Notes of Faith April 3, 2022

Article by Jon Bloom
Staff writer, desiringGod.org

As we read through the New Testament, we encounter a unique connection between the Holy Spirit and joy. I’ll give you a few examples. Luke tells us how at one point Jesus “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit” (Luke 10:21) and Paul tells us how the Thessalonian Christians had “received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:6–7). In Romans, Paul instructs us that “the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).

I call this connection unique (and worthy of further reflection) because the New Testament pairs joy with the Holy Spirit in a way it doesn’t with other affections. For instance, we don’t read of people experiencing the “sorrow of (or in) the Holy Spirit” or the “anger of (or in) the Holy Spirit,” even though it’s clear the Spirit can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30) and angered (Romans 1:18).

So, why does the New Testament uniquely tie joy to the Holy Spirit? To explore this question, we’ll briefly look at who (and what) the Holy Spirit is, what it means for us to experience this Spirit-empowered joy, and what difference it makes in the Christian life.

Spirit of Joy

Two qualifications before I delve in further. First, the few words I’m about to share on the nature of the Holy Spirit are, I believe, foundationally helpful to understanding the joy that the Holy Spirit produces in us. I don’t have space here, however, to offer a full treatment of that complex reality, so if you’d like to explore this further, this sermon by John Piper and this article by Scott Swain are good places to start.

Second, it’s helpful to keep in mind that while Scripture describes the Holy Spirit as a divine person distinct from the Father and the Son (John 15:26), it also describes him as the Spirit of the Father (Matthew 10:20) and the Spirit of the Son (1 Peter 1:11). In one place, Paul refers to the Spirit in all three Trinitarian ways in the space of three verses (Romans 8:9–11). As we talk about the joy of the Holy Spirit, we need to remember the oneness of God.

Now, let’s probe deeper into the nature of the Trinity as it relates to joy. Citing New Testament texts such as 1 John 4:16 — “God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” — theologians at least as far back as Augustine have understood the Holy Spirit to be the living, personified love flowing between the Father and the Son (John 17:26). John Piper says it this way — and note the connection between the love of God and the joy of God:

God the Holy Spirit is the divine person who “originates” (eternally!) from the Father and the Son in their loving each other. And this love is not a “merciful” love as if they needed pity. It is an admiring, delighting, exulting love. It is Joy. The Holy Spirit is God’s Joy in God. To be sure, he is so full of all that the Father and Son are, that he is a divine person in his own right. But that means he is more, not less, than the Joy of God. (“Can We Explain the Trinity?”)

Piper goes on to say, “This means that Joy is at the heart of reality. God is Love, means most deeply, God is Joy in God.” If an essential dimension of the Spirit’s nature is that he is “God’s Joy in God” personified, that helps us understand what makes the joy he produces in us a distinctive joy.

God’s Joy in Us

When we experience the joy of the Holy Spirit, we taste the joy that is at the core of ultimate reality. For when we are born again by the Spirit (John 3:6–7), we receive the astounding, incredible, empowering, priceless gift of the Holy Spirit who resides in us, just as Jesus promised:

I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16–17)

And when the Holy Spirit dwells in us, the Father and the Son dwell in us — and we in them (John 17:20–21):

If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. (John 14:23)

Given all that Jesus says about the Spirit in John 14–16, we know that the Spirit factored significantly in what he meant when he said,

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:11)

“When we experience the joy of the Holy Spirit, we taste the joy that is at the core of ultimate reality.”

For the only way we can abide in the Son (John 15:4–5), the only way the Son and the Father can abide in us (John 14:23), the only way the Son’s words can truly abide in us (John 15:7), and the only way the Son’s joy in the Father and the Father’s joy in the Son can abide in us is by the Helper, the Holy Spirit, dwelling in us.

This is why Jesus said our experience of the Holy Spirit would be like having “rivers of living water” within us (John 7:38–39). The Spirit is the indwelling wellspring of joy in God that we experience as we “live by faith in the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20).

Joy of Believing

This brings us to the unique experience of joy that a Christian experiences by the power of the Holy Spirit in this age. We see it all over the New Testament, but Paul captures it beautifully in Romans 15:13:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Paul describes the ground of this Spirit-empowered, joy-producing hope in Romans 5:

Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. . . . And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1–2, 5)

And Peter describes the ineffable joy produced by the love we experience for the now-unseen Jesus, in whom we believe because of his Spirit-revealed word:

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8–9)

This is how the New Testament typically describes the joy we receive from the Holy Spirit: hope in the glory of God’s grace, received by faith, fills us with deep joy in the Spirit.

He was watching the Father, by the power of his Spirit, reveal the gospel of the kingdom to “little children,” and fill them with hope in the glory of God’s grace toward them as they believed in it, that moved Jesus to “rejoice in the Holy Spirit” (Luke 10:21). It was hope in the glory of God’s grace toward them that filled Gentile disciples “with joy and with the Holy Spirit” as they believed the gospel (Acts 13:52). And it was hope in the glory of God’s grace toward them that filled the Thessalonians “with the joy of the Holy Spirit” as they believed the gospel message, even though they received it “in much affliction”

(1 Thessalonians 1:6–7).

Joy to Pursue

We all know from personal experience and observation that Christians are not always filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit. The fact that the New Testament repeatedly draws our attention to specific instances when believers experienced this joy shows that the early Christians didn’t always experience it either.

“This Joy of God is an eternal joy — it will outlast death and only increase in us forever.”

