Notes of Faith June 5, 2021

I am in pain today.  Many of you are aware of my diabetic neuropathy causing me to not feel pain.  Stepping on sharp rocks, glass, nails, is not felt, but the effects are evident in the bleeding, infection and possible loss of digits and limbs.  Well, today I am feeling real pain in my left elbow of all places, without having done anything that I am aware of to aggravate it.  It must have spoken to my right ankle which is speaking back to it in painful anger.  I do like not feeling pain, but you do have to be aware of injuries even more than when you feel pain.  Today’s real pain seems to be a symptom of growing old, self-diagnosed arthritis in both of these joints that have chosen today to speak out.  And I thought it was sympathy pain for Robin’s surgically replaced knee…silly me.  I will indeed make it through the day, with some pain killing rub on both joints and possibly a pill or two swallowed to provide relief to the rest of the body that this will not affect them.  My mother’s life verse is the Word that will get me through this day and many more as life’s pain advances.  Hang in there!  God’s grace to you IS sufficient.  -  Pastor Dale

Sufficient Grace

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, My power is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 NIV

Here is the scene: You and I and a half-dozen other folks are flying across the country in a chartered plane. All of a sudden the engine bursts into flames, and the pilot rushes out of the cockpit.

“We’re going to crash!” he yells. “We’ve got to bail out!”

Good thing he knows where the parachutes are because we don’t. He passes them out, gives us a few pointers, and we stand in line as he throws open the door.

The first passenger steps up to the door and shouts over the wind, “Could I make a request?”

“Sure, what is it?” “Any way I could get a pink parachute?”

The pilot shakes his head in disbelief. “Isn’t it enough that I gave you a parachute at all?” And so the first passenger jumps.

The second steps to the door. “I’m wondering if there is any way you could ensure that I won’t get nauseated during the fall?”

“No, but I can ensure that you will have a parachute for the fall.”

Each of us comes with a request and receives a parachute.

“Please, Captain,” says one, “I am afraid of heights. Would you remove my fear?” “No,” he replies, “but I’ll give you a parachute.”

Another pleads for a different strategy, “Couldn’t you change the plans? Let’s crash with the plane. We might survive.”

The pilot smiles and says, “You don’t know what you are asking,” and gently shoves the fellow out the door. One passenger wants some goggles, another wants boots, another wants to wait until the plane is closer to the ground.

“You people don’t understand,” the pilot shouts as he “helps” us, one by one. “I’ve given you a parachute; that is enough.”

Only one item is necessary for the jump, and he provides it. He places the strategic tool in our hands. The gift is adequate. But are we content? No. We are restless, anxious, even demanding.

Too crazy to be possible? Maybe in a plane with pilots and parachutes, but on earth with people and grace? God hears thousands of appeals per second. Some are legitimate. We, too, ask God to remove the fear or change the plans. He usually answers with a gentle shove that leaves us airborne and suspended by His grace.

The Problem: When God Says No

There are times when the one thing you want is the one thing you never get. You’re not being picky or demanding; you’re only obeying His command to

ask God for everything you need. — Philippians 4:6

All you want is an open door or an extra day or an answered prayer, for which you will be thankful.

And so you pray and wait. No answer. You pray and wait.

No answer. You pray and wait.

May I ask a very important question? What if God says no? What if the request is delayed or even denied? When God says no to you, how will you respond? If God says, “I’ve given you My grace, and that is enough,” will you be content?

Content. That’s the word. A state of heart in which you would be at peace if God gave you nothing more than He already has. Test yourself with this question:

What if God’s only gift to you were His grace to save you. Would you be content?

You beg Him to save the life of your child. You plead with Him to keep your business afloat. You implore Him to remove the cancer from your body. What if His answer is, “My grace is enough.” Would you be content?

You see, from Heaven’s perspective, grace is enough. If God did nothing more than save us from hell, could anyone complain? If God saved our souls and then left us to spend our lives leprosy-struck on a deserted island, would He be unjust? Having been given eternal life, dare we grumble at an aching body? Having been given Heavenly riches, dare we bemoan earthly poverty?

Let me be quick to add, God has not left you with “just salvation.” If you have eyes to read these words, hands to hold this book, the means to own this volume, He has already given you grace upon grace. The vast majority of us have been saved and then blessed even more!

But there are those times when God, having given us His grace, hears our appeals and says, “My grace is sufficient for you.” Is He being unfair? In God Came Near I’ve told how our oldest daughter fell into a swimming pool when she was two years old. A friend saw her and pulled her to safety.

What I didn’t tell was what happened the next morning in my prayer time. I made a special effort to record my gratitude in my journal. I told God how wonderful He was for saving her. As clearly as if God himself were speaking, this question came to mind: 

Would I be less wonderful had I let her drown? Would I be any less a good God for calling her home? Would I still be receiving your praise this morning had I not saved her?

Is God still a good God when He says no?

Excerpted from In the Grip of Grace by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.

That’s quite a question, isn’t it? It’s a lot to chew on today. Is God still a good God when He says no? How has that question played out in your own life? How have you answered it?

This was my mother’s life verse, “My grace is sufficient for you, My power is made perfect in weakness.”  She suffered many physical issues during her years on earth but always trusted in the Lord’s provision for the need of the moment.  May we be so faithful and trusting in the grace of God!

Pastor Dale

“My grace is sufficient for you

Notes of Faith June 4, 2021

Food for Thought

As a child, I thought that was an odd saying... “food for thought.” When I thought of food I thought of my stomach, not my mind. I thought of being hungry, I thought of cheeseburgers. However, as I got older, I realized that my mind needed wholesome nourishment as well as and perhaps more than my body.

The fact is, the body, the mind and most importantly the spirit needs a good steady diet of healthy wholesome nourishment.

But what of this food for thought idea. Does it have a scriptural basis? Does the Bible use the imagery of food to equip the mind?

Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

Proverbs 25:11 says, “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances.”

Proverbs 16:24 says, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

There are numerous other scriptural references that support the “food for thought” idea.

I’ve always loved great quotes, first from scripture but then from other great men and women of God, down through history. Quotes from Spurgeon, Chambers, Tozer, Madame Guyon, Calvin and Elizabeth Elliot (to name a few) have often provided just the necessary morsel of “food for thought” to strengthen and sustain me on my journey.

For many years now as I have walked with the Lord and studied His word, I have also greatly benefited from an accompanying devotional such as My Utmost For His Highest (Chambers), Morning and Evening (Spurgeon) and Streams in the Desert (Cowman). As I have gone through these and other devotionals year after year, I have committed numerous quotes to memory. They have often served as spiritual energy bars while “I’m pressing on the upward way.”

This year as I am once again going through Streams in the Desert, I have asked the Lord to prompt within me a daily quote that I may share with a fellow traveler.

