonstrated this in Matthew 14, verse 19: “And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.”  Jesus was teaching them, and us, that the true Shepherd is there for the express purpose of protecting and caring for the sheep. He was teaching them, and us, to be Servant Leaders.

Christian leaders are not called to rule over the church, no matter what position they hold, or what title they may be given. They are called to lead by serving. They should not appear to be in competition but they should work together in caring for the church.

Peter taught this when he instructed the elders in 1^st Peter 5:2-3: “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.” Those who serve in leadership roles must not do it “by constraint”, that is, not because there is some sort of pressure on them to do it. Neither should we serve simply as a way of making a living. Finally, Peter warned against being a lord over the church, saying that we should serve as an example to the church.

If we are truly called to be leaders within the church, we must follow the example set for us by Jesus. The way Jesus led must be the way we lead. Jesus described this kind of leadership in John 10:2-4 when He said, “…he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.” In this example, Jesus teaches us that the leader knows the ones being led and the ones being led know their leader. This tells us that true Christian leadership is based on a personal relationship and cannot be accomplished from a distance.

We serve God’s people by teaching them God’s Word, by encouraging them, by praying for them and by setting a holy example. Paul wrote to Timothy in 1^st Timothy 4:12, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” This was to be a primary goal of Timothy’s ministry.

He also instructed him in 1^st Timothy 4:6, “If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister (There’s that word “Dee-Ak’-On-Os” again!) of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.” For our ministry/leadership to be effective and God-centered, we must be careful to follow God’s word and to live the doctrines we are teaching to others.

Paul told Timothy that he should always serve humbly, “But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; (2^nd Timothy 2:23-25). He also told him, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (2 Timothy 4:2). The key words in these verses are “be gentle” and “with all longsuffering.” The true servant/leader is one who is gentle, patient, humble, and longsuffering in his feeding and caring for God’s flock.

People need to see that their leaders really care, not just FOR them, but ABOUT them. They need to see visible expressions of love. This is best done by following Jesus’ example of humble, self-sacrificing, servanthood. If we strive to accomplish this, we will see people draw closer to our Lord.

Finally, we must realize that church leaders are not the “Head” of the church! The Bible states clearly that Jesus is the head and the rest of us constitute His body. Colossians 1:18 states that Jesus is “the head of the body, the church”. 1^st Corinthians 12: 27 says, “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” If church leaders are not the head, then what part of the body are we? WE ARE THE FEET! Romans 10:15 says, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things.” The feet support the body and move it wherever the head wants it to go. That is what leadership is all about.

Hebrews 13:17 speaks of leaders as those who “watch for your souls, as they that must give account.”  We are accountable to God for how we perform as leaders; how carefully we teach; what kind of an example we provide. Speaking through Jeremiah, God said, “I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.”

May our leadership always be according to God’s heart!

Chuck Jaggers, Pastor, Upper Cane Creek Church