But Paul said that “joy in the Holy Spirit” is a crucial dimension of the kingdom of God (Romans 14:17). It is something we are to pursue. For Joy is at the heart of reality, and if the Spirit dwells in us, we have the one who is ultimate Joy dwelling within us. So, to experience the joy of the Holy Spirit is to experience the joy of “life indeed” (1 Timothy 6:19 NASB).

Not only that, but it is to experience indomitable joy. For this Spirit-empowered joy can’t be destroyed by persecution (Colossians 1:24), suffering (Romans 5:3–4), various trials (1 Peter 1:6–7), sorrow (2 Corinthians 6:10), or a sentence of death (Philippians 1:21). In fact, it is the hope of this joy set before us that helps us, like Jesus, endure all manner of adversity, suffering, and death (Hebrews 12:2). And that is because this Joy of God is an eternal joy — it will outlast death and only increase in us forever (Psalm 16:11; Mark 10:21). Indeed, it is the hope of this eternal joy set before us, which we lay hold of by faith, that makes us “more than conquerors” over any would-be obstacle to the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:35–39).

And so, “May the God of hope fill [us] with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit [we] may abound in hope.”

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith April 2, 2022

In the spring of AD 70, the Romans advanced upon Jerusalem and placed the city under siege. Knowing that the pilgrims would drain the city’s food and water supplies, the Romans allowed them to enter Jerusalem for Passover —and then didn’t let them leave. Days and weeks stretched into months, and Jerusalem began to starve. Before the siege was lifted, the Jews of Jerusalem even attempted to eat their leather belts and shoes.

By God’s grace, few of us will ever be as desperately hungry or fearful as these trapped Jews were. After all, God doesn’t want us to live in fear. He wants us to live peacefully in the freedom that comes from trusting Him to provide for us. The Bible is rich with God’s promises that He will meet our needs, and one of my favorites is tucked into the words of the Lord’s Prayer:

Give us this day our daily bread.

—Matthew 6:11

Have you ever noticed the repetition of day and daily in that sentence? New Testament scholar Kenneth Bailey explains that the words are repeated because of the difficult-to-translate Greek word epiousios. As a matter of fact, there is no record of this word being used anywhere else in Greek literature. Biblical scholars have translated the word in a handful of ways over the years, but the oldest commentary we have on the subject—and the one most closely related to Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke—is the Old Syriac. That translation is: “Give us today the bread that doesn’t runout.”1

Clearly, Jesus doesn’t want us to be anxious about whether we will have what we need in order to live. He encourages us to simply ask God to meet those needs, to ask Him for bread that keeps coming. What need is weighing on you today? God doesn’t want you lying awake at night in worry or fear. He invites you to come to Him and, with trusting, childlike faith, ask Him to provide for you.

Thank You, Father, that Your provision for me will never run out.

Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

—Matthew 6:25–26

I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or His children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and His children become a blessing.

—Psalm 37:25–26

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

—Psalm 139:23 NIV

It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to His loved ones.

—Psalm 127:2 NL

1.Kenneth Bailey,Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes(Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2008), 121.

Excerpted from 5 Minutes with Jesus: Peace for Today by Sheila Walsh, copyright Sheila Walsh.

What is weighing on you today? What are you spinning on worrying that God will not handle for you? He is in control! Give Him your anxious thoughts. Tell Him everything and ask Him to give you rest.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith April 1, 2022

I broaden the path beneath you so that your ankles do not turn. This shows how intricately I am involved in your life-journey. I know exactly what is before you, and I can alter the path ahead of you to make your way easier. Sometimes I enable you to see what I have done on your behalf. At other times you are blissfully unaware of the hardship I have spared you. Either way, My work to widen the way before you demonstrates how lovingly I am involved in your life.

From your perspective, My workings are often mysterious. I do not protect you—or anyone—from all adversity. Neither was I shielded from hardship during my thirty-three years of living in your world. On the contrary, I willingly suffered unimaginable pain, humiliation, and agony on the cross—for your sake! When My Father turned away from Me, I experienced unspeakable suffering. But because I was willing to endure that excruciating isolation from Him, you will never have to suffer alone. I have promised: I am with you always!

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

—Matthew 27:46 NKJV

... And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

—Matthew 28:20

You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.—Psalm 18:36

I am the resurrection and the life; all lasting Life emanates from Me. People search for life in many wrong ways: chasing after fleeting pleasures, accumulating pos-sessions and wealth, trying to deny the inevitable effects of aging. Meanwhile, I freely offer abundant Life to everyone who turns toward Me. As you come to Me and take My yoke upon you, I fill you with My very Life. This is how I choose to live in the world and accomplish My purposes. This is also how I bless you with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory. The Joy is Mine, and the Glory is Mine; but I bestow them on you as you live in My Presence—inviting Me to live fully in you.

Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

—Matthew 11:28-29

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

—1 Peter 1:8-9 KJV

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies.”

_John 11:25

Excerpted from Jesus Calling for Easter by Sarah Young, copyright Sarah Young.

Jesus is with you! You never ever have to suffer alone. He is Emmanuel—God with us. Invite Him into your day to walk with you and share the journey.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith March 31, 2022

Debbie’s teenage daughter, Taylor, wasn’t feeling well one Sunday morning. No fever —she was just a bit tired and feeling punk, as my mother used to say. So Debbie tucked her girl in bed and let her rest as she and her husband and their younger child, Ben, went off to church.