At year’s end I hope to have 365 quotes that will be shared as a daily devotional thought online and also compiled in a devotional book tentatively titled: Mile Markers Through the Desert.

The following is a brief sampling of some of these morsels, I pray will be food for thought.
 

Be untethered to the remembrance of past attainments. Once they were the unknown future, now they are the unimportant past. “Today is the day of salvation.” Live in the opportunity of today and the hope of tomorrow’s potential.
 

Hold your hand far away from you and you can see almost all that is behind your hand. Hold your hand close before your eyes and you will see only your hand. It’s all a matter of perspective. When enemies arise and seem as though they will overwhelm you, hold Jesus close before you and you’ll see only Him.
 

In life as in nature, both the showers and the sunshine are necessary for growth. Let God control the seasons.
 

Success in prayer, much like success in music or sports, requires practice, repetition and discipline; not so much to develop the manner of prayer but rather to develop the qualities of persistence and perseverance which bolster faith and precede prayer’s answers.
 

An evidence of His nearness we may hold in our hand will never compare to the value of the evidence we may hold in our heart, by the truth of His Word.
 

How small are our largest needs and pressing concerns, compared to the vast storehouse of God’s limitless, eternal provisions.
 

What of those who never seem to experience a break in the storm; whose entire lives seem to languish in tribulation? Greater adversity - greater grace! Greater pain - greater mercy! The more one’s life is darkened, the more one’s eternity is brightened. Perhaps those who suffer life’s trials most will enjoy Heaven’s glories best!
 

Every promise of God is true. Every promise He has made He will fulfill. The “when” of His fulfilling is HIs business. Some promises will be fulfilled in this life...some in the next. 
 

The front of a tapestry displays a uniform and intricate design. The back of a tapestry reveals tangled, frayed and knotted threads. The tangles, frays and knots of our lives give testimony to the fact that we are being carefully and lovingly woven into God’s beautiful and eternal design.
 

In life as well as ministry, the “final stretch” presents the greatest possibilities as well as the greatest perils. In any race, the start is important but the finish is what matters most.
 

One of the greatest assaults on our peace is emotional discontent. The surest way to guarantee enduring stability amidst life’s storms is to live by faith, not by feeling.
 

Those who suffer in silence in this life shall sing loudest in Heaven’s choir!
 

The perfect and whole Body of Christ is comprised of many crippled saints. He’s building a perfect kingdom with imperfect people. Hell’s loss will be Heaven’s gain. He enlists us by grace. He oversees us in mercy. He loves us unconditionally.
 

The most beautiful strains of music are born in the most difficult strains of life.
 

A bright overhead light on a stage can illuminate an actor in a cone of brilliance. However, one step to the side and the actor is lost in darkness. God has shone His light upon us. Stay in the light. Darkness is always just a step away.
 

A man with a still heart and mind possesses great power. A quieted soul is not easily disturbed.
 

He is in the sunny days. He is in the cloudy days. He is in the calm and He is in the midst of the tempest. When we learn to discern His presence in every circumstance, fear will flee and faith will flourish.
 

God does His best work in our worst times.
 

He has gone before. He pioneered the trail and has led many a weary, wounded pilgrim to safety. He knows every twist and turn, even through the valley of the shadow of death. Hold His hand, step in His steps; stay close. He WILL lead you through.
 

Virtues are taught by adversity. As wind smooths the mountains and waves dull sharp stones; so tribulation molds our lives.
 

“I am the Lord, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these.” (Isaiah 45:6-7) The sooner we accept the fact that God is in absolute control of everything, the sooner we shall find, “The peace that surpasses our comprehension."
 

Be encouraged... God is in absolute control of absolutely everything. He hears every prayer. His deliverance is sure and He will never leave you nor forsake you.

I pray these brief and simple thoughts and words have given you some Food For Thought.

In Christ,

Dallas Holm

This has encouraged me, even to use the very books Dallas mentioned.  I have copies of some of them and have read them but did not think to compile a list of the quotes that touched me most.  Good idea!  Spiritual food for thought can best be found in the Scriptures, of course, and we should daily feed on the truth to be nourished and healthy.  May God bless your day in Christ.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith June 3, 2021

I have no interest in throwing unnecessary shade at the church when it comes to how it has traditionally dealt with mental illness. One of the things I love most about the church is its fierce commitment to helping those in need.

Having worked for nearly a decade in the church as a teacher, lay pastor, and ordained minister, I can attest to the reality that most Christians I’ve met want to help those in need. Most Christians I know take seriously the command of Jesus to love others as we love ourselves (Mark 12:31).

Most Christians I know want to draw more people into the love of God as opposed to leaving them out in the cold.

And so I don’t think it’s some active animus toward those who suffer from mental illness that has kept the church from doing a good job of caring for them. Rather, I think it’s been driven mostly by a general confusion about how to actually help.  

We don’t know what to do, and that’s scary.  

If I’m right, this is good news because we know exactly how to make scary things less scary: we talk about them, openly and honestly. It is human nature to fear what we don’t understand. But with understanding usually comes empathy, followed rapidly by harmony.  

The church I served in for the better part of a decade hosted an event each summer that I looked forward to all year long called Theology Live. Each Monday night in June we’d gather in a local pub to listen to someone speak on a theological matter for about forty-five minutes before opening the discussion to Q&A from the audience. The idea was to move the conversations we were having in the church to a venue where folks who might never darken the door of a church could participate in them. Each Monday the bar would inevitably fill to capacity and teem with life. It was an electric atmosphere that sometimes made me wish we’d permanently trade our cathedrals and chapels for parks, restaurants, and pubs. But that’s a topic for another book entirely.

A few years ago we were planning this event when I suggested we take up the topic of mental health. Judging by the room’s reaction you’d have thought I suggested we study the virtues of sex trafficking. The other staffers looked at me as though I’d lost my mind.  

“Why would we do that?” someone asked.  

“Because it’s important,” I said. “It affects a lot of people, and the church needs to be talking about it.”  

“Won’t that be fairly depressing?” another person proffered.

“Theology Live is serious, I get it, but we want those in attendance to also have a good time. After all, we’re in a bar. Do we really want to be talking about suicide or whatever?”  

“I don’t think anyone wants to be talking about suicide,” I said, “but I think we need to be talking about suicide.”  

“Nobody will come,” someone else said. “It’s too uncomfortable.” “I think the opposite will happen,” I said. 

The debate carried on like this for several weeks. In the end, my idea carried the day, and we did four weeks on mental health. Guess what?  

The bar overflowed with people clamoring to hear from the mental health professionals we invited to discuss the topic.

After each talk the comment I heard over and over again from the folks in attendance — often with tears in their eyes — was, “Thank you. Thank you for talking about this.”  

