Notes of Faith February 14, 2021

In Psalms My Good Shepherd Draws Me Close and Listens for My Voice

Shepherds still travel with their flocks across the arid landscape of Israel today. And just like the shepherds of old, today’s shepherds know their sheep. They know what scares them; they know when just one of the flock wanders off.

They guide and protect them because they are theirs.

David called the Lord “our Shepherd” because we are God’s sheep.

We are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. — Psalm 95:7 NKJV, he wrote.

And just like sheep we, too, need a shepherd to guide us and protect us. Without God’s guidance, we wander and get caught in the thistles of life. If He doesn’t lead us beside still waters, we will get spiritually dry and worn out. If He leaves us alone, the wolves of lies and evil will pounce on us and devour our faith and confidence.

God is the Good Shepherd — your Good Shepherd who draws you close and watches over you. He invites you to lie down in green pastures; He refreshes your soul and guides you along the right paths.

And even the darkness of the valley of the shadow of death doesn’t have to frighten you because God doesn’t ever leave you.

I will not be afraid, the Psalmist sang, for You are close beside me. — Psalm 23:4 NLT

Your Good Shepherd sees your tears and listens for your voice. Again, David cried,

You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them, and You listen to their cry. — Psalm 10:17

Let your Good Shepherd carry you today through the valleys or the victories. As you walk with Him, talk with Him.

He knows you and loves you and hears you, and He wants His

goodness and love [to] follow [you] all the days of [your] life. — Psalm 23:6.

In Proverbs God Offers Me Wisdom More Precious Than Rubies

The God of the universe calls you His own, His beloved child. And your heavenly Father has riches and wealth at His disposal. He could give you anything because nothing is too hard or too big for Him.

God could show you that He loves you by lavishing you with luxury, moving you into a new house, getting you out of debt, and making you a billionaire. But when God expresses His love to His child, he does it by offering you something far more valuable than gold, something more priceless than any precious gemstone. He gives you wisdom. Why Because wisdom will

prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. — Proverbs 3:2.

If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. — Proverbs 9:12 NLT

God could give you anything, but He chooses to give you wisdom.

Wisdom is knowledge, with the spiritual insight to judge what really matters. And it is yours for the asking!

Just as God gave Solomon a wise and “discerning heart” (1 Kings 3:9) when he asked for it, God is leaning over the edge of heaven even now, listening for your request, just waiting to fill your heart with wisdom too. So if you lack wisdom,

ask of God, who gives to all liberally — James 1:5.

God gives His most precious and valuable gifts to His children. That is ultimately why He gave you Jesus — and Jesus is the “wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24).

Thank God today for loving you so much that He only gives you the very best gifts — including that gift that is more precious than rubies.

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. — Proverbs 3:13–15 ESV

Excerpted from 66 Ways God Loves You by Jennifer Rothschild, copyright Jennifer Rothschild.

In every book of the Bible, God shows His love for you. Read Psalm 23 and proclaim His goodness over your life along with King David. Are you in a mess? Do you want to change your life and heart for the better? Ask God for wisdom and He will give it to you.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith February 13, 2021

  “YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH”
Matthew 5:13

As the Church is called “light” to reveal and to expose, it is called “salt” to penetrate and convict.  The very nature of God is injected into the Church - the Body of Christ!  This Church is called “a new man created in Christ Jesus in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:24).  God’s own life in and through the Church penetrates society in a variety of ways when the Church is functioning properly.  We serve as a deterrent to evil, an antiseptic, and seasoning.

Mark 9:50 declares that we are to have salt in ourselves.  We are salt; therefore we are to function as salt, demonstrating the righteousness and holiness of God in a sensitive relationship to others.  In an unrighteous and unholy society, this kind of penetration will be felt.  You cannot pour salt into an open wound without having severe repercussions!

I cannot think of a more effective way for the Church to function as salt than in her commitment to Jesus Christ.  You ask the question:  “What is the primary responsibility of the Church in the world?”  Some would say, “to witness, to support missions, etc.”  I feel that is not the primary responsibility of the Church.  The primary responsibility of the Church is COMMITMENT TO JESUS CHRIST!  The effectiveness of the Church in the world is measured by its commitment to Christ.  Its commitment is manifested in its effectiveness in the world (Luke 14:25-35).

Salt that has lost its zing, spizirinctum, is less than worthless.  When Christians are willing to sacrifice in their commitment to Jesus, this presents an image of the Church that is different from what the world is getting today in some of our more contemporary churches.  When believers stop playing at church and get down to business and start to realize that commitment is costly, then the Church of Jesus Christ begins to take on definition and meaning and significance in the world.  The Church becomes a heady seasoning in an otherwise tasteless society.

When the Church ceases to be salt (Matthew 5:13) it ceases to penetrate, ceases to function as intended.  In the eyes of a ridiculing world that both respects and hates the Church, we look utterly foolish.  Israel in captivity was the laughing stock of the ancient world.  Jesus said that savorless salt is “good for nothing”.  The Church cannot change its role.  When we cool in our commitment to Jesus Christ, we are good for nothing although we may be involved in a thousand ways in society.

Beloved, evaluate your priorities as a Christian.  Is there anyone or anything that has replaced Christ as a priority in your life?  God has injected His people literally all over this earth to function in every conceivable walk of life - using them in thousands of ways.

Paul prayed for the Church (Philippians 4:9-10) “that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.”

Eva and I pray for you daily.  I encourage you to lift each other before the Throne of Grace, that together we will penetrate our part of the world for our Lord Jesus Christ.

Love to you all,
Charles Covington

Charles often left me with no more words to say…it seems that he has done it again.  May God’s grace be with you all.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith February 12, 2021

‘YE ARE THE LIGHT”
Matthew 5:14-16

Christians are called “light” in Scripture.  Light is what we are.  We are a functioning entity as light in this world of darkness - a foreign influence in a natural environment of spiritual darkness (Ephesians 5:8, Philippians 2:15, I Peter 2:9).

Where do we get the name or title “light”?

• God is called light (I John 1:5).  Essentially this is what God is!