When the family returned home a few hours later, Debbie went in to check on Taylor. She was unresponsive. In a panic, Debbie screamed for her husband to call 911. The emergency response team came quickly, but in the hours that followed, Taylor descended deeper and deeper into a coma from which she never recovered.

Days later, Taylor slipped into eternity, passing away at the hospital on a cold spring morning bitter with frost.

Debbie knew that her daughter was safe forever in the arms of her Savior, but her own arms were empty. The pain in her heart swallowed her whole, and she slipped into an emotional coma of her own. Unable to stir herself from her bed, she spent the next months in her darkened room wrestling with God and her own inability to save her child. Her passion for life had been snuffed. It was as if she, too, had left the land of the living. Joy? It had passed away along with her beloved child.

Until one day.

Debbie’s younger son, Ben, was not gone. He was alive and well and grieving the loss of his sister in his own way. He had suddenly lost Taylor and then, in the days that followed, watched his mother slip away from him as well. His sorrow was magnified, his fear left unchecked. Joy was out of his reach.

Desperate, Ben came into his mother’s darkened room and opened the curtains. He sat next to his mother and told her, “I am alive. I need you. Don’t you love me anymore?”

The Holy Spirit grabbed hold of Debbie in that moment. Through her son, He convicted her to not abandon the family He had given her. She was called to love. She needed to love her family who remained, and in order to do that, she had to choose to live. She had to follow the call of Christ to press into the heartbeat of heaven and choose to believe that joy was still within her and her family’s reach.

She got out of bed. She chose to love God even without understanding why her treasured daughter was gone. She expressed that love by obeying Him and loving others, starting with her family. She began by bringing flowers to their breakfast table. She reintroduced music to their silent home. She began to slowly and intentionally cultivate joy in her own heart. She sought help for her grief-filled depression and began to take baby steps to rekindle the joy in her family’s life as well. Debbie continues to heal, and part of that journey includes leading grief recovery groups at her church. Her joy has slowly returned as she has grown in offering her love on behalf of others.

The Kingdom of God is filled with paradoxes, surprises. We set out to find joy for ourselves, only to discover the greater joys waiting for us when we live for others. The reason I bring all this up is simply this: Quite often we cannot find reason enough to choose joy and pursue joy for ourselves. But perhaps we can find new strength when we realize how much it matters to God and to those around us.

Dennis Prager, a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and author, wrote:

"For much of my life, I, like most people, regarded the pursuit of happiness as largely a selfish pursuit. One of the great revelations of middle age has been that happiness, far from being only a selfish pursuit, is a moral demand.

When we think of character traits we rightly think of honesty, integrity, moral courage, and acts of altruism. Few people include happiness in any list of character traits or moral achievements.

But happiness is both.

Happiness —or at least acting happy, or at the very least not inflicting one’s unhappiness on others —is no less important in making the world better than any other human trait.

With some exceptions, happy people make the world better and unhappy people make it worse."1

If being a happy person is a moral responsibility, how much more so is being a joyful person? Happiness skims the surface; joy is rooted in eternity. We are commanded to be joyful not merely for our own benefit but for the benefit of everyone else in our lives!

Choosing defiant joy in the midst of heartbreak is not an impossible choice.

Perhaps baby steps are all that are possible for you to take right now, each tentative foot moving toward the hope that Jesus will meet you in your sorrow and breathe life and joy slowly but ever so surely back into your heart. It is a choice that you make for your own heart. But it is a choice you ultimately make for the heart of God and the hearts of those you love.

1. Dennis Prager, “Happiness Is a Moral Obligation,” DennisPrager.com, February 20, 2007, http://www.dennisprager.com/happiness-is-a-moral-obligation/.

Excerpted from Defiant Joy: Taking Hold of Hope, Beauty and Life in a Hurting World by Stasi Eldredge, copyright Stasi Eldredge.

Are you in the middle of heartbreak? Are you unhappy? What do you do with that? Those around you desperately need you!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith March 30, 2022

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”—John 6:35

I’ve eaten lots of different types of bread in my life (and enjoyed most of them), but I’ve never eaten bread from Heaven. To my knowledge, that privilege has only been extended to the Israelites who wandered in the wilderness after the exodus from Egypt.

It’s a well-loved story. The Israelites didn’t have the supplies necessary for their journey after leaving Egypt, and they let Moses know about it:

If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.  —Exodus 16:3

Had I been there, I’m sure I would have been part of that chorus of complaining.

God stepped in by providing huge masses of quail for the Israelites to catch and eat that evening. The next morning, they found an even more spectacular miracle: bread just lying on the ground. Lots of bread. Tons of bread. And they found the same thing morning after morning throughout their entire journey to the promised land.

Fast-forward to Jesus’ day, and you’ll remember that Jesus accomplished a similar miracle by feeding five thousand men (plus women and children) by exponentially expanding five little barley loaves and two fish into a fantastic feast. Obviously, this was a big hit with the people. They were thrilled not just to see something miraculous but to receive a quality meal as part of the bargain.

Unfortunately, they weren’t able to get past that specific miracle. When they encountered Jesus again, He tried to point them toward realities more important than hunger and bread. “Do not work for food that spoils,” He said, “but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you” (John 6:27).

Not getting the point, the people reminded Jesus of how Moses had given his followers manna, bread from Heaven. “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you?” they asked. “What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness” (John 6:30–31). Hint, hint.

Don’t miss the truth here: The people wanted Jesus to fill their bellies while He was trying to nourish their souls. More than that, Jesus was trying to help them see their hunger not for food but for eternal life.

That’s when Jesus laid everything on the line.