Families who have been affected by mental illness are dying, in some cases quite literally, for the church to embrace this discussion.  

But Christians who haven’t been directly affected by mental illness are often suspicious of the subject altogether, as my colleagues initially were. For many believers the whole notion of suffering in mind or soul while also trusting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is incompatible, or at least very difficult to integrate into their Christian worldview.

How can one feel as though life isn’t worth living while also embracing the love, hope, and forgiveness offered to us by God in Christ Jesus? Shouldn’t we simply “count it all joy” as the book of James commands us (James 1:2 ESV) and get on with our suffering? Sure, life here on earth might be difficult and far from perfect, but that’s what Heaven is for.

While I take these sentiments to be misguided, I do sympathize with those who have them. For a long time I did as well.  

Nowhere in the Bible does God promise His followers an easy life. To the contrary, Jesus told His followers to expect trouble in this world (John 16:33). And find trouble they did.  

Each one of the disciples was executed for his faith, with the exception of John, who was exiled to the island of Patmos, and Judas, who died by suicide. These were the men who literally changed the fate of the world by their willingness to follow Jesus and kick-start the great movement that would eventually become known as Christianity. And they all died. Badly.

And the suffering didn’t stop there. Paul, who took up the mantle of the first disciples, boasted of his sufferings for the Lord (2 Corinthians 11:16–33). Consequently, throughout the ages, Christians have often embraced suffering as not only necessary to life but also a sign of living the life God intended for them to live. And, no doubt, this is sometimes the case, as Jesus said it would be when He declared that whoever wanted to become His disciple would need to “deny themselves and take up their cross” and follow Him (Mark 8:34).  

So, for more than two thousand years, countless Christians have interpreted their own trials and tribulations as forms of taking up their crosses to follow Jesus, enduring whatever life throws their way for the sake of a faith that will be rewarded — perhaps not immediately but certainly eternally.  

Peace, then, is not to be found in the circumstances of life but in God’s peace, which “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7 ESV).  

There is a great deal of wisdom and truth in the line of theological reasoning I’ve briefly sketched out above. Life is suffering — brutal, unfair, and often very, very cruel and confusing. 

Yes, Jesus told us to expect suffering in this world, sometimes of the unimaginable variety.

But that is not all Jesus said.  

In fact, in the very same verse where He promised that life will be hard, He also reminded us that He has already overcome this world, a truth He not only articulated with words but also manifested physically in His resurrection from the dead. In life there is suffering and death, but in God there is healing and life. In John’s gospel, Jesus said this life is the very reason He came to earth. And not just any kind of life but one lived “abundantly” (John 10:10 ESV).  

What does that entail?  

Well, probably a lot. God’s call on our lives is never singular. To live as God intends is to necessarily experience life in all of its diversity. As the book of Ecclesiastes teaches,  

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. — Ecclesiastes 3:1 

In other words, yes, the Christian life will necessarily call us to experience hardship and sacrifice, but it should also involve abundance.  

But please hear me out on this.  

Abundant living is not driving a Range Rover. Sure, Range Rovers are awesome. I don’t have anything against Range Rovers. My dad drove a Range Rover when I was in high school, and it was pretty sweet. These days I drive an eleven-year-old dinged-up Volvo. It’s not quite as sweet.

What is sweet, however, is driving that Volvo in abundant peace and with abundant joy.  

For me, abundant living is not about living any version of the high life or succeeding at the American dream — whatever that even means. #millennialprobs  

For me, abundant living is not being plagued by panic attacks. For me, abundant living is not coping with my stress by abusing alcohol.  

For me, abundant living is wanting to wake up with the sun instead of hiding out in my bed. 
For me, abundant living is doing the things that bring me joy and actually feeling that joy.  

For me, abundant living is loving and being loved by God.  

That’s abundant living, and that’s what I believe all of us deserve because Jesus Christ said we do. That includes every person, especially those of us who struggle with our mental health. Abundant living means we also deserve the chance to walk through life not mired forever in the deeper ditches of depression. 

Excerpted from Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don’t Want to Talk About by Ryan Casey Waller, copyright Ryan Casey Waller. 

The Christian life boils down to this… Suffering, tribulation, persecution, yes. Abundance, absolutely yes. We are loved by God! He has an abundant life planned for us even when it includes difficulties and hardships. Depression doesn’t have to be the end game for us.  But it needs to be addressed and talked about to bring about any help.  The church needs to not only be aware of difficulties in life but to meet the needs God has placed around us.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith June 2, 2021

Draw near to Me with a thankful heart, aware that your cup is overflowing with blessings. Gratitude enables you to perceive Me more clearly and to rejoice in our Love-relationship. Nothing can separate you from My loving Presence! That is the basis of your security. Whenever you start to feel anxious, remind yourself that your security rests in Me alone, and I am totally trustworthy.  

You will never be in control of your life circumstances, but you can relax and trust in My control. Instead of striving for a predictable, safe lifestyle, seek to know Me in greater depth and breadth. I long to make your life a glorious adventure, but you must stop clinging to old ways. I am always doing something new within My beloved ones. Be on the lookout for all that I have prepared for you.  

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. — Romans 8:38–39 

When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? — Psalm 56:3–4 

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” — Isaiah 43:19 

Trust Me by relinquishing control into My hands. Let go, and recognize that I am God. This is My world: I made it and I control it. Yours is a responsive part in the litany of Love. I search among My children for receptivity to Me. Guard well this gift that I have planted in your heart. Nurture it with the Light of My Presence.  

When you bring Me prayer requests, lay out your concerns before Me. Speak to Me candidly; pour out your heart. Then thank Me for the answers that I have set into motion long before you can discern results. When your requests come to mind again, continue to thank Me for the answers that are on the way. If you keep on stating your concerns to Me, you will live in a state of tension. When you thank Me for how I am answering your prayers, your mind-set becomes much more positive. Thankful prayers keep your focus on My Presence and My promises.  

Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth! — Psalm 46:10 AMP 

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. — Colossians 4:2 

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. — 2 Peter 1:3–4 

Excerpted from Jesus Calling: Note-Taking Edition by Sarah Young, copyright Sarah Young. 

Pray with thanksgiving and then release control to God. He’s got you covered! He is fully in control of every single thing you are worried about. He sits on the throne. God is good and His promises are true. Rejoice and rest in Him!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith June 1, 2021

“Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” It’s reported that Saint Francis of Assisi said those words when asked by others how a person should express his faith. And while most who know me wouldn’t expect me to pull out a supposedly eight-hundred-year-old quote from a Catholic friar, when I heard the words, I thought immediately of Dad.

He is the living example of those words.  

