Notes of Faith May 7, 2022

Article by Greg Morse
Staff writer, desiringGod.org

Some texts mark you for life. As Jacob, you grapple with them, and though you come away with a blessing, you leave with a limp. You think differently. You pray differently. You love, speak, and act differently. Life as it was before can be no more.

Elijah’s question to the wavering people of Israel has been such a text for me. As a young college student, alone in my dorm room with a Bible I had just started reading, I came to it:

How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. (1 Kings 18:21)

When I read it on my futon, it was as though I witnessed the scene unfold firsthand.

“Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” The wicked king addressed the prophet he had hunted like a deer in the forest. He sneered. Not often did the prey beckon the hunter or the fish, the fisherman. But here, weaponless and alone, the prophet emerged from his hiding place to challenge his pursuer, and all of his prophets, to a public showdown.

“I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals,” Elijah replied. “Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table” (1 Kings 18:18–19).

Ahab happily complied.

News spread quickly; the people of Israel clamored around to see the spectacle. I took my place among the masses. The excitement was palpable as prophets and their gods prepared for war. Baal’s king and his army of prophets stood in one corner; the Lord’s prophet approached alone, taking his position in the other.

Pierced Without a Weapon

Yet as the prophet advanced toward the mountain to face off with the hundreds of prophets, Elijah’s eyes of fire rested elsewhere. He gazed at us, drew near to us. The contestant walked over to the crowd, slowly looking us over, and lifted his voice for all to hear,

How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. (1 Kings 18:21)

Weaponless, he shot the first arrow. Swordless, he cut me to the heart. Alone, I trembled to hear another speaking.

As I read those words, a lifetime of spiritual indecision flashed before my eyes. It took shape before me. The amphibious creature, offspring of a hearty worldliness and brittle religiosity, reared its head. It bore the horrible beauty of a demon. This angel of light had pleased and soothed my half-waking conscience for a lifetime, while remaining false enough to damn my soul.

This god I followed took no issue with the lukewarmness — the starts and stops, the ins and outs of what I took to be Christian devotion. None of my prophets interrupted me, nor protested when I went my own way. For over a decade, my god was compliant, polite, civil. He did not ask for much, nor threaten me, nor ask me to do anything I did not already agree to. He sat in the corner of the world, just smiling at me, his beloved.

If He Be God

The prophet, however, served another God. A jealous God. One who would not endure the waffling another moment. And this prophet burned with his Master’s fire. Elijah decided that if he was walking headlong into his death, he would leave his half-hearted people with a simple question: How long, O faithless bird, will you go fluttering back and forth between two branches?

We, the people, were the only ones undecided before that mountain. The priests of Baal were decided, even to the point of shedding their blood. They cut themselves with swords to invoke an answer from Baal. King Ahab was also decided. He and his wicked wife Jezebel hunted down Yahweh’s prophets and feasted with Baal’s. Elijah was decided. He stood alone before a spiritual legion of darkness, sure that his God could swallow all these mighty minnows.

“A God, if he be God, must be totally followed. Any true God must be completely obeyed.”

At this, a nearly novel thought pressed against my mind: A God, if he be God, must be totally followed. Any true God must be completely obeyed. He demanded a decision. He must be the most important reality in one’s life. Then the amazing conclusion that I professed for years finally caught up with me: I believed God existed. An eternal being, an infinite Person, a supreme monarch.

Elijah looked me in the eyes and said, If the world or your flesh or you yourself be god — follow them. Eat, drink, for tomorrow you die. But if the God of Scripture is God, then reason, justice, and sanity itself cries aloud: If this Glorious, Mighty, and Beautiful God will have you, you must follow him — unreservedly, unquestionably, unhesitatingly.

How did I answer the prophet?

“And the people did not answer him a word” (1 Kings 18:21). I joined the crowds in solemn silence.

The most daring among us held their tongue. Tough guys didn’t protest. Not a chirp was heard before the mountain; all beaks were stopped. What could we say in our defense?

If Christ Be God

Before the sun beat upon the forsaken and bloodied prophets of Baal, before fire fell from heaven and gave the outmanned Elijah decisive victory, before the people rallied and slew the priests and Elijah ran for his life, the prophet’s question seared me: How long will you go on indecisive?

How many more days and months and years will pass while you still pretend to have made up your mind? “If Christ be God, follow him. If the world, follow it.”

Has Elijah’s question lost its edge? To others not refusing to associate with Jesus, yet simply adding him to a collection of other allegiances: “How long will you go on fluttering between two branches?” Between Christ and the love of money. Between Christ and this world. Between Christ and your favorite sin. Between Christ and your comfortable, uninterrupted life.

How long, professing Christian, will you too live halfhearted, half-bowed? How much longer will you persist with half-waking commitments to Christ? How long will you think to give him the loose change of your attention, the crumbled bills of your affections? “If Jesus is God, follow him; but if your girlfriend be god, your reputation be god, your earthly pleasures and career be god — then follow them.”