  . . . Intellectually, light is truth - darkness is error

  . . . Morally and ethically, light is purity - darkness is evil

  God is both absolute truth and He is morally pure and perfect.

• Jesus Christ claimed to be the “Light of the World” while He was here (John 9:5, 8:12).  Truth and moral perfection are perfectly revealed in Christ.

• Christians become the representation of God in this world.  We have received God’s own nature and His revelation.

What is our purpose as light?

• To be seen.  This fact is illustrated by a city set upon a hill (Matt. 5:14) - and lights aren’t to be covered.  The city on a hill is visible and prominent from every direction.  The Christian is not only to be seen in the world but he is to be prominent!  Not prominent in the sense of being famous - but prominent in the sense that you stand out as being different from others (Phil. 2:12. 13).

• To reveal hope for this world.  “The lamp gives light to all who are in the house (Matt. 5:15)”.  The lamp is beneficial in darkness.  If the church is not benefiting the world in some way by our presence, then our light is hidden!  The Church is God’s only contact with this world in terms of the redemptive purpose.  What do men see when they look at the Church today?  Do they see hope?  Do they see people with answers? In many churches the light is covered - in some it has been extinguished (Rev. 2:5).

Our responsibility as light (Matthew 5:16).

• It is the Christian’s nature to display the grace of God - to shine for God.  Now light doesn’t struggle to display its radiance.  If the bulb is plugged into the power source it just shines.  If you are properly plugged into the power source, you shine.  However, you can hinder that radiance (Eph. 5:3-14).

• We are to let our light shine before men - in the world of business, in the world of politics, in the world of sports, in our social world, in our family relations.

• Our light is seen by our good works (Eph. 2:8-10, Titus 2:14, 3:8).  The good works of a Christian are works that are different in quality and in motivation from those of the unbeliever.

• We are to move men toward God (Matt. 5:16b).  We glorify God when we attribute worth to Him by what we say and what we do. 

Remember - in order to function properly as light you have to stay close to the power source!

Love to you all,  

Charles Covington

The world is changing faster than ever before and moving toward fulfillment of the prophecies of Scripture.  For your inspiration or consternation I share with you the following earthly projections:

Pastor Dale – Enjoy or Not!

 THERE IS REASON TO BELIEVE MOST OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING WILL BECOME REALITY IN THE NEXT 10-20 YEARS . . . . MOST OF US WON’T SEE THE CHANGES, BUT OUR KIDS AND GRAND-KIDS WILL !!

1 - Auto repair shops will disappear . . . .

2 - A petrol/diesel engine has 20,000 individual parts . . . . An electrical motor has 20 . . . . Electric cars are sold with lifetime guarantees and are repaired only by dealers . . . . It takes only 10 minutes to remove and replace an electric motor . . . .

3 - Faulty electric motors are NOT repaired in the dealership but are sent to a regional repair shop that repairs them with ROBOTS . . . .

4 - Your electric motor malfunction light goes on . . . . so you drive up to what looks like a car wash, and your car is towed through while you have a cup of coffee . . . . Then your car comes out on the other side with a new electric motor or component . . . .

5 - Petrol pumps will go away . . . .

6 - Street corners will have meters that dispense electricity . . . . Companies will install electrical recharging stations . . . . in fact, they’ve already started in the developed world . . . .

7 - Smart major auto manufacturers have already designated money to start building new plants that build ONLY electric cars . . . .

8 - The "Coal Industries" will go away . . . . Gasoline/oil companies will go away . . . . Drilling for oil will stop . . . . So say goodbye to OPEC . . . . The middle-east is in trouble . . . .

9 - Homes will produce and store more electrical energy during the day then they use . . . . It will be sold back to "The Grid" . . . . The Grid will store and dispenses it, to the industries that are high electricity users. Has anybody seen the Tesla roof ??

10 - A baby of today, will only see "personal cars" in museums . . The FUTURE is approaching faster than most of us can even handle . . .

11 - In 1998, Kodak had 170,000 employees and sold 85% of all photo paper worldwide . . . . Within just a few years, their business model disappeared . . and they went bankrupt . . . . Who would have thought of that ever happening ??

12 - What happened to Kodak and Polaroid will happen in a lot of industries in the next 5-10 years . . . . and most people don't even see it coming . . .

13 - Did you think in 1998 that 3 years later, you would never take pictures on film again . . . . With today’s smartphones, who even has a camera these days??

14 - Yet digital cameras were invented in 1975 . . . . The first ones only had 10,000 pixels but followed Moore's law . . . . As with all exponential technologies, it was a disappointment in the beginning . . . . before it became way superior and mainstream in only a few short years . . . .

15 - It will now happen again (but much faster) with Artificial Intelligence (AI), health, autonomous and electric cars, education, 3D printing, agriculture and jobs . . . .

16 - Forget the book, “Future Shock”, welcome to the 4th Industrial Revolution . .

17 - Software has disrupted and will continue to disrupt most traditional industries . . . . (in the next 5 to 10 years . . . .

18 - UBER is just a software tool, (they don't own any cars), and are now the biggest taxi company in the world . . . . (Ask any taxi driver if they saw that coming) . . . .

19 - AIR-BnB is now the biggest hotel company in the world . . . . (they don't own any properties) . . . . Ask Hilton Hotels or the Marriott, if they saw that coming . .

20 - Artificial Intelligence (AI): Computers become exponentially better in understanding the world . . . . This year, a computer beat the best Go-player in the world . . . . (10 years earlier than expected) . . . .

21 - In the USA, young lawyers already don't get jobs, (because of IBM's, WATSON) . . . . you can get legal advice within a few seconds so far the basic stuff . . . . with 90% accuracy compared with 70% accuracy when done by humans . . . . So, if you're studying law, STOP IMMEDIATELY . . . . There will be 90% fewer lawyers in the future, what a thought and only omniscient specialists will remain . . . .

22 - WATSON already helps nurses diagnosing cancer . . . . it’s 4 times more accurate and many times faster than human nurses . . . .

23 - Facebook now has a 'face recognition' software that can recognize faces better than humans . . . . In 2030, computers will become more intelligent than humans . . . .