Clearly my father always had faith in himself, but the faith he would tell you was more important to his success was his faith in God. It wasn’t a discussion he had with reporters; it has always been his — and our family’s — take on faith to keep this portion of our lives rather private. Within our house, believing in our Creator was a central part of our life and success, and I’m sure no one who has spent time with Dad would question his faith. The lesson that both my parents taught us as their children mirrors exactly the way I’ve shared the discussion regarding faith with my children.  

As I was writing this, the importance of faith and how it was taught led to a great discussion with both of my parents.

“Believing in Christ was just a way of life,” Mom said.  

Then Dad summed it up. “I thought it was important to teach you about God the same way I taught you golf,” he said rather matter-of-factly. “Go through and make sure you understand the importance and the fundamentals, then let each of you come to decisions based on what you saw, not what you might think was being forced. If the decision becomes truly yours, the impact will be far greater. My father and mother taught faith to me, basically, the same way.”  

Mom and Dad passed that faith on to us, one of the greatest gifts they ever gave us. And as a Christ-follower today, I know the way Mom and Dad set the example worked for me.  

As often as she could, Mom made sure she and the five kids attended our Methodist church and Sunday school and learned about God and Jesus. She said she made it a point for us to sit in the front row so none of us would be tempted to nod off or misbehave.  

We didn’t attend church every Sunday because as a family we traveled to Dad’s golf tournaments many weekends. Dad got to go to church far less frequently than we did. He worked on Sunday. (At least he hoped every week to be working on Sunday!) But Dad made the point that a church attendance roster was no way to define our relationship with God. Of the five children I probably traveled more with Dad than the others. I first caddied for Dad when I was fourteen years old and was on his golf bag many weekends as a teenager and beyond, missing many Sundays at home.  

PGA Tour players compete in twenty to thirty tournaments annually — Dad played in 586 PGA Tour events during his forty-three-year career. He traveled nationally and internationally, making pew appearances nearly impossible.

On the tour, several players have, for many years, made it a point to gather for a group Bible study on Sunday mornings.

Dad didn’t attend those gatherings, choosing to make his private time of worship his own. He read and prayed. But he did it alone.  

Dad thought of the golf course as his place to witness. When he was out there, the crowds were watching. In his mind it wouldn’t have mattered what he did on Sunday mornings if on Sunday afternoons he cursed and acted in ways that would have dishonored his Lord. Similarly, it wouldn’t matter how many times you pointed toward Heaven after a great putt if you disrespected your wife and family through your actions or words. Many people can put on a good show in public. But your core, who you truly are, is defined by what happens when nobody is watching.

I have tried to instill my parents’ commitment to faith in my kids through many of the same ways. I believed the way they watched a Christian life lived would help set an example, and I am proud of the direction each of them has chosen.  

One of the most important teachings in the Bible is the admonition that each of us must love our neighbor. I know there’s a chapter ahead in this book on my parents’ work for charitable organizations, but as I think about how my father and mother lived their faith, I think about many of the little ways they showed love to neighbors.  

Dad would often encourage us, as children, to find little ways to help people. The greatest lesson in what he was teaching, though, was the importance of showing empathy for others, of not being judgmental of circumstances we might not understand.  

You never know what other people are going through in their lives. Even a small interaction when passing someone on a sidewalk can entirely change a person’s day. Being respectful, appreciative, kind, caring, and listening to and learning from your friends, family, and strangers is very important. As big as our world is, it truly is small.

And in those moments, you may be opening a heart.  

Excerpted from Best Seat in the House by Jack Nicklaus II and Don Yaeger, copyright Jack Nicklaus II and Don Yaeger  

The affect we have on people around us is important. Our witness is greater than we think it is and we’re observed more than we are aware. Let’s preach the gospel of Jesus in our daily lives!

I do like golf, though I don’t play it very well.  The beauty of the golf courses I have played makes me give thanks to God for His creation.  I still like watching great players make seemingly impossible shots from the trees or sand, where most of my shots end up.  Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Tom Kite, Bubba Watson, and my favorite “the Bear”, Jack Nicholas, were always making those shots.  It is good to know that even those that work on Sunday give glory and worship to God and pass it on to their children.  May we do so also… every day!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 31, 2021

“Dad! Come here!” I heard my son Malachi’s voice, and he sounded excited. I’m glad somebody’s excited, I thought. I was not at all overjoyed to be at the Tampa Zoo in 105-degree weather with humidity, and was once again proving my love for my family while the sun beat down on our skin and threatened to fry us like eggs.

Jennifer and the boys were zigzagging from exhibit to exhibit, apparently oblivious to the heat, but in that moment the air-conditioning in my car was pushing hard for my attention.

“Dad, come on, quick!” my son’s voice called again, and this time he piqued my curiosity when he added, “There’s a bald eagle!”

Actually, as I trudged over to where he was standing, I saw two bald eagles, both relaxing in the sun. One was sitting high on a tree branch while the other had settled on a stump. There was no net covering the habitat, so I wondered what was keeping those two wild birds from taking off. Then I read the small sign next to the exhibit:

“The birds in this exhibit have sustained permanent injuries in the wild and cannot fly.”

Of course, I thought. You guys don’t want to be here either.

Ten feet from those beautiful birds, I just stared. These were fierce and feared kings of the sky—symbols of strength even back in ancient times, and icons today for everything I love about my country.

Did you know that a bald eagle can spread its seven-foot wingspan and soar up to ten thousand feet in the sky? The next time you’re in an airplane, keep your window shade up during takeoff. Then, when the crew says, “We’ve reached ten thousand feet; you may now use your electronic devices,” take a look outside. You’ll see what an eagle sees.

They soar through the sky at forty miles per hour, and they can spot their prey from over two miles away. And once it sees dinner, an eagle can nosedive for the kill at speeds up to one hundred miles per hour.

Eagles are at the top of the food chain for a reason!

In case you’re wondering, I didn’t know all of these eagle-related facts while l was standing there at ZooTampa — I looked them up later. But I did know that eagles were created to soar, not stand on a stump. And I couldn’t help but wonder how they felt. Do they miss the feeling of their beaks piercing the wind? Do they ever forget they’ve been injured and try to fly? Have they lost the desire to fly altogether? Do they stare at the sky all day and wonder, What if?

As I stood next to my son and watched those magnificent birds who had once ruled the skies, I couldn’t help thinking about the millions of people in this world who spend their lives waiting for a miracle — waiting for life to turn in the direction they always hoped it would go. Restaurants, schools, homes, and churches are filled with women and men who feel grounded by their pasts and live in a constant state of disappointment. These are people who genuinely want to end up somewhere different from where they are currently, yet they feel stuck. They’re in a holding pattern.

Please hear me on this: you are capable of pursuing your dreams. As human beings, we’ve been uniquely fashioned and lovingly crafted in the image of our God, the Creator of the universe. Each one of us is designed for greatness. Each one of us has been created to soar!