“I am the bread of life,” He declared. “Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

The Israelites had experienced God’s provision of food, but here was Jesus —God in the flesh —offering something so much greater. Here was Jesus offering a life of satisfaction, fulfillment, and purpose. A life connected to Christ.

Will you take it and eat? The table is set. The offer is made. Jesus is the meal. And the choice is yours.

When has God provided for you in a meaningful way?

What steps can we take to stop focusing on temporary things and instead concentrate on what is eternal?

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  —John 14:6

Excerpted from At the Table with Jesus by Louie Giglio, copyright Louie Giglio.

 God is our provider in every way! Most things we don't even realize! Think about your day today... How has the Lord provided for you?

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith March 29, 2022 2nd Edition

An excerpt from Joel Rosenberg and his news articles concerning what is going on with Russia, Putin, Ukraine and the rest of the world.  – Pastor Dale

JERUSALEM – Not since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 has the world been this close to nuclear war.

The reason: one month into Russia’s illegal and reprehensible invasion of Ukraine, it is now clear to the world – and to the Kremlin – that Vladimir Putin is losing the war.

Putin isn’t used to losing.

He cannot afford to lose, or be seen as losing.

He has put Russian nuclear forces on “high-alert.”

He has warned the West of “consequences you have never seen.”

Russian military doctrine actually authorizes the use of tactical battlefield nuclear weapons to prevent defeat in a land war in Europe, something former Russian president Dmitri Medvedev discussed publicly just days ago.

What’s more, on March 25, “Russia's Ambassador to Iraq, Elbrus Kutrashev, said in an interview on Al-Nujaba TV (Iraq) that Russia launched its special operation in Ukraine because it had ‘reliable information’ that the Ukrainian government had been preparing to use a dirty nuclear bomb against Russian territory, interests, or nationals,” according to a translation by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

Is Putin in the process of creating a pretext to justify the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine?

I wish this were all a bad dream.

Or the subject of fringe speculation.

But something very dark is in motion.

We need to look at it carefully.

We also need to pray that Putin doesn’t cross the line.

In a moment, I’ll share with you excerpts from a new study just released in Washington on recent changes in Russian nuclear doctrine that are very worrisome.

But let’s first look at just how badly Putin is losing this war.

RUSSIAN TROOPS ARE BEING SLAUGHTERED IN UKRAINE

First, most pundits and political analysts said Putin wouldn’t invade Ukraine, that he was just bluffing.

Next, most pundits and political analysts said Putin would crush Kyiv quickly.

Neither prognostication has proven accurate.

Ukraine’s military has proven far feistier and tactically agile than most outsiders would have guessed.

And despite a sluggish, sleepy start, NATO is finally awakening to the Putin problem and flowing anti-tank weapons, anti-aircraft missiles, ammunition and other military supplies into Ukraine in growing numbers.

As a result, Russian troops are being slaughtered on the battlefield.

NATO estimates that between 7,000 and 15,000 Russian troops have been killed so far.

The Ukrainian government puts the number slightly higher, claiming that its military has killed more than 16,000 Russian troops.

Given that Putin’s invasion force was an estimated 150,000 troops, give or take, this would suggest that upwards of 10% of the Russian forces have been killed.

“By way of comparison, Russia lost about 15,000 troops over 10 years in Afghanistan,” notes Time magazine.

What’s more, a NATO official says that between 30,000 and 40,000 Russian soldiers are estimated “to have been killed or wounded.”

If true, that would suggest upwards of one-third of Russia’s invasion forces are combat ineffective.

MOSCOW’S LOSSES MOUNTING

Moscow has also lost 561 battle tanks.

Many have been destroyed by Ukrainian forces.

Some have simply run out of gas, been abandoned by Russian forces, and then stolen by Ukrainian farmers who drag them away with tractors.

Russia has also lost an estimated 1,625 armored personnel carriers.

And 115 fighter jets.

Plus another 126 combat helicopters.

Meanwhile, one nation after another is imposing real economic sanctions on Russia.

Western businesses are leaving Russia.

Oligarchs are having their assets frozen. 

Putin is becoming an international pariah.

Even as the world heralds Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a hero.

WHAT DOES RUSSIAN MILITARY DOCTRINE SAY ABOUT THE USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS?

With Putin losing, cornered, and humiliated, the prospect of him being assassinated or overthrown rises.

But so does the possibility that the would-be Russia czar dramatically escalates the conflict, hoping to win in one or two knock-out blows.

A growing number of intelligence officials and security analysts are becoming worried that Putin may turn – and turn soon – to the use of tactical battlefield nuclear weapons.

“Russia has altered and adjusted the Soviet nuclear strategy to meet its new circumstances in a post-Cold War world,” notes a new Congressional Research Service study that was released on March 7. “It explicitly rejected the Soviet Union’s no-first-use pledge in 1993, indicating that it viewed nuclear weapons as a central feature in its military and security strategies.”

Did you catch that?

Putin is now willing to use nukes first.

“Russia has revised its national security and military strategy several times in the past 20 years, with successive versions appearing to place a greater reliance on nuclear weapons,” the report finds.

“For example, the military doctrine issued in 1997 allowed for the use of nuclear weapons ‘in case of a threat to the existence of the Russian Federation.’ The doctrine published in 2000 expanded the circumstances when Russia might use nuclear weapons to include attacks using weapons of mass destruction against Russia or its allies ‘as well as in response to large-scale aggression utilizing conventional weapons in situations critical to the national security of the Russian Federation.’ In mid-2009, when discussing the revision of Russia’s defense strategy that was expected late in 2009 or early 2010, Nikolai Patrushev, the head of Russia’s Presidential Security Council, indicated that Russia would have the option to launch a ‘preemptive nuclear strike’ against an aggressor ‘using conventional weapons in an all-out, regional, or even local war.’”

