Notes of Faith October 31, 2026
I will continue to post the link to the “Go Fund Me” account for our friend, John Belle who lost his brother earlier this year and his mother last week, now alone, making $2,400 a month, and trying to continue to live in very expensive California. Thank you to those who have already helped and thank you to those who are going to. His current need is great, but God is helping us to help him make choices, that, although he will have to move to survive financially, he should be able to keep his job and have enough to make it from day to day. Again, I thank you and pray that your reward in heaven is multiplied greatly!
“Choices”
Once there was a young man facing a choice...
“Barry” is a young man we met at one of our cafe discussion groups 4/5 years ago. He is curious, single, informed, born in Poland but has lived in Dublin for most of his 27 years. In our initial meetings, when spiritual matters came up, he leaned into the conversation versus changing topics or becoming silent. We began to meet over coffees where our conversations explored spiritual matters in general and the gospel in particular.
Gradual awareness of the distinctive elements of the Jesus message became apparent. Barry’s initial tendency for a long time was to minimize the differences between the gospel and other religions - particularly with Buddhism of which he had a fondness. This act of minimizing the dissimilarities and maximizing the common elements of various religions allowed for a wide playing field of choice. Choosing one was as good as choosing another since there was not much difference in his view.
Imagine: a young man immersed in a post-Catholic culture where institutional religion is viewed with suspicion, apathy or even hostility. And yet Barry is willing to have robust and repetitive conversations about the gospel.
But lately he has begun to acknowledge that the Christian gospel is more that simply another option in the pull-down tab of ‘religions’. A significant work of the Spirit in Barry’s life was to allow those distinctive elements of the gospel to have their voice and display their weight. In doing so, Barry has come to acknowledge that what is being asked of Him is to make a choice between options. And that choice comes with in-built consequences. Jesus is calling him, inviting him, to follow Him, not merely to add Jesus as one more option of religious possibilities.
Imagine: Being asked to choose a particular religion to the exclusion of others in an age where religious exclusivity is viewed as a major cause of violence, bigotry, war, social dysfunction, etc. in this world.
Barry is at a crossroads. And he realizes it. During a recent conversation about this awareness of choice we talked about how to navigate this situation. The Holy Spirit seemed to prompt this suggestion: “Barry, what if you began to talk to God about your hesitation and challenge to choose the gospel. When this choice comes to mind and tugs at your heart, use the crossroads to practice prayer. I.e. talk to God about this choice of choosing Him in that very moment. Ask God to show you the way forward."
The following was completely unexpected. Barry sat up in his chair, pulled out his phone, and said, “I am going to write that down so I will not forget to do just that.”
I was blessed to share a story like this with men in the local jail last night and believe that the Spirit of God is working on several of their hearts, although no one spoke up about receiving Christ as Savior. You could feel a movement of God in the room, and I pray that some of these men will confess faith in Jesus and seek to be baptized in the near future. Please pray for these un-named men. I thank God for drawing me to Himself as He appears to be doing to “Barry” in the story above. May we serve with Roy, the missionary reaching out to Barry, toward those who God places around us every day!
Pastor Dale