24 - Autonomous cars: In 2018 the first self-driving cars were already here . . . . In the next few years, the entire auto industry will start to be disrupted . . . . You won’t want to own a car any more as you will call a car with your phone, it will show up at your location and drive you to your destination . . . .

25 - You will not need to park it, you will pay only for the 'driven distance' and you can be productive while driving . The very young children of today will never get a driver's license and they will never own a car . . .

26 - This will change our cities because we will need 90% to 95% fewer cars . . . . We can transform former parking spaces into green city parks . . . .

27 - About 1.2 million people die each year in car accidents (worldwide). That includes distracted or drunk drivers . . . . We currently have one accident every 60,000 miles driven . . . . However with autonomous driving that will drop to 1 accident in about 6 million miles . . . . That will save a million plus lives, worldwide each year . . . .

28 - Most traditional car companies will doubtless become bankrupt . . . . They will try the evolutionary approach and just build a better car . . . . while tech companies (Tesla, Apple, Google) will do the revolutionary approach and build a computer on wheels . . . .

29 - Look at what Volvo is doing right now . . . . no more internal combustion engines in their vehicles starting this year with the 2020 models . . . . They are using all-electric or hybrid only, (with the intent of phasing out hybrid models in the not too distant future) . . . .

30 - Many engineers from Volkswagen and Audi are completely terrified of Tesla . . . . Look at all the companies offering all-electric vehicles . . . That was unheard of, only a few years ago . . . .

31 - Insurance companies will have massive trouble to . . . . because, without accidents, the costs of insurance will become cheaper . . . . Their car insurance business model will disappear . . . .

32 - Real estate will change . . . . Because if you can work while you commute, or you can work from your home . . . . people will abandon their towers to move far away to more beautiful and affordable properties . .

33 - Electric cars will become mainstream by about 2030 . . . . Cities will be less noisy because all new cars will run ONLY on electricity . . . .

34 - Cities will have much cleaner air . . . .

35 - Electricity will become incredibly cheap and clean . . . .

36 - Solar production has been on an exponential curve for 30 years . . . . but you can now see the burgeoning impact . . . . and it’s just starting to get ramped up . .

37 - Fossil energy companies are desperately trying to limit access to the grid . . . . to prevent competition from home solar installations . . . . but that simply cannot continue . . . . Technology will take care of that strategy in the not too distant future . . . .

38 - Health: The Tricorder X price will be announced this year . . . . There are companies who will build a medical device called the "Tricorder" from Star Trek that works with your phone, which takes your retina scan, a sample of your blood, then you breath into it . . . . It then analyses 54 bio-markers that will identify nearly any disease . . . . There are dozens of phone apps out there right now for health . . . .

WELCOME TO TOMORROW – some of it actually arrived a few years ago . . . . And, wouldn't you know it, I'm still trying to figure out how to use my cell phone !!

Notes of Faith February 11, 2021

She gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. — Luke 2:38 NKJV 

It is truly remarkable that when Jesus was born, so few people in Israel recognized their Messiah. It was not as if no one was watching for Him. Messianic expectation in the early first century was running at an all-time high.  

Daniel’s famous prophecy about “Messiah the Prince” (Daniel 9:24–27 NKJV) had practically set the date. Daniel wrote, “Seventy weeks are determined... Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks.” If Daniel’s “weeks” (literally, “sevens” in the Hebrew) are understood as seven-year periods, Daniel is describing a period of 483 years total: “seven weeks” (forty-nine years) plus “sixty-two weeks” (434 years). “The command to restore and build Jerusalem” seems to be a reference to the decree of Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 2:1–8), which was issued in 444 or 445 BC. If the years are reckoned by a lunar calendar of 360 days, Daniel’s timetable would put the appearance of “Messiah the Prince” around AD 30, which was the year of His triumphal entry.  

Scripture records that when John the Baptist began his ministry,  

The people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not. — Luke 3:15 NKJV 

As a matter of fact, several of the disciples first encountered Christ for the very reason that they were watching expectantly for Him to appear, and they came to John the Baptist, who pointed the way to Christ (John 1:27–37).  

The fact is, virtually all faithful believers in Israel were already expectantly awaiting the Messiah and looking diligently for Him at the exact time Jesus was born. The irony is that so very few recognized Him, because He met none of their expectations. They were looking for a mighty political and military leader who would become a conquering king; He was born into a peasant family. They probably anticipated that He would arrive with great fanfare and pageantry; He was born in a stable, almost in secret.  

The only people in Israel who did recognize Christ at His birth were humble, unremarkable people. The Magi of Matthew 2:1–12, of course, were foreigners and Gentiles, and they were very rich, powerful, and influential men in their own culture. But the only Israelites who understood that Jesus was the Messiah at His birth were Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, Simeon, and Anna. All of them were basically nobodies. All of them recognized Him because they were told who He was by angels, or by some other form of special revelation. Luke recounts all their stories in succession, as if he is calling multiple witnesses, one at a time, to establish the matter.  

The final witness he calls is Anna. Everything Scripture has to say about her is contained in just three verses: Luke 2:36–38. She is never mentioned anywhere else in the Bible. But these three verses are enough to establish her reputation as a genuinely extraordinary woman:  

Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. (NKJV) 

*  

Anna’s hopes and dreams were full of messianic expectation. She knew the Old Testament promises, and she understood that salvation from sin and the future blessing of Israel depended on the coming of the Messiah.

Her longing to see Him was suddenly and surprisingly fulfilled one day as she went about her normal routine in the temple.  

Anna appears only in a very brief vignette of Luke’s gospel, but her inclusion there elevates the importance of her life and testimony. She was blessed by God to be one of a handful of key witnesses who knew and understood the significance of Jesus’ birth. And she made no attempt to keep it a secret. Thus she became one of the first and most enduring witnesses to Christ. No doubt wherever Luke’s gospel is proclaimed, her testimony is still bringing others to the Savior. Thus she deserves a prominent place in any list of extraordinary women.  

Actually, quite a lot about Anna’s extraordinary life can be gleaned from the three brief verses of Scripture that are devoted to her story. Luke’s narrative is loaded with key phrases that give us a surprisingly rich understanding of Anna’s life and character.  