The final draft, apparently, did not actually include the explicit statement indicating the willingness by the Kremlin to use nuclear weapons preemptively, even in a major – and losing – conventional war.

But clearly it was being considered, and perhaps Putin didn’t want his intentions to be so obvious, and thus kept those lines out of the final draft.

MIGHT PUTIN USE TACTICAL NUKES AS A WAY TO “ESCALATE TO DE-ESCALATE”?

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) study made several other important points.

The Kremlin considers NATO forces near its borders a threat to its security and existence.

They shouldn’t, of course, NATO forces have never invaded Russia or dreamt of doing so.

But Putin and his inner circle say they must defend themselves against a hostile NATO.

“In an environment where Russia also has doubts about the effectiveness of its conventional forces, its doctrine allows for the possible use of nonstrategic nuclear weapons during a local or regional conflict on its periphery,” the CRS study notes. “The doctrines do not say that Russia would use nuclear weapons to preempt such an attack, but it does reserve the right to use them in response.”

“Although Russia does not use the phrase in any of these recent versions of its military doctrine, analysts both inside and outside the U.S. government often refer to this approach as the ‘escalate to de-escalate’ doctrine,” the CRS study continues. “Russian statements, when combined with military exercises that seemed to simulate the use of nuclear weapons against NATO members, led many to believe that Russia might threaten to use its nonstrategic nuclear weapons to coerce or intimidate its neighbors.”

“These threats could occur prior to the start of a conflict, or within a conflict if Russia believed that the threat to use nuclear weapons might lead its adversaries (including the United States and its allies) to back down. This doctrine, when combined with Russian statements designed to remind others of the strength of Russia’s nuclear deterrent, seemed to indicate that Russia had increased the role of nuclear weapons in its military strategy and military planning.”

WHAT DOES PUTIN DO NEXT?

It should be noted that Putin put Russian nuclear forces on “high-alert” on February 28.

At the beginning of his invasion of Ukraine.

When he thought he was going to win, and win quickly. 

What does Putin think 33 days later, when his forces and military hardware are being wiped out?

When his fighter jets are routinely being shot out of the sky?

When McDonald’s is shutting down all 850 of its restaurants in Russia?

When showings of the new Batman movie – and all Hollywood movies – have been canceled in Russia?

When the list of economic sanctions imposed on Russia is mounting?

When the Russian ruble is collapsing and inflation there is at its highest level in 24 years?

What does Putin do next?

Does he have any conventional military cards up his sleeve?

Or might he actually resort to using nuclear weapons?

Pray this doesn’t happen.

Pray this wicked man is stopped before he crosses the line.

Pray for the people of Ukraine – and Russia – to be spared from such madness.

And for peace and security and freedom to be restored in Ukraine.

And pray without ceasing.

For as dark as Europe has become over the last month, it could get much darker still.

Be much in prayer. . .and look up, for your redemption is near.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith March 29, 2022

Anxiety passes as trust increases!

The phrase “fruitless and fret filled” describes too many of us.

We don’t want it to. We long to follow Paul’s admonition:

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

—Philippians 4:8 NLT

With a grimace and fresh resolve, we determine, Today I will think only true, honorable, and right thoughts... even if it kills me.

Paul’s call to peace can become a list of requirements: every thought must be true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise.

Gulp. Who can do this?

Confession: I find the list difficult to keep. Heaven knows, I’ve tried. A random idea will pop into my head, and I’ll pass it through the passage. Was it true, honorable, pure... What’s next? I have trouble remembering the eight virtues, much less remembering to filter my thoughts through them. Maybe the list works for you. If so, skip this chapter. If not, there is a simpler way.

Make it your aim to cling to Christ. Abide in him.

Is He not true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise? Is this not the invitation of His message in the vineyard?

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

—John 15:4-10 NASB

Jesus’ allegory is simple. God is like a vine keeper. He lives and loves to coax the best out of his vines. He pampers, prunes, blesses, and cuts. His aim is singular: “What can I do to prompt produce?” God is a capable orchardist who carefully superintends the vineyard. And Jesus plays the role of the vine. We non gardeners might confuse the vine and the branch. To see the vine, lower your gaze from the stringy, winding branches to the thick base below. The vine is the root and trunk of the plant. It cables nutrients from the soil to the branches. Jesus makes the stunning claim, “I am the real root of life.” If anything good comes into our lives, He is the conduit.

And who are we? We are the branches. We bear fruit:

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.

—Gal. 5:22 NASB

We meditate on what is “true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable... excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8 NLT). Our gentleness is evident to all. We bask in the “peace of God, which transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7 NIV).

And as we cling to Christ, God is honored.

My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

—John 15:8 NASB

The Father tends. Jesus nourishes. We receive, and grapes appear. Passersby, stunned at the overflowing baskets of love, grace, and peace, can’t help but ask, “Who runs this vineyard?” And God is honored. For this reason fruit bearing matters to God.

And it matters to you! You grow weary of unrest. You’re ready to be done with sleepless nights. You long to be “anxious for nothing.” You long for the fruit of the Spirit. But how do you bear this fruit? Try harder? No, hang tighter. Our assignment is not fruitfulness but faithfulness. The secret to fruit bearing and anxiety-free living is less about doing and more about abiding.