That raises the question: Why don’t we? Why do so many people settle for life on a stump? I think it’s because they believe they’re like those eagles, lacking the strength or the ability to soar. Maybe they used to believe they could fly, but no longer. Something happened that pulled them down to the ground, and now they don’t have the faith or confidence to fly again.

This is something we all have to deal with at different times in our lives. We encounter obstacles and lies that — if we allow them to — convince us that we’re unable to soar.

These obstacles are like weights that tether us to the ground and cause us to surrender our dreams.

Want proof? Just look through the Bible and try to identify one of the people we often call “heroes” of the faith who hasn’t had to overcome obstacles on their journey to fulfill God’s calling. Peter surely felt like a pretty big failure when he denied Christ. John Mark’s missionary journey got so hard that he essentially quit on Paul and Barnabas midway through. Elijah literally ran away when King Ahab and Jezebel got mad at him (and that was after God had already done a bunch of amazing miracles through him, by the way). And the most important person of all, Jesus, was criticized, ignored, made fun of, attacked, arrested, beaten, and eventually murdered on the way to completing God’s purpose for His life and saving all humankind.

You were created to soar like an eagle. Don’t relegate yourself to life on a stump.

Written for Devotionals Daily by Joshua Gagnon, author of It’s Not Over.

God has called us to be a living sacrifice, loving and serving others while we love and serve God.  May we be willing to give all we have and are to bring those around us to the only place of salvation.  The Lord Jesus Christ gave everything that we might inherit everything in Him.  May we give of ourselves in this life obediently and lovingly, for the reward of this kind of love is beyond imagination.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 30, 2021

If we really believe the good news is to  

heal the heartbroken, announce freedom to all captives, [and] pardon all prisoners — Isaiah 61:1 The Message, 

those of us in the church had better start talking about what people are really going through and find ways to meet them there. We need to show them the acceptance God shows to us. We must normalize the battles of depression so those who suffer from it will be willing to turn to us for help, comfort, and community.  

Satan has done a masterful job of shaming us for how we feel and what we do. But when we don’t deal with things in our lives, we fall into a continuous cycle of defeat. To make matters worse, we live in a culture that stigmatizes certain types of brokenness more than others. Sadly, this is true even in the church. Whether we realize it or not, Christians often encourage people to keep hiding because of our subtle, and not so subtle, attitudes and actions toward them.

Too often, we heap shame on those who are struggling rather than help them come out of their caves and into the light.  

The truth is, our whole world is a fallen, broken mess — not without hope, but messy all the same.  

We are all broken in different ways. No particular shape of brokenness is worse or better than any other.  

When I see the remains of houses still standing after a tornado, I don’t compare the broken windows of one house to another and think, Now that one is broken more severely than this other one. No! Shattered windows, like shattered lives, are all simply in need of repair.  

Part of offering real help to those we care about who are suffering from depression requires looking at the “logs” in our own life rather than judging the “specks” we see in the lives of others (Matthew 7:5). We’ve got to stop stigmatizing brokenness and demonizing fallenness. God helps each of us with whatever shape our fallenness takes.  

One of the simplest ways we can begin to extend compassion and acceptance to those struggling with depression is to choose our words with care. However well-meaning we might be, some words do more harm than good, and we need to stop saying them. As a starting point, here’s a list of ten things not to say.  

What Won’t Help Someone Struggling with Depression  

• Trying harder: “Come on, now, you can snap out of this! Just try a little harder and I’m sure you’ll feel better in no time.”

• Disbelieving: “You suffer depression? But you’re always smiling and seem so positive and upbeat! How can you be depressed?”

• Over-spiritualizing: “What does your quiet time look like right now? Maybe you aren’t spending enough time reading the Bible. Maybe you should wake up earlier and pray more.”

• Deflecting: “But you have so much to be thankful for! Just look at all the blessings in your life.”

• Minimizing: “Well, I’m sure you feel bad, but honestly, it could be so much worse. Did I ever tell you about the time...?”

• Criticizing: “If you weren’t so hard on yourself, I bet you would feel a lot better. Just try to relax, okay? Don’t be such a perfectionist all the time.”

• Comparing: “I know it’s hard for you right now, but have you thought about what it must be like for people suffering bigger losses? Maybe you just need to consider helping others instead of focusing on yourself so much.”

• Dismissing: “This too shall pass. You’ll get over it — I know you will! Just give it a little time.”

• Redirecting: “Wow, I wish I had your problems. That’s nothing compared to what I’ve been going through. Have I ever told you about...?”

• Reducing: “You just need to get out of your head and quit thinking about stuff so much. Lighten up!”

No one wants to hear these responses when they’re depressed and anxious. When you say something to someone you care about that implicitly or explicitly conveys, “You don’t have to be that way,” they will resent you. If you’ve ever had others say something similar when you’re struggling, you know how insensitive such words can be.

The speakers might mean well, but their words only leave us feeling more isolated, more alone, more detached.  

When we’re not okay, we need others who are willing to come alongside us. We need people who will use their words to shine God’s love into the darkness of our cave.  

So what should you say to someone experiencing depression? How can you help them see a glimmer of God’s light while they’re still deep in the darkness of their cave? Basically, the rule is to say the same things you want to hear when you are struggling! Here are ten suggestions for how you can use your words to bring light to someone in the darkness of depression.  

What Will Help Someone Struggling with Depression  

• Committing: “I’m here to sit with you wherever you are right now. I’ll listen and be with you no matter what you’re facing.”

• Connecting: “No matter how alone you feel, I care about you. I want you to know you’re not alone.”

• Accepting: “I care about you and what’s going on in your life. Don’t hold back. I’m here for you no matter what.”

• Encouraging: “God loves you right where you are, and I know He loves you too much to let you stay there. Trust Him. He is working in you, even if you don’t see it.”

• Listening: “If you can, please tell me what it feels like. I want to listen and understand more of what this is like for you.”

• Being trustworthy: “I’d like to know what’s going on, and I promise to keep it confidential. You can trust me if you need someone to confide in. I’m not here to judge you but to show you I care about you.”

• Supporting: “We’re going to get through this, together.”

• Helping: “Can I do something practical for you that might be helpful to you right now — clean your house or cook some meals?”

• Giving hope: “This is not a dead end. I know God has more for you than this. Let’s talk through some options of what might be a helpful next step for you.”

• Offering a new perspective: “Let’s see how we can look at this battle from another angle.”

The Bible tells us, 

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. — Proverbs 16:24 ESV 

This is never more evident than when we speak words of life to those in need of deep encouragement.  