“SHE WAS A PROPHETESS”  

Luke introduced her this way: “There was one, Anna, a prophetess” (Luke 2:36 NKJV).  

What did Luke mean by prophetess? He was not suggesting that Anna predicted the future. She was not a fortune-teller. He didn’t necessarily even suggest that she received special revelation from God. The word prophetess simply designated a woman who spoke the Word of God.

Any preacher who faithfully proclaims the Word of God would be a “prophet” in the general biblical sense. And a prophetess would be a woman uniquely devoted to declaring the Word of God.  

Anna may have been a teacher of the Old Testament to other women. Or she may have simply had a private ministry there in the temple offering words of encouragement and instruction from the Hebrew Scriptures to other women who came to worship. Nothing suggests that she was a source of revelation, or that any special revelation ever came to her directly. Even her realization that Jesus was the Messiah seemed to have come from the revelation given to Simeon and subsequently overheard by her. She is nonetheless called a prophetess because it was her habit to declare the truth of God’s Word to others. This gift for proclaiming God’s truth ultimately played a major role in the ministry she is still best remembered for.  

* 

“WHO DID NOT DEPART FROM THE TEMPLE”  

Luke gave another significant detail about Anna: “[She] did not depart from the temple” (Luke 2:37 NKJV). That’s an emphatic statement, which suggests that Luke meant it in a literal sense. Evidently, Anna lived right there on the temple grounds. There were some apartments in the outer courts (Nehemiah 13:7–9). These were modest chambers, probably used as temporary dwelling places for priests who lived on the temple grounds while doing their two weeks’ annual service.  

Perhaps because of her long faithfulness, her obvious spiritual gifts, her steadfast devotion to the Lord, and her constant commitment to her ministry of prayer and fasting, temple officials had given her a small chamber. She was now too old to be employed as a caretaker, but perhaps she had once served in that capacity, and her living quarters had been given to her for life. In any case, it was ultimately the Lord who had graciously provided her a place in His house and sovereignly orchestrated whatever arrangement she might have had with the temple custodians.  

It is obvious that Anna was a most extraordinary woman in the eyes of everyone who knew her. She lived the simplest kind of life. She could always be found at the temple. She was singularly and completely devoted to the service and worship of God — mostly through her prayers and fasting.  

The manner of her praying, accompanied by fasting, speaks of her own self-denial and sincerity. Fasting by itself is not a particularly useful exercise. Abstaining from food per se has no mystical effect on anything spiritual. But fasting with prayer reveals a heart so consumed with praying, and so eager to receive the blessing being sought, that the person simply has no interest in eating. That is when fasting has real value.  

Anna apparently had been doing this as a pattern for sixty-four years or longer. Here was a passionate woman! What do you think Anna had been praying about? She surely prayed about many things, but there is little doubt that one of the main subjects of her prayers was an earnest plea for the very same thing Simeon was so eager for: “the Consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:25 NKJV). Her hope, like Eve’s, was for the Seed who would crush the serpent’s head. Her longing, like Sarah’s, was for the Seed of Abraham, who would bless all the nations of the world. She was praying that God would soon send the promised deliverer, the Messiah.  

Anna’s amazing faith stemmed from the fact that she believed all the promises that filled the Old Testament. She took the Word of God seriously. She knew in her heart that the Messiah was coming, and without any doubt whatsoever her first and foremost prayer was that it would happen soon.  

I’m convinced that Anna had a remarkable knowledge of spiritual truth.  

* 

She truly loved her God. She understood His heart and mind. She genuinely believed His Word. She was a wonderfully remarkable woman indeed — perhaps one of the most devout people we meet anywhere on the pages of Scripture. No one else comes to mind who fasted and prayed faithfully for more than sixty years!  

God was about to give her an answer to her prayers in the most dramatic fashion. Verse 38 says that just when Simeon pronounced his prophetic blessing on the infant Christ and His earthly parents, “in that instant” (NKJV), she came along. Now, Herod’s temple was a massive building, and the temple complex was huge, surrounded by a courtyard with thousands of people milling around at almost any given time.  

Joseph and Mary did not know Simeon, but by God’s providence and through the sovereign direction of His Spirit, He had brought them together (Luke 2:27). At that very instant, just while Simeon was blessing the child with inspired words of prophecy, the Spirit of God providentially led this elderly woman to a place where she was within earshot. Luke’s description is typically understated:  

Coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord. — Luke 2:38 NKJV 

Suddenly everything she had been praying and fasting for was right there in front of her face, wrapped in a little bundle in Simeon’s arms. By faith, she knew instantly that Simeon’s prophecy was true and that God had answered her prayers.

She immediately began giving thanks to God, and all those many, many years of petition turned to praise.  

We can only imagine how Anna felt after long decades of focused prayer and fasting, yearning for God to reveal His glory again, praying and fasting for the salvation of Israel, and beseeching God to send the Messiah. Finally, the answer to her prayers had come in flesh and blood.  

“SHE... SPOKE OF HIM TO ALL”  

Suddenly Anna’s prophetic giftedness came boldly to the forefront:  

[She] spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. — Luke 2:38 NKJV 

The verb tense signifies continuous action. It literally means that she continually spoke of Him to all who were looking for the Redeemer. This became her one message for the rest of her life.  

Notice that Anna knew who the believing remnant were. She could identify the true worshipers — the ones who, like her, were expectantly awaiting the Messiah. She sought such people out, and at every opportunity from then on, she spoke to them about Him.  

That is how this dear woman who had spent so many years mostly talking to God became best known for talking to people about Christ. The Messiah had finally come, and Anna was one of the very first to know who He was. She could not keep that news to herself. She thus became one of the very first and most enduring witnesses of Christ.  

What became of Anna after this is not recorded. She was undoubtedly in Heaven by the time Christ began His public ministry some thirty years later. The day of His dedication was probably her one and only glimpse of Him. But it was enough for her. She literally could not stop talking about Him.  

And that is the most endearing part of this wonderful woman’s extraordinary legacy.  