Lest we miss this point, Jesus employs the word abide(s) ten times in seven verses:

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me... he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit... If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up... If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you... abide in My love . . . abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

(John 15:4-10 NASB)

“Come, live in Me!” Jesus invites. “Make My home your home.” Odds are that you know what it means to be at home somewhere.

To be at home is to feel safe. The residence is a place of refuge and security.

To be at home is to be comfortable. You can pad around wearing slippers and a robe.

To be at home is to be familiar. When you enter the door, you needn’t consult the blueprint to find the kitchen.

Our aim —our only aim —is to be at home in Christ. He is not a roadside park or hotel room. He is our permanent mailing address. Christ is our home. He is our place of refuge and security. We are comfortable in His presence, free to be our authentic selves. We know our way around in Him. We know His heart and His ways.

We rest in Him, find our nourishment in Him. His roof of grace protects us from storms of guilt. His walls of providence secure us from destructive winds. His fireplace warms us during the lonely winters of life. We linger in the abode of Christ and never leave.

The branch never releases the vine. Ever! Does a branch show up on Sundays for its once-a-week meal? Only at the risk of death. The healthy branch never releases the vine, because there it receives nutrients twenty-four hours a day.

If branches had seminars, the topic would be “Secrets of Vine Grabbing.” But branches don’t have seminars, because to attend them they would have to release the vine —something they refuse to do. The dominant duty of the branch is to cling to the vine.

The dominant duty of the disciple is the same.

We Christians tend to miss this. We banter about pledges to “change the world,” “make a difference for Christ,” “lead people to the Lord.” Yet these are by-products of the Christ-focused life. Our goal is not to bear fruit. Our goal is to stay attached.

Maybe this image will help. When a father leads his four-year-old son down a crowded street, he takes him by the hand and says, “Hold on to me.” He doesn’t say, “Memorize the map” or “Take your chances dodging the traffic” or “Let’s see if you can find your way home.” The good father gives the child one responsibility: “Hold on to my hand.”

God does the same with us. Don’t load yourself down with lists. Don’t enhance your anxiety with the fear of not fulfilling them. Your goal is not to know every detail of the future. Your goal is to hold the hand of the One who does and never, ever let go.

Jesus taught us to do the same. He tells us, rather bluntly,

Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.   Matthew 6:25

He then gives two commands: “look” and “consider.” He tells us to

look at the birds of the air. —Matthew 6:26

When we do, we notice how happy they seem to be. They aren’t frowning, cranky, or grumpy. They don’t appear sleep deprived or lonely. They sing, whistle, and soar. Yet

they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns.

—Matthew 6:26

They don’t drive tractors or harvest wheat, yet Jesus asks us, do they appear well cared for?

He then turns our attention to the flowers of the field.

Consider the lilies.

—Matthew 6:28

By the same token, they don’t do anything. Even though their life span is short, God dresses them up for red-carpet appearances. Even Solomon, the richest king in history, “was not arrayed like one of these” (v. 29).

How do we disarm anxiety? Stockpile our minds with God thoughts. Draw the logical implication: if birds and flowers fall under the category of God’s care, won’t He care for us as well? Saturate your heart with the goodness of God.

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Colossians 3:2

How might you do this? A friend recently described to me her daily ninety-minute commute. “Ninety minutes!” I commiserated. “Don’t feel sorry for me.” She smiled. “I use the trip to think about God.” She went on to describe how she fills the hour and a half with worship and sermons. She listens to entire books of the Bible. She recites prayers. By the time she reaches her place of employment, she is ready for the day. “I turn my commute into my chapel.”

Do something similar. Is there a block of time you can claim for God? Perhaps you could turn off the network news and open your Bible. Set the alarm fifteen minutes earlier. Or rather than watch the TV comedian as you fall asleep, listen to an audio version of a Christian book.

If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

—John 8:31-32 ESV

Free from fear. Free from dread. And, yes, free from anxiety.

Excerpted from Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.

What do you think about? Is your mind stuck on the betrayal of a friend, insecurity, fears about finances, worries about health or loved ones? What would happen in your soul if you turned your eyes and mind to Jesus instead?

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith March 28, 2022

The blacksmith placed the iron into the fire. Once it was glowing red-hot, he used his tongs to remove it, and he struck it repeatedly with a hammer. Then...

Back into the fire until glowing...

Countless blows from the hammer...

Only to return to the fire once more.

Fire and hammer, fire and hammer —the blacksmith did this again and again until, at last, his work was complete. From a shapeless piece of iron he had fashioned a perfect horseshoe.

I love this image because it so perfectly captures the work God does to mold our character and make us more like Jesus. That message certainly seems to be what James was communicating in the first few verses of his book.

James wrote to Christians who were going through difficult times, and he had a radical message for them. He told his readers to consider their trials “pure joy” because the fire of adversity was the very tool God used to forge perseverance in their lives.

Most of us are familiar with the word perseverance. Maybe it makes you think of someone who keeps going even when the path gets rough or someone who stays on their diet all the way through the holidays. Both examples do show perseverance, but the Greek gives us a little more insight. In the original language of James 1:3, the word translated perseverance means “cheerful, or hopeful endurance; constancy.”

It is one thing to keep going no matter what; it is something far more beautiful to do so cheerfully and hopefully.

Are you going through a hard time today? You can safely trust that even though the fire of adversity is hot, your loving Savior holds you securely in His hand. He will be forever faithful to His work in your heart, endeavoring to bring forth cheerful, hopeful endurance in you.