The Ultimate Win-Win  

Let me share one final thought that often encourages me when I’m not doing okay. After Jesus conquered death and rose again, He appeared to people on earth for forty days before His final ascension into heaven. Now, if I were Jesus, I would have wanted to take my “I told you so!” tour and revisit certain Jewish religious leaders (“Ha! Guess what? I won!”) and Roman soldiers (“I’m ba-ack! You can’t kill me!”).  

So good thing I wasn’t given that opportunity, right? Instead of what you or I might do after rising from the dead, Jesus appeared specifically to three individuals. The first was Mary Magdalene, whom Jesus met just outside the tomb following His resurrection (John 20:11–18). Not only was she a woman, but a fallen woman, many scholars believe.

His visit with her broke tradition — and gender barriers — by showing how highly Jesus valued everyone, even those society deemed unimportant or immoral. Their encounter is a reminder that no matter who we are or where we find ourselves in life, God still values us and shows us compassion.  

Next, Jesus made it a point to appear to His disciples, and particularly to Thomas, while all of them had locked themselves into an upper room for fear that they, too, might be arrested and suffer as Jesus did. Thomas had previously voiced his doubts about his Master’s resurrection, but Jesus was willing to do whatever it took for Thomas to realize that He was indeed alive — even if it meant allowing Thomas to put his fingers in the nail wounds on His hands and side (John 20:24–29). The encounter with Thomas reminds us that our doubts and demands don’t bother Jesus at all. He reveals Himself to us even when we’ve gone into hiding.  

Finally, Jesus connects with His disciple Peter, the only one of the Twelve to flat-out deny knowing Him the night and early morning before He was crucified. Jesus had even foretold that Peter would deny knowing Him three times, which Peter adamantly denied he would do. But a few hours later, there he was, lying about knowing Jesus before the cock had crowed three times (Luke 22:54–62). And yet, Peter’s betrayal didn’t prevent Jesus from choosing Peter to be a foundational leader of His church. In a beautiful encounter on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, the Lord forgave Peter and restored him (John 21:15–19). Jesus saw beyond the emotional denials in the midst of the worst night of Peter’s life. Jesus’ message to Peter is the same message He speaks to us:  

Your past is your past and I still love you. I see who you are — who you really are, as My Father created you — and want you to thrive. I want to use you and have you represent Me to everyone you encounter.  

Jesus meets you right where you are. He has defeated death and He is more powerful than anything that could ever come against you. His victory is your victory. He invites you to share in His triumph, the ultimate win-win.  

It’s okay to not be okay. 

But don’t settle for a lifetime of “not okay.”  

God is calling you out of your cave.  

Depression is an important issue for the church to address… rightly. Not with judgement or hiding, but with compassion, help, coming alongside, and kindness. It’s okay to not be okay! If you’re not okay today, know that God sees you and loves you so much! But, He has more for you, a future and a hope! He is calling to you to respond.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 29, 2021

Romans 5:1-3

Since we have been made right with God by our faith, we have peace with God. This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has brought us into that blessing of God’s grace that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory. — Romans 5:1–2

Batters hustling to the plate to take their swings? Questionable calls going uncontested? Umpires being thanked after the game? Fans returning foul balls?

This is Major League Baseball?

It was. For a few weeks during the spring of ’95, professional baseball was a different game. The million-dollar arms were at home. The Cadillac bats were in the rack. The contracted players were negotiating for more money. The owners, determined to start the season, threw open the gates to almost anybody who knew how to scoop a grounder or run out a bunt.

These weren’t minor-leaguers. The minor leagues were also on strike. These were fellows who went from coaching Little League one week to wearing a Red Sox uniform the next.

The games weren’t fancy, mind you. Line drives rarely reached the outfield. One manager said his pitchers threw the ball so slowly the radar gun couldn’t clock them. A fan could shell a dozen peanuts in the time it took to relay a throw from the outfield.

The players huffed and puffed more than the “Little Engine That Could.”

But, my, did the players have fun! The diamond was studded with guys who played the game for the love of the game. When the coach said run, they ran. When he needed a volunteer to shag flies, a dozen hands went up. They arrived before the park was open, greasing their gloves and cleaning their cleats. When it was time to go home, they stayed until the grounds crew ran them off. They thanked the attendants for washing their uniforms. They thanked the caterers for the food. They thanked the fans for paying the dollar to watch. The line of players willing to sign autographs was longer than the line of fans wanting them.

These guys didn’t see themselves as a blessing to baseball but baseball as a blessing to them. They didn’t expect luxury; they were surprised by it. They didn’t demand more playtime; they were thrilled to play at all.

It was baseball again!

In Cincinnati the general manager stepped out on the field and applauded the fans for coming out. The Phillies gave away free hot dogs and sodas. In the trade of the year, the Cleveland Indians gave five players to the Cincinnati Reds — for free!

It wasn’t classy. You missed the three-run homers and frozen-rope pick-offs. But that was forgiven for the pure joy of seeing some guys play who really enjoyed the game.

What made them so special? Simple. They were living a life they didn’t deserve. These guys didn’t make it to the big leagues on skill; they made it on luck. They weren’t picked because they were good; they were picked because they were willing.

And they knew it! Not one time did you read an article about the replacement players arguing over poor pay. I did read a story about a fellow who offered a hundred grand if some owner would sign him. There was no jockeying for position.

No second-guessing the management. No strikes. No lockouts or walkouts. Heavens, these guys didn’t even complain that their names weren’t stitched on the jerseys. They were just happy to be on the team.

Shouldn’t we be, as well? Aren’t we a lot like these players?

If the first four chapters of Romans tell us anything, they tell us we are living a life we don’t deserve.

We aren’t good enough to get picked, but look at us, suited up and ready to play! We aren’t skillful enough to make the community softball league, but our names are on the greatest roster of history!

Do we deserve to be here? No. But would we trade the privilege? Not for the world. For if Paul’s proclamation is true, God’s grace has placed us on a dream team beyond imagination. Our past is pardoned, and our future secure. And lest we forget this unspeakable gift, Paul itemizes the blessings that God’s grace brings into our world (see Romans 5:1–12).

Blessing #1: We Have Peace with God

Since we have been made right with God by our faith, we have peace with God. — Romans 5:1

Peace with God. What a happy consequence of faith! Not just peace between countries, peace between neighbors, or peace at home; salvation brings peace with God.

Once a monk and his apprentice traveled from the abbey to a nearby village. The two parted at the city gates, agreeing to meet the next morning after completing their tasks.

According to plan, they met and began the long walk back to the abbey. The monk noticed that the younger man was unusually quiet. He asked him if anything was wrong. “What business is it of yours?” came the terse response.

Now the monk was sure his brother was troubled, but he said nothing. The distance between the two began to increase. The apprentice walked slowly, as if to separate himself from his teacher. When the abbey came in sight, the monk stopped at the gate and waited on the student. “Tell me, my son. What troubles your soul?”