Excerpted from Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur, copyright John MacArthur. 

Anna had suffered tragedy in life. Her life was simple, humble, and in many ways hard. But, she honored the Lord, dedicated her life to prayer and fasting, and the Father honored her! She will be remembered forever for being one of the few who held baby Jesus knowing who He was! Let us share our faith like Anna as we wait expectantly for the Lord Jesus to return in glory for His bride!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith February 10, 2021

THE POWER OF WORDS

As children in Sunday School we sang, “Oh, be careful little tongue what you say!”  Our words, both good and bad, have a tremendous effect on others.

The goal of the church is to evangelize those outside the church (Acts 1:8, Matt. 28:19, 10) and to edify one another (Eph. 4:11-16.)  The extent to which effective evangelism is taking place will depend largely upon the degree that real, loving edification is happening.

Basic hindrances to this two-fold goal are:

•   Lack of credibility with unbelievers.  The lives of some Christian reflect little difference from the lives of non-Christians (II Peter 1:5-9).

•   Lack of sensitivity to believers.  A failure to embrace the principle of Phil. 2:1-4).

Our words are the area in which the breakdown is the greatest.  Words are the expression of ideas, the formation of thoughts, and the units of communication.  Some examples are the Living Word (John 1:1, 14, 18 and the Written Word (I Cor. 2:9-13).  Our words are tangible expressions of what we are (Luke 6:40-45).

Words are an indicator of our maturity (James 3:1-12) and a basis for judgment (Matthew 12:36, 37.)

We can develop a greater sensitivity to other believers by:

•   Recognizing the awesome effect our words have upon others (Prov. 18:21)

•   Asking the question - will my words made God look good (Col. 3:17)?

•   Thinking before we speak (James 1:19).

“Oh be careful little tongue what you say!” - an admonition for adults as well!

Love to you all, Charles Covington

We all too often speak before we think or do not listen, thinking about what we will say while someone is speaking with us.  Let us be more respectful of persons and even more so to God!  Listen and learn before you speak and only speak words that edify and build up.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith February 9, 2021

Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. — Matthew 19:24 

Scholars may debate Jesus’ intention with this illustration from Matthew, but if you read the whole passage, you’ll see that a rich young ruler in the story was a good man who had been humble and giving. The problem was he wasn’t quite ready to give up everything he had to follow Jesus. 

So what is your “eye of the needle,” that thing you can’t quite give up to surrender your whole heart to God? Figuring out what is still possible for you may hinge on those things you aren’t quite willing to give up, or at least to give over to God’s care and keeping.  

The rich young ruler wanted to know what else he needed to do to follow Jesus, but he was disappointed when he heard the answer. What about us? We may imagine we have already done the things that Jesus would require.

We’ve given to others, applied our hearts to charity, and attended church on a regular basis. As far as we can tell, we’ve been model citizens. So what stops us from taking that one last step to make a full commitment?  

We don’t know if the young ruler ever decided to do what Jesus requested, but we know we can decide. We can choose to follow Him so He can lead us into even more amazing possibilities, or we can choose to hold on to what we’ve got. We might have our own heroic stories, our own prize trophies that we’re not willing to risk. After all, we’ve done enough.  

Ah, there’s the rub!  

Who defines what is enough?  

Recall the poor widow who put two mites into the collection box. She was considered extremely generous because she gave everything she had to God. She didn’t hold anything back.  

The beauty of an open hand is that it most often is accompanied by an open heart. When we want God to give generously to us, we have to make sure we don’t hold anything back from Him.  

With an open hand and an open heart, we find the way to all that is still possible.  

Lord of the Possible, remind me to always be prepared to give up anything You’ve given me in favor of Your blessing and Your direction. Only You know my whole story and what You’ve planned for me to do next. I praise Your name! Amen.  

Excerpted from It’s Still Possible by Karen Moore, copyright Karen Moore. 

When times get tough, it’s easy to start squeezing our hands tight and even to start squeezing our hearts tight, too. But, in God’s economy, anything we give — whether it’s our time, our future, our goals and dreams, our possessions, our space, our money, whatever (!) — He will bless abundantly.  Let’s open our hearts to whatever He has for us!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith February 8, 2021

So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “Please heal her, O God, I pray!” 
— Numbers 12:13

Miriam had dared to speak ill of Moses. But Moses was not only her brother, he was a prophet of the Lord. God took this offense so seriously that He caused Miriam to be covered in leprosy. It certainly wasn’t always the case, but in this instance her illness was a direct result of her sinful actions.

Moses’ immediate reaction was to cry out to God on her behalf. He prayed that Miriam would be healed of her affliction Moses expressed such humility in not only forgiving the original offense, but also pleading for the consequences of that offense to be removed from her.

How many of us have seen another individual dealing with the unpleasant ramifications of his or her behavior and failed to feel any compassion?

Perhaps we thought to ourselves, “Well, that’s what he gets,” or some such sentiment. Maybe we even fail to pray for our own healing because we feel that we deserve whatever it is that has happened to us.

There are two things that make all the difference when it comes to a seemingly undeserved healing.

First, God is a merciful God, and His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23).

Second, prayer is a powerful thing.

The prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much good (James 5:16). Let’s pray for the healing of those around us.

God of mercy, I pray for those around me, that they would know Your peace, healing, and love.

Excerpted from 100 Favorite Bible Prayers by Stacy Edwards, copyright Thomas Nelson.

Every single one of us deserves ugly ramifications for our wrongdoings… which is why we need the prayers of those around us and the forgiving mercy and grace of God. Let’s pray today for compassion for people who are bearing their consequences and pray for them to be miraculously healed and saved into faith or greater faith! 

Loving friends for the most part is easy, loving enemies or those who have hurt you, or those who you see as evil is very hard.  But Jesus came that they might all find forgiveness and salvation, freedom from sin and the consequences thereof… the wrath of God.  May we understand that we all deserve God’s wrath but as believers and followers of Jesus have been given grace upon grace and mercy upon mercy.  Pray fervently for those who have wronged you and forgive them as Jesus forgave you.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith February 7, 2021

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? — Esther 4:14

Cue the Queen  

Esther is the scriptural role model for how to control what you should and trust God with what you can’t. And, more importantly, how to decide which is which!  