And that truth, James reminds us, is reason for pure joy.

God is with you and for you—He’s making something beautiful in you!

Five Minutes in the Word

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  —James 1:2-4

He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.  —Philippians 1:6 ESV

We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this He called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  —2 Thessalonians 2:13–14 ESV

 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.  —James 5:7

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  —Romans 12:12

Excerpted from 5 Minutes with Jesus: A Fresh Infusion of Joy by Sheila Walsh, copyright Sheila Walsh.

Are you in hot circumstances today? God is at work and He will not turn His back on you! Something good, something beautiful is being allowed in your life because He loves you so much! That is a reason for joy.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith March 27, 2022

Notes of Faith March 27, 2022

One way to read the Bible is to read it like a novel to see the larger picture of God’s story as opposed to studying specific passages, word origins, or prophecies from the Old Testament connected to the New. If you’re new to reading the Bible, starting with detailed strategies like that can get you lost in the weeds. You might consider purchasing a copy of The Story, which strips the Bible of chapters and verses, presenting it much like a novel. When you read the Bible this way, you see more clearly how God has always desired to be with us.

One of my favorite approaches to reading this way doesn’t involve reading at all. Instead, I listen to it. There are many audio Bible products. A ministry called Faith Comes By Hearing (www.faithcomesbyhearing.com) has provided more than four hundred audio versions of the Bible that you can download free of charge. When I jump on my mountain bike for a long trail ride, I pop in my earphones and listen to the Bible like I would listen to a novel. Not only does my workout go by quickly, but I’m literally absorbing God’s Word. Abiding with Him.

One weekend when Michelle and the kids were out of town, I had to paint the largest room in our house. As I painted, I listened to the entire Old Testament... twice. What a wonderful, crazy story about God. It gave me a whole new appreciation of how God prepared the world for Jesus and how His plan for the world is predestined and gradually unfolding. What a boost in confidence about God’s love for all of us.

Back in my college days, I had a friend who loved to bet on college football. In one of his weaker moments, he arranged a deceitful hundred-dollar wager with another guy on campus on a game that had already been played, but was not airing on ESPN until later that night. The person who took his bet had no idea the game had already been played. At the half, my friend’s team was down by twenty-seven points. The guy he bet against was jumping up and down with excitement while my friend remained calm, knowing his team would eventually rattle off thirty unanswered points in the second half.

Setting aside my friend’s temporary lapse in morality, can you see how knowing how the story ends gives us peace even when things unravel in the middle? That’s what happens when we understand the larger arc of God’s story and we are sure of the ending. No matter what crazy stuff is going on in our lives, we can remain calm and at peace —even joyful.

Excerpted from The Joy Model by Jeff Spadafora, copyright Jeffrey Scott Spadafora.

God’s great gift to us beyond the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is His Word. He left us His story, His promises, history, poetry, and prophecy in a collection of 66 books so that we could know His heart and find joy!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith March 26, 2022

Notes of Faith March 26, 2022

From the rising of the sun to its going down

The Lord’s name is to be praised!

How do we enjoy life?

Each Day Totally

We do not know how long we have to live, so we should live everyday with gusto.

Oh, how sweet the light of day,

And how wonderful to live in the sunshine!

Even if you live a long time, don’t take a single day for granted.

Take delight in each light-filled hour,

Remembering that there will also be many dark days And that most of what comes your way is smoke.

—Ecclesiastes 11:7-8 (The Message)

I love the sunshine. I love to see the sun peeking through the window when I get up in the morning.

From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord’s name is to be praised.

—Psalm 113:3 (NKJV)

That is the theme behind the hymn “When Morning Gilds the Skies.” There are many, many stanzas, but here are a few:

When morning gilds the skies my heart awaking cries:

May Jesus Christ be praised!

Alike at work and prayer, to Jesus I repair:

May Jesus Christ be praised!

When you begin the day, O never fail to say,

May Jesus Christ be praised!

And at your work rejoice, to sing with heart and voice,

May Jesus Christ be praised!

Sing, suns and stars of space, sing, ye that see His face,

Sing, Jesus Christ be praised!

God’s whole creation o’er, for aye and evermore

Shall Jesus Christ be praised!

We praise God because it is right, because it is appropriate, and because it is commanded. But praising God also has a radical effect on us. I dare you to begin the next seven days with intense, heartfelt praise and worship. Read a praise psalm each day, and reflect on a thoughtful hymn like the one above. Then watch the effect on your day.

Enjoy Your Youth Thoroughly

 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,

And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth;

Walk in the ways of your heart,

And in the sight of your eyes;

But know that for all these

God will bring you into judgment.

Therefore remove sorrow from your heart,

And put away evil from your flesh,

For childhood and youth are vanity.

—Ecclesiastes 11:9-10

Sixteen-year-olds want to be eighteen, and eighteen-year-olds can’t wait to be twenty-one.Somewhere along the way that process starts to reverse itself.

We ought to be telling our kids to enjoy themselves.

Youth has many advantages: less responsibility, lots of energy, many good friends, and boatloads of opportunity. While young people face many challenges and difficulties today, it is also true that life tends to become harder and heavier as we grow older. Solomon counsels us to rejoice in our youth.

But there is a warning.

Sow joyfully, but sow healthy seeds and not wild oats. Youth is no excuse for exploits that do not honor Him.