The boy started to react again, but when he saw the warmth in his master’s eyes, his heart began to melt. “I have sinned greatly,” he sobbed. “Last night I slept with a woman and abandoned my vows. I am not worthy to enter the abbey at your side.”

The teacher put his arm around the student and said, “We will enter the abbey together. And we will enter the cathedral together. And together we will confess your sin. No one but God will know which of the two of us fell.”1

Doesn’t that describe what God has done for us? When we kept our sin silent, we withdrew from Him. We saw Him as an enemy. We took steps to avoid His presence. But our confession of faults alters our perception. God is no longer a foe but a friend. We are at peace with Him. He did more than the monk did, much more. More than share in our sin,

[Jesus was] crushed for the evil we did. The punishment, which made us well, was given to Him. 
— Isaiah 53:5

He accepted the shame. — Hebrews 12:2

He leads us into the presence of God.

Blessing #2: We Have a Place with God

Being ushered into God’s presence is the second blessing Paul describes:

This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has brought us into that blessing of God’s grace that we now enjoy. — Romans 5:2

Look at the phrase, “who has brought us into.” The Greek word means “to usher into the presence of royalty.” Twice in Ephesians Paul reminds us of our right to enter God’s presence:

It is through Christ that all of us are able to come into the presence of the Father. — Ephesians 2:18 TEV

  Now we can come fearlessly right into God’s presence… — Ephesians 3:12 TLB

Christ meets us outside the throne room, takes us by the hand, and walks us into the presence of God. Upon entrance we find grace, not condemnation; mercy, not punishment. Where we would never be granted an audience with the King, we are now welcomed into His presence.

If you are a parent you understand this. If a child you don’t know appears on your doorstep and asks to spend the night, what would you do? Likely you would ask him his name, where he lives, find out why he is roaming the streets, and contact his parents. On the other hand, if a youngster enters your house escorted by your child, that child is welcome. The same is true with God. By becoming friends with the Son, we gain access to the Father.

Jesus promised,

All those who stand before others and say they believe in Me, I will say before my Father in Heaven that they belong to Me. — Matthew 10:32

Because we are friends of his Son, we have entrance to the throne room. He ushers us into that “blessing of God’s grace that we now enjoy” (Romans 5:2).

This gift is not an occasional visit before God but rather a permanent “access by faith into this grace by which we now stand” (Romans 5:2 NIV). Here is where my analogy with the replacement baseball players ceases. They knew their status was temporary. Their privilege lasted only as long as the strike continued. Not so with us. Our privilege lasts as long as God is faithful, and His faithfulness has never been questioned.

If we are not faithful, He will still be faithful, because He cannot be false to Himself. — 2 Timothy 2:13

Isaiah described God’s faithfulness as the “belt around his waist” (Isaiah 11:5). David announces that the Lord’s faithfulness “reaches to the heavens” (Psalm 36:5).

I suppose the baseball analogy would work if the team owner conferred upon us the status of lifetime team members. Upon doing so our position on the squad would not depend upon our performance but upon his power. Has an owner ever given such a gift? I don’t know, but God has and God does.

Before moving on, note the sequence of these blessings. The first blessing deals with our past; we have peace with God because our past is pardoned. The second blessing deals with the present. We have a place with God because Jesus has presented us to his Father. Any guess what the next blessing will cover?

Blessing #3: We Share in His Glory

You got it: our future.

And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory. — Romans 5:2

Because of God’s grace, we go from being people whose “throats are like open graves” (Psalm 5:9) to being participants of God’s glory. We were washed up and put out; now we are called up and put in.

Excerpted from In the Grip of Grace by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.

Are you happy? Even with everything going on in the world, we have every right to be absurdly happy! God handed us major league grace and, even though we don’t deserve eternal life with Him, we are in it with Him forever! 

In the fallen human heart and mind God’s amazing grace is unimaginable and illogical.  God’s love makes it possible for the only thing made in His image to fall from grace and be restored by His grace through faith in the only sacrifice that could pay our debt of sin.  Praise God for giving His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ!  Believe and truly live!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 28,

Thank you for praying for my wife Robin.  She is home and recovering from knee replacement surgery.  The next few days are the hardest.  If all goes well, she will be up and running in no time.  Again thank you for praying.  -  Pastor Dale

Article by Greg Morse
Staff writer, desiringGod.org

It remained too horrible to imagine.

The blood of animals and of men, mingled together upon the altar. In God’s house, against God’s people — Pilate had sent his soldiers to slaughter the unsuspecting Jews like sheep, or pigeons. These Romans did not meet their victims upon the battlefield like men, but played the coward and murdered them while they prayed and offered sacrifice unarmed in the temple. The barbarity mixed with the sacrilege of this act was altogether unforgivable and unforgettable.

Why had God allowed it? some wondered. Were these Jews especially evil? And what would this great Teacher think?

Quake in Jerusalem

Jesus’s answer unnerves modern sensibilities as much as those of his original hearers.

Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. (Luke 13:2–3)

Jesus looked away from the egregious evil of the Romans and directed his hearers’ eyes toward their own sin. No doubt his response disturbed some. No doubt it seemed insensitive to others. Without question it baffled many more. But he whose name is the Way, the Truth, and the Life did not stop there.

Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. (Luke 13:4–5)

“It is not ultimately because of coronavirus or cancer or tower accidents that we die — the wages of sin is death.”

The terrible calamity stood as a sobering sermon illustration with one point: You must repent, or you too will perish. They had their own towers and swords to worry about. Sin, not suffering, was the most urgent problem facing the immortal souls before him. Through his words, he looks each of us in the eye and clarifies that the world’s greatest problem — the problem he came into the world to remedy — is our sin and our guilt before (and against) a holy God, and the terrible and righteous judgment it provokes.

God for the Guilty

When we say we are “saved,” we must be clear on what we need to be saved from. “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God” (Romans 5:9). Are we content, as Richard Niebuhr so memorably put it, with the theology that “a God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross”?

Have we grown so accustomed to the horror of sin? It is not ultimately because of coronavirus or cancer or falling towers that we die — the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). On account of sin, the heavens are shocked and appalled (Jeremiah 2:12–13). On account of sin, the wrath of God is coming (Colossians 3:5–6). On account of sin, eternal vengeance approaches with consequences that make falling towers and murderous soldiers mere parables.

This, and primarily this, is the bloody and black backdrop for the words that pierce the darkness: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). From the beginning of his ministry, he is heralded as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

Here is the one who would fulfill Isaiah’s glorious prophecy:

He was pierced for our transgressions;

     he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

     and with his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

Nails pierced him because of his people’s transgressions. Almighty wrath crushed him for their iniquities. He was chastised, that sinners might have peace. With his manifold wounds, his bride is healed.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. (1 Timothy 1:15)

Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God. (1 Peter 3:18)

This is the glorious mission of Christ: to save sinners from the wrath of God, provide forgiveness and righteousness for them, and bring them as a holy people to God, forever.