Esther was a stunningly beautiful Jewish orphan who became the replacement for Queen Vashti, the wife of King Xerxes. She had a little help from the man who raised her, her uncle Mordecai, who would become an asset to King Xerxes after saving Xerxes’s life by uncovering an assassination plot. However, Esther’s Semitic heritage wasn’t revealed to the king during the country-wide beauty pageant that was held to select which giddy gal got to wear the queen’s sparkly crown.  

Though King Xerxes would come to think Uncle Morty was keen, one of the king’s officials, Haman, loathed him. He had a prejudice against those who were different, and “that Jew Mordecai,” as Haman referred to him, was annoyingly different. You see, Uncle Morty refused to bow down to the narcissistic Haman whenever the official paraded by in all his pomp and circumstance. It enraged Haman. He became so enraged, he cunningly convinced the king to annihilate the entire Jewish population from the face of the earth and then sealed their fate with a stamp of the king’s signet ring.  

Uh-oh.  

Time for someone to adjust Queen Esther’s crown. Cue Esther’s entrance music, please — and fast!  

Mordecai was distraught, but he approached his niece — turned daughter, turned queen — to suggest how she might remedy the tragic situation about to ensue.  

It was customary in the king’s court to only be granted an audience when summoned by His Royal Highness. Even his wife Esther couldn’t barge into the hubster’s palace office and declare, “Hey, honey, can I talk to you about something?” Oh no. Doing such a thing didn’t just have the potential of ticking off her spouse; it could cost the queen her very life. And — not that she had it documented in her day planner — Esther realized she hadn’t been called for in more than thirty days. The queen was in a quandary. What was she to do?  

Esther gathered her courage, and she also gathered her maid-servants and all the Jewish people of Persia to fast with and for her for three straight days. Then this brave and humble woman approached King Xerxes — gasp — without being called. He miraculously extended his scepter (instead of ordering, “Off with her head!”) and even asked her what it was she wished. He would willingly grant it — up to half of his kingdom.  

She asked for a banquet or two (even gals back then loved to throw a good party), and it was as good as done. The first was with her and the Mr. and that third wheel Horrible Haman. After the feast, Haman began building a gallows fit for his enemy Mordecai, who was soon, along with the rest of the Jews, to be toast.  

That night the king — suffering from a little insomnia — called, in the wee hours of the morning, for the history books to be opened (since all the Persian drugstores were closed). The account of Mordecai unearthing the terrible assassination plot and saving the king’s life was retold. The king discovered he’d never even thanked the guy. So he asked his palace pal Haman what should be done for someone whom the king wanted to honor. Haman, the self-centered man, thought the king must surely be speaking of him and suggested a little parade through town wearing fine clothes, riding upon a royal horse, with all the townsfolk bowing down to him in adoration.  

He nearly expired when Xerxes told him, “Well, then. Go do exactly that for Mordecai.”  

Double ouch.  

Though completely humiliated and dejected, Haman obeyed.  

At her second banquet, Esther revealed to the king the coming genocide of the Jews, along with the fact that she was one of them.  

“Who would order such a thing?” Xerxes demanded to know. When he learned it was Haman, he went out to the palace gardens to let off a little steam. Upon returning, he happened upon Haman and Esther. Haman was lying across the couch on top of the queen, pleading for his life. King X, of course, thought Haman had something X-rated on his mind.  

He immediately ordered Haman be hung on the gallows — the ones Haman thought he’d see his enemy Mordecai dangling from — and promptly promoted Uncle Morty to prime minister.  

The horrible homicide plan against the Jews was halted, and they were allowed to live and defend themselves from all enemies.  

Throughout this whole reality-TV-type drama (the first scene with the gals all lined up hoping to be selected queen, an ancient episode of The Bachelor, perhaps?), Queen Esther remained focused and clear.

What can we learn from her that will guide us as we navigate our own life circumstances, whether dire or humdrum? Following are some helpful lessons we can glean from Esther’s life.  

Remember God is God and you are not.  

When stuck in the muck of less-than-lovely circumstances, our first — and sometimes only — aim is to get ourselves out, and fast. With this line of thinking permeating our action plans, we can readily forget that we are not the ones in charge. Without a proper perspective, we face frustration. We try our level best to modify the circumstances, but we can’t always get people to change their minds to our liking. We can’t shoo away the sickness or ward off the altercation. But we should, like Esther, learn our place. We are human, not deity.  

When we even subconsciously think we can control the situation and the outcome but fall short, we may succumb to situational depression. We must remember that God is God and we are not. We must look to Him for our role in the scenario being played out. How should we respond? What should we do? How should we pray? We must not, however, attempt to take his job away from him. That choice never ends well.  

Pray, and if you must, fast.  

Queen Esther, though a royal family member, didn’t just proceed with the recommended plan; she sought after God. Before leaping into action, she paused. A three-day fast gave her time to draw near to God and sense His assessment of the sticky situation at hand. Should she have decided on her own in a blink and not in a God-bathed response, she might have made a misstep. But because she sought God first, she was infused with His direction and ready to take the right steps that would lead to a resolution of the looming doom.  

So pray before you act, and fast from food if God calls you to (check with a medical professional if there are conditions that would make this unwise for you). You may also fast from other things — like talking on the phone (in a gossipy way) about the people involved in the situation, or from the Internet or TV — so you can devote the time to prayer and Bible reading instead.  

 Solicit spiritual help.  

Esther realized she wasn’t a Lone Ranger believer. She sought help. Her fast was a group effort. Her maidservants joined her.  

So did the other Jews in her homeland of Persia. She knew that this challenge she faced required a call out to the troops for backup reinforcement.  

Our friends who follow hard after God are invaluable allies. Surround yourself with at least a few — and sometimes a slew — who will thunder Heaven on your behalf, begging God to move. Caution: Don’t just pick a sympathetic friend who will give you an “oh, poor baby” and take your side. Straight shooters are best — those who love you enough to tell you when they sense you’re being selfish or unreasonable. My accountability partner, Mary, has given me a spiritual whoopin’ more than one time, snapping me back to reality and enabling me to make God-glorifying choices.  

