An Open Letter to Hayward Wesleyan Church

Dear Hayward Wesleyan Church Family,

I need to apologize for something I said on Sunday during my sermon, when comparing today's church with the church of Acts.  I expressed skepticism and doubt about God raising people from the dead and working miracles like we see in the New Testament.

Instead of using the marvelous stories from Acts to inspire faith, I spoke words of disbelief.  I should have known better.

Yesterday, a kind friend spoke gentle correction to my heart concerning this, and he was absolutely right.  I appreciate his candor and am inspired by his faith.  The bottom line is, God is able to do anything he jolly well pleases, and that includes far out stuff -- like resurrections.  Just because I've never seen it, doesn't mean it is impossible with God.

This morning, while pondering and praying over this, I realized I need a fresh faith infusion.  Like the disciples, I am saying, "Lord, I believe.  Help me in my unbelief."

God reminded me that faith, like manna, must be gathered fresh daily, or else it gets stale and breeds worms.  Stale, wormy faith is not the kind that will resurrect anybody.

This is not to say I'll be pulling corpses out of coffins anytime soon.  It doesn't mean I'll automatically swallow tall tales from televised money grubbers, or start bossing God around and acting crazy.

However, those who believe in the supernatural are much more likely to experience it.  In the spiritual dimension, believing comes before seeing.

I'd like to go on record to say I believe God works miracles -- even when I can't understand or explain.

Though dead people returning to the land of the living is extremely rare, there are recorded cases of it such as Anthony Yahle in Ohio.   Who am I to say God can't work that way?

Instead of choosing doubt, I'll choose faith.   If it doesn't work out the way I had hoped, I'll just trust and leave it in God's hands.   As I've previously written:  Believe Like a Pentecostal and Trust Like a Monk.