Come, Sinners

Do you know yourself to be a sinner? Is your soul sick? Are you stained with guilt? Are you miserable in yourself and know yourself to be hopeless without God?

Jesus came for you. He came not for those who are well, but for those who are sick (Mark 2:17). He came to take away guilt, wash the filthy, and replace your tattered clothes with white robes that shine so as to put the stars to shame.

Are you willing? He has removed all obstacles; the door is open. Bring your shame to him, confess your sins to him, look to Christ upon the cross, and trust in his work for sinners. It is not humble, safe, or wise to wait another moment. He does not merely invite you to come as you are — he summons you near:

Seek the Lord while he may be found;

     call upon him while he is near;

let the wicked forsake his way,

     and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,

     and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:6–7)

The King demands you to come be forgiven, transformed, and prepared for an eternity with him and his people. He has made a way to come at the highest price. He has canceled the record of debt that stood against his people, with its legal demands, “nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). Why linger anymore in your sins?

“Come be clothed. Come be filled. Come be satisfied. Come be made whole. Come be forgiven.”

And for those who have believed but have backslidden, hear the summons to return to him as well: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Come be clothed. Come be filled. Come be satisfied. Come be made whole. Come be forgiven. Come delight in an eternity with God. Whether for the first time or the hundredth, see Jesus standing, ready to forgive you:

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,

Weak and wounded, sick and sore;

Jesus ready stands to save you,

Full of pity, love, and power.

If you have not come to Jesus in believing faith…what are you waiting for? 

Acts 4:12
there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."

If you are a follower of Jesus, be more obedient, faithful, in love with the One who gave His life that you might have eternal life in Him and abundant life here on earth.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 26, 2021

From Compass International – Bill Perkins

God Comes From Edom?

Buried in the short book of Habakkuk is a most interesting prophecy.

 God comes from Teman,

And the Holy One from Mount Paran. His splendor covers the heavens, and the earth is full of His praise. Hab.3:3

This prophecy continues with references to the Messiah’s (2nd) Coming just after all the earth’s mountains collapse—a clear reference to the Day of the Lord, the 70th Week of Daniel, the Time of Jacob's Trouble, the 7 years of Tribulation.

What’s fascinating is the reference to God coming from “Teman.” Teman was the capital of Edom, which is today in the southwest part of Jordan. "Seir" refers to a mountainous area in southwest Edom. What’s that about? Why is God coming from Edom?

The next line in the verse has the “Holy One” from Mount Paran, a reference to the place where God moved to from Mt. Sinai and the Israelites could see His glory from a distance.

He said, “The LORD came from Sinai and dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran,… Deut. 33:2

So Habakkuk recorded a God-inspired vision of the last days regarding the Lord arriving after the Tribulation to defeat Satan and set up His kingdom for 1000 years of peace—what we call the Millennial Reign of Christ.

But why is the Lord coming from Edom and the mountains of Seir? What’s that all about?

Isaiah sheds a little light on this:

Who is this who comes from Edom, with garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, this One who is majestic in His apparel, marching in the greatness of His strength?… Is. 63:1a

Isaiah, like Habakkuk, says at the end of the Tribulation God comes from Edom—but more specifically from “Bozrah.”

The last clue we’re given is the meaning of the word “Teman” in Habakkuk 3:3: It means “South, as being on the right hand of a person facing east.”

So if you face Edom from Israel looking east, on the right side or south of Edom is Bozrah and the mountains of Seir. And guess what is located in the middle of those mountains—the empty city today known as Petra, Jordan.

Petra, of course, means “rock” and is located in the rugged mountains southeast of the Dead Sea and near Israel’s eastern border.

Petra was the capital city of the Nabateans. This nation seems to have come out of thin air, living for a couple hundred years around the time of Christ on the earth. Then, just as mysteriously, they disappear with no trace of what happened or where they went.

The Nabateans were known for their carvings into sandstone. The area where Petra was/is located is full of sandstone mountains. They would artistically begin carving straight into the soft rock in the high sandstone walls.

Today you can see houses that had several rooms carved deep into the sandstone walls. They even carved graves, tombs, water channels and mangers into these walls.

After carving all this for 200+ years, it left the area today dotted with thousands of caves. It’s been estimated that when fully excavated, the city could hold up to 5 million people.

So let’s tie all this together…

Matthew 24 and Mark 13 describe an event at the middle of the 7 years of Tribulation when the Jews must flee for their lives.

They are warned that when they see the “abomination of desolation” standing in their Temple, that’s the sign to run or be killed.

Apparently, based on Zech. 13:8-9, two-thirds of the Jews will be killed on that terrible day as they flee the city from the hand of the Antichrist.

But one-third do make it out of Jerusalem alive and flee to the “mountains” where they will spend 3 1/2 years protected from the Antichrist.

Much like God provided water and food to the Israelites who wandered in the desert for 40 years after the Egyptian Exodus, God will similarly provide for the surviving Jews who heeded Biblical warnings to flee when they saw the Abomination of Desolation.

Isaiah again fills in some details about the area to which they fled:

Enter the rock and hide in the dust… Is. 2:10

Men will go into caves of the rocks and into holes of the ground… Is. 2:19   

In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs… Is. 2:21   

This further confirms that the holes, caves and large caverns that we see today in Petra are where the Jews end up living for the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation, protected and provided for by God.

It’s during this time when they have come with nothing but the clothes on their backs, that they lose their pride, repent, and begin understanding their Biblical roots.

At the end of the Tribulation, the Antichrist brings the armies of the world to GATHER in the Valley of Armageddon in order to march against the Jews in Petra, to wipe out the rest of Israel. It's the last act of a desperate Satanic force.

With the armies of the world marching south from Jerusalem, the coming doom is easily seen by the Jews high in the mountains of Petra. So Israel cries out to their Lord like never before.

It’s at that time that the Lord returns to the Jews and reveals Himself.

“I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.” Zech. 12:10

It will be both a sad and joyful day for the Jews holed up in Petra. They will be absolutely brokenhearted to learn that Jesus came as their Messiah and they crucified Him.

But it will be joyous as Jesus then goes from Petra/Bozrah/Edom to wipe out the oncoming armies of Satan with the breath of His mouth (2Thes.2:8).

Therefore, Habakkuk is basically saying that just as God came down to His people at Sinai to establish His covenant with them, He will also come to liberate His people and reaffirm His covenant with them by coming from Edom to destroy Satan's armies!

BP

Just enjoy studying prophecy.  Get hooked with me and look up, for your redemption draweth nigh!

Pastor Dale