Do what you can.  

Nothing is wrong with action. Sure, look into options and explore the possibility of doing something, but never without taking the spiritual steps already mentioned. If after praying, seeking God, and soliciting wise counsel, you feel some action is needed, it’s okay to move ahead. Esther did. Where you can get yourself (and your emotions) in a tangled-up mess is when you act before you pray. Leap before you look. Cart before the horse in a race to your own coveted finish. Yes, do what you can — prayerfully and carefully — but leave the results to God. Your job is obedience. God’s job is results.  

Don’t do what you can’t.  

Realize the non-negotiables of circumstances. If you can’t possibly make a sickness flee or a loved one stop her destructive behavior, don’t waste precious energy spinning your wheels trying. Likewise, don’t allow your mind to burn up time dwelling on the can’ts of your circumstances. If you can’t change something, drop it and move on.  

Decide where to glance and where to gaze.  

Esther kept her focus and her eyes fixed on her God and not on her circumstances. When your spinning-out-of-control situation permeates your days, it’s easy to let it divert your attention and your eyes off Jesus and allow them to become fixated on the problems at hand. That emphasis is all wrong. As author Mary Southerland, a cyberfriend of mine, said in a recent online Bible study, “Trusting God demands that we learn to fix our gaze on Him and our glance on our circumstances.”  

Know when to move and when to stay put.  

At times we see Esther moving forward decisively. Other times she idled, taking no evident outward action. In our make-it-happen culture, it feels very foreign to embrace inaction while waiting for God’s timing. That’s why you must walk so closely with the King that you know both when He is calling you to quietly trust as He works behind the scenes and when He is cueing you to make a move. The world screams, “Well, don’t just stand there; do something!” However, sometimes our does-things-differently Creator whispers, “Well, don’t just do something... stand there.”  

Whether your life contains life-altering crises, out-of-control circumstances, or relatively normal bumps and blips, you must nestle yourself neatly and surrendered into the spot God has reserved for you in it all.  

You can’t always change your circumstances.
You can change your attitude. 
You shouldn’t seek to micromanage.  
You should seek to trust God.  

Instead of longing for God to change the trajectory of your life’s story line, look for His face as you practice your faith at each twist and turn along the way.  

No, you can’t change the weather. But you can grab an umbrella.  

Lord, may I willingly snuggle up next to you under Your wide umbrella of grace and growth in the everyday mists of life and — even more closely — during those times when it thunders and pours. Amen.  

Excerpted from Let It Go by Karen Ehman, copyright Karen Ehman. 

Keep your eyes on God in the middle of the hard stuff! Pray and fast for His answers. He will answer!  Imitate the thoughts and actions of the queen as she seeks God for answers and help in time of need!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith February 6, 2021

I have watched the storm clouds gather on the horizon
I have listened to the distant thunder roll
I have felt a stronger current in the ocean
I have felt a stronger current in my soul

I have felt the earth tremble beneath my feet
I have heard the breakers crash upon the shore
I have seen a stronger wind begin to gather
I have heard the raindrops pounding on my door

Be my shelter, be my sanctuary
Spread your mighty loving wings and cover me
Be my Savior from the adversary
Be my ever present help in time of need

All the earth is groaning
Waiting for The Day
Find me to be faithful
Lead me in the Way

(Be My Shelter/Through The Flame 1990 Words and Music by Dallas Holm)

Although the lyrics to this song were penned over twenty years ago, the sense of an impending “storm” and need for shelter seems more urgent and real now than ever before. 2020 seemed to be a “perfect storm” of sorts that has left many if not all of us with a sense that things may never be quite the same.

Covid-19 has done great damage to the physical health of many, to the economic health of our nation and due to the political leveraging of this pandemic, on both sides of the aisle and even within the scientific community, it has affected the very integrity of this “One Nation Under God” constitutional republic.

Free and fair elections now take place in a fog of suspicion and beneath a cloud of cynicism. Violence, in ways that would have once been denounced, is now applauded by some as heroic. Censorship, once thought to be only relegated to communist regimes and third world countries, has now reared its ugly head from “sea to shining sea” and in our own backyard.

I could go on and list all the challenges and changes that have occurred in just recent months but I’m sure you’re fully aware and have yourselves been personally impacted by our present plight.

My greatest concern herein is the church, the body of Christ, every true believer and how we discern, prepare and respond.

I believe every true born again follower of Christ discerns that “The Times They are a Changin” as Dylan so poignantly penned decades ago. It is essential that we understand what we are dealing with amidst these present tensions and assaults.

I believe the Apostle Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, clearly instructed the church at Ephesus and clearly instructs us today as to what (or who) we’re up against. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12 NASB)

If this is true, and it most certainly is, then our discerning, preparation and response must be rooted in the spiritual.

I love what Chuck Colson said some years ago: “The kingdom of God will never arrive on Air Force One!” This does not suggest that we shouldn’t exercise our constitutional rights to seek, by vote and involvement in our political structure, to establish men and women in significant places of leadership who will uphold the very rights and freedoms that have been clearly put forth in our nation’s founding documents.

However, if we put our hope and trust in even the best ideas of men and most noble attainments of their offerings, we will still miss the mark if we don’t discern, prepare and respond in light of the spiritual realities that represent the true issues in all of this.

I have, in this letter, referred to discerning, preparing and responding. I really don’t think much needs to be said about discerning, because I believe every true Christian who is filled with the Spirit of God, grounded in the Word and walking close to Jesus, with eyes wide open, sees and senses the situation we find ourselves in.

In the future, perhaps the next Praiseletter, I’ll talk more about how we respond in the midst of this present environment. For now however, I would like to talk about preparation.

I know there are many “preppers”, Christian and otherwise, who are storing up food and water, gasoline and generators, guns and ammo and much more, preparing for the seemingly likely impending storm.

I think wise and reasonable preparation is always a good plan. My Norwegian grandmother used to say, “Live like you’re going to die tomorrow...plan like you’re going to live forever!”