If I were a young person, I would look at my life as a bowl of premium chocolate ice cream. I would savor every bite. I would take a moment to thank God before digging in and be grateful that He designed this treat to melt so delightfully on the tongue.

If I were a new parent, I would let my kids be kids. I would not want them to grow up too quickly, and when they stumble along the learning path, I would gently help them up and show them how to walk upright. Kids have lots of energy and crazy imaginations, but I would see God’s joy in that rather than shushing them and imposing unnatural restraint on their natural vitality.

Express Your Faith Thoughtfully

Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,

Before the difficult days come,

And the years draw near when you say,

“I have no pleasure in them”:

While the sun and the light,

The moon and the stars,

Are not darkened,

And the clouds do not return after the rain.

—Ecclesiastes 12:1-2

I think of Solomon, sitting in the courtyard of the palace and watching the children romp beneath the trees.A teenager sits at the king’s feet. Solomon is struck by how fast she is growing up. He can already see the patronizing look in the eyes of this young girl before him. He says,

“Now is the very time to draw near to your God. The longer you wait, the less you will desire Him, and the more elusive He will prove to be. Now is the time when you will make the pivotal decisions on which your whole future will turn. Please don’t make them without your Lord.”

Get with God.

Get with Him daily as you spend time together.

Get with Him through His Word.

Get with Him in service and with His other children.

Get with Him and honor Him.

It is traditional for kids to be criticized by ex-kids.

Grumpy old [former kid] Martin Luther: “The young people of today are utterly dissolute and disorderly.”

Plato, [philosopher and past child,] agreed. “The youth are rebellious, pleasure-seeking, and irresponsible. They have no respect for their elders.”

Socrates, [a one-time juvenile, sniped], “Children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority. They show disrespect for elders and love chatter.”

The next time you think the “modern generation” is going from bad to worse, remember that God always has a rich handful of teenage heroes ready to change the world.

Joseph the dreamer

Daniel in Babylon

David the giant killer

and the virgin Mary

As a teenager, Charles Spurgeon preached to great crowds, but when they referred to his youthfulness, he replied, “Never mind my age. Think of the Lord Jesus Christ and His preciousness.”

Let us encourage our young people and pray for them.

Embrace Your Aging Thankfully

In the day when the keepers of the house tremble,

And the strong men bow down;

When the grinders cease because they are few,

And those that look through the windows grow dim;

When the doors are shut in the streets,

And the sound of grinding is low;

When one rises up at the sound of a bird,

And all the daughters of music are brought low.

Also they are afraid of height,

And of terrors in the way;

When the almond tree blossoms,

The grasshopper is a burden,

And desire fails.

For man goes to his eternal home,

And the mourners go about the streets.

Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed,

Or the golden bowl is broken,

Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,

Or the wheel broken at the well.

Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,

And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,

“All is vanity.”

—Ecclesiastes 12:3-8

Life can only be enjoyed day by day, bite by bite. Finally we learn to embrace the aging process thankfully.

Solomon keeps a heavy subject light —and downright funny.

Isn’t that just what we need when we fret about fresh wrinkles? We need to take ourselves a little less seriously. We need a good laugh.

Solomon gives us a poetic picture of getting older. Let’s work our way through this passage looking at the phrases he chooses:

The day when the keepers of the house tremble. Those are your arms and hands. As we get older, they begin to shake and tremble more.

And the strong men bow down. Knees and shoulders grow weaker, more frail as we age, bending and bowing and slumping.

When the grinders cease because they are few. What are “grinders”? Your teeth, of course! We can be thankful for improved dental care, but we still lose a tooth every now and then.

And those that look through the windows grow dim. Are you getting the idea? No one had spectacles in Solomon’s time; they had to live with blurry vision.

When the doors are shut in the streets, and the sound of grinding is low. We can’t hear the old street sounds or the mills grinding away.

When one rises up at the sound of a bird. Teenagers can sleep until noon, but that is a skill we lose as we age. We old-timers are up with the chickens.

And all the daughters of music are brought low. Your voice starts to quiver and weaken. You don’t sing as loudly or clearly as you once did.

When the almond tree blossoms. Your hair puts forth white shoots! Rather than informing your spouse you have spotted another gray hair, why not say, “Nice almond tree, honey!”

The grasshopper is a burden. By summer’s end, grasshoppers lose their hop. They are more like “grass-limpers.”

And desire fails. You can work this one out for yourself. (Hint: there are several lines of pharmaceuticals to help.)

For man goes to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets. This is referring to the unavoidable funeral and funeral procession.

Solomon goes on in verse 6 to give us four images of what it is like to die.

It’s like a silver cord that loosens and falls away.

It’s like a golden bowl that plummets to the floor and crashes.

It’s like a pitcher shattered at the fountain.

It’s like a wheel broken at the well.

Fallen. Crashed. Shattered. Broken. These are all images of lost beauty. Together their picture is heartbreaking.

Then again, Art Linkletter once said that it is better to be over the hill than under it. Whatever life is for us, wherever we find ourselves in age or stage, every moment is a gift of God —brightly wrapped, waiting to be opened, admired, and delighted in. The bittersweet nature of loss makes the present more precious; knowing that the silver cord will one day slip away, we cherish it all the more while it is in our hands.

We must not spend too much time brooding over life’s transience, for that defeats the very purpose. The time is to be used, to be invested in joy and meaning.

That includes today. Go ye therefore and have fun!

Excerpted from 31 Days to Happiness by David Jeremiah, copyright David Jeremiah.

Are you enjoying your season of life?

Pastor Dale