Wise instruction from a woman who came to America as a teenage girl, not knowing the language or what lay ahead. Thankfully, she came to know Jesus and learned the joy of living for His plans and purposes.

I believe you sense, as I do, an increase in persecution towards Christians and the Church in our country. It’s not new, it’s just becoming more obvious and aggressive, as scripture predicted it would.

Billy Graham wrote in 1957: “The Bible says that all who ‘desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution’ (2 Timothy 3:12). Jesus said that as the time of His return draws nigh, ‘They will lay their hands on you and persecute you’ (Luke 21:12). We have no scriptural foundation for believing that we can forever escape being persecuted for Christ’s sake. The normal condition for Christians is that we should suffer persecution.”

Though we don’t know exactly what persecution might look like for us here in America, we are beginning to feel its effects and find ourselves wondering more about what lies ahead. I know this has caused concern, angst and yes, even fear in many.

If all we see happening presently and anticipate “down the road” is spiritual in essence, then shouldn’t our preparation be spiritual in essence?

I believe the answer is a resounding YES!

Paul identifies the rulers, powers and forces in his letter to the church in Ephesus. He then goes on to present a strategy or lay out a “game plan” as we might say.

‘Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” (Ephesians 6:13-17)

In that portion of scripture Paul urges us to “take up, resist, stand firm, gird, put on, shod and extinguish”. All these are purposed and disciplined actions of preparation.

We prepare for a sport, we prepare for a vacation, we prepare our taxes, we prepare a meal and on and on it goes. In so many areas of life we understand clearly the importance and necessity of preparation. We wouldn’t expect to excel or succeed at a sport for which we have not systematically and diligently prepared.

We would not be too excited to eat a meal thrown together at the last minute without thoughtful preparation. Failure to keep track, organize and prepare our taxes properly can have severe consequences.

Failure to prepare day by day, moment by moment and step by step for the coming persecution can and will have severe consequences as well.

I am here reminded of a wonderful (and I believe appropriate) quote I read and committed to memory some thirty years ago, which I believe now serves us well.

“We fancy we could be heroic on some great occasion. We could die for Christ, we think, if called upon to lay down our life for Him. It is questionable, however, if we could, unless we have cultivated the martyr spirit hour by hour, for if our strength and desire to please God have failed in the trifles of our life, how can we be sure of them in the great testing? It is far harder to live for Christ moment by moment than it is to die once for Him; and if we wait for great occasions in which to display our fidelity, we shall find that our life has slipped away, and with it the opportunities which each hour has brought of proving our love to our Lord by being faithful in that which is least.”
(J. Gregory Mantle – Beyond Humiliation)

Therein is the key! Step by step, moment by moment and day by day being faithful in the least, thus assuring the strength, desire and ability to stand for Him when it matters most.

I can almost hear the host of Heaven singing
I can almost feel the power around the throne
While I wait to make that final distant journey
And until I finally make that place my home

Prepare!

In Christ,

Dallas Holm

Each day is proving to be a challenge as life change wings its’ way through a weary body and mind, and the culture of the world joins it in sinking to new lows.  How I long for Jesus to return and call us to be with Him forever.  Transformation, new life, in the presence of the holiness of God, NO SIN!  But we have been given the kingdom of God in Christ Jesus NOW!  Let us remain faithful to the end of this adventure.  We have been given a trust of greatest value . . . the gospel that leads to salvation.  As sin ravages our world and bodies, let us stand firm in truth and faith, waiting expectantly for the upward eternal call of God!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith February 5, 2021

When I was a girl growing up, I don't remember being taught about the Holy Spirit.  And I was raised in a committed Christian home where my parents loved Jesus, obeyed Jesus, served Jesus, where God the Father was worshiped in reverence and fear, but I just don't remember being taught about the Holy Spirit.  When I went to church— and I went to church every Sunday— the Holy Spirit was referred to as the Holy Ghost, but He was only mentioned in benedictions, weddings, and baptisms.

You know, I didn't feel comfortable with a ghost…

And so I had neglected the Holy Spirit for a long time. It wasn't until I was a young adult studying the Scriptures for myself that I came to understand more fully who He is.

Maybe you, too, are confused about the Holy Spirit? Maybe you don't know about Him at all. Maybe things you've heard about Him are off-putting to you.

I have heard the Holy Spirit spoken of as an “it,” a feeling, a dove, a flame of fire, a ghost, an emotion, or even an ecstatic experience.

He is referred to as the third Person of the Trinity, as though He is the least of the Trinity, or a postscript to the more significant Father and Son. All of which is inaccurate.  

While the Holy Spirit may be symbolized by a dove or flame of fire, while His presence may be accompanied by an emotion or feeling or ecstatic experience, He Himself is distinctly separate from those things.

The Holy Spirit is not a thing but a Person.  

So at the outset of our exploration of who the Holy Spirit is, keep in mind that He is a living Person who has a mind, a will, and emotions. He is referred to as the third Person of the Trinity not because He is the least, but because He is the third Person to be more fully revealed in Scripture.  

One thing I know for certain: The Holy Spirit is not an optional extra in my Christian life. He is a divine necessity.  

I think it's worth our while to get to know Him as the Bible reveals who He is.

Do you want to know Him more?

My prayer for you is that God Himself will draw near to you and you will experience the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit in a fresh new way. And as a result, you will come to love Him even more. The Holy Spirit is wonderful. He is our Helper. He is our Comforter. He is our Counselor. He is our Strengthener. Our Standby. Our Advocate. Our Intercessor. He is another Jesus . . . Jesus living in us. 

I can’t wait for you to get to know Him better. 

Written for FaithGateway by Anne Graham Lotz, author of Jesus in Me.

For the believer and follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit is the constant guide and companion for fellowship with God.  He is the seal, the proof, promise of our adoption as children of God.  He speaks to us and for us to the Father, interceding on our behalf because we belong to Jesus.  As we grow in spiritual wisdom and mature in faith, may we yield more and more to the Holy Spirit within bringing glory and honor to our great and glorious God, three in One!

Pastor Dale