Footsie with the Almighty

“I the Lord your God am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:5). “You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God)” (Exodus 34:13–14). One cannot play footsie with the consuming fire for long.

“One cannot play footsie with the consuming fire for long.”

The Christian God is God, and he will not sit idly by within a pantheon of other gods and pleasures. He entertains no rivals. Friendship with the world is adultery and enmity against him (James 4:4). This text, and this reality, God used to shake me awake and bring me to Jesus.

Dear reader, is your Jesus really God? If he is God — and the Jesus of the Bible is God — then follow him. I long for fire to fall again, pleading with Elijah, “Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back” (1 Kings 18:37).

Is your desire for intimate relationship with God as the psalmist speaks in

Psalm 42:1

42 As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God.

NIV

If He is God, let us worship Him with all our heart!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 6, 2022

IT troubles you, fatigues you, shames you. IT is the disease you can’t heal, the job you can’t stomach, the marriage you can’t fix, the rage you can’t tame.

IT hurts.

IT looms over life. Two towering letters, tall and defiant. IT! They march like Frankenstein’s monster. Each step a thud. Each thud an earthquake. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. IT! IT! IT!

“Look out! Here IT comes!” “I can’t take IT anymore!”

IT overshadows and intimidates everyone —everyone, that is, except people who take IT to Jesus. People like the Roman soldier.

He was a centurion. He held unquestioned authority over his men. Yet there was something special about this particular officer. He loved his servant.

‘Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘I will come and heal him’.

— Matthew 8:6-7

The soldier’s prayer was un-embroidered. He simply stated a fact: “My servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”

That was enough to set Jesus in motion. He turned and immediately began to walk in the direction of the centurion’s house. But the officer stopped him.

Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.

— Matthew 8:8-9

The centurion understood the dynamic of authority. He was a man under authority and a man with authority. His superiors sent directives to him, and he obeyed. He gave commands, and his soldiers obeyed. They didn’t question his decisions. The Roman army respected the chain of command. The centurion knew authority when he saw it. And he saw ultimate authority in Jesus Christ.

“Only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.” [Jesus] marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!.. Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

— Matthew 8:8, Matthew 8:10, Matthew 8:13

The centurion’s confidence in Jesus ran deep. Jesus could handle the request long distance. Just a word from Jesus would suffice. Jesus was stunned. Finally, His response implies, someone understands my authority!

Do we?

Jesus has unimpeachable authority.

He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command.

— Hebrews 1:3

God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name.

— Philippians 2:9

The Roman government tried to intimidate Him. False religion tried to silence Him. The devil tried to kill Him. All failed. Even “death was no match for Him” (Acts 2:24 MSG).

Jesus “disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by His victory over them on the cross” (Colossians 2:15 NLT). He was not kidding when He declared,

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.

— Matthew 28:18

Jesus is the command center of the galaxies.

Two sparrows cost only a penny, but not even one of them can die without your Father’s knowing it.

— Matthew 10:29 NCV

He occupies the Oval Office. He called a coin out of the mouth of a fish. He stopped the waves with a word. He spoke, and a tree withered. He spoke again, and a basket became a banquet. Economy. Meteorology. Botany. Food supply.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father.

— Matthew 11:27

That includes Satan. The devil was soundly defeated by Christ on the cross. Jesus outranks him in every situation. He must obey Jesus, and he knows it.

Prayers offered in the name of Jesus have “divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4 NIV). Demolish! Not damage or hamper but demolish. Prayer falls on strongholds like lit matches on a grass hut.

The devil fears prayer. Imagine this scene. He sat in the back of the room during a strategy session. A dozen demons had gathered to hear a report on the life of a particularly stalwart saint.

“He won’t stumble,” groused the imp responsible for his demise. “No matter what I do, he won’t turn his back on God.”

The council began to offer suggestions.

“Take his purity,” one said.

“I tried,” replied the fiend, “but he is too moral.” “Take his health,” urged another.

“I did, but he refused to grumble or complain.” “Take his belongings.”

“Are you kidding? I’ve stripped the man of every penny and possession. Yet he still rejoices.”

For a few moments no one spoke. Finally, from the back of the room, came the low, measured voice of Satan himself. The entire council turned as the fallen angel rose to his feet. His pale face was all but hidden by the hood. A long cape covered his body. He raised his bony hand and made his point. “It’s not enough to take his purity. It’s not enough to take his health. It’s not enough to take his belongings. You must take what matters most.” “What is that?” asked the subordinate.

“You must take his prayer.”

Prayer slaps handcuffs on Satan. Prayer takes problems out of the domain of the devil and into the presence of God. Prayer confesses, “God can handle IT. Since He can, I have hope!” When we pray in the name of Jesus, we come to God on the basis of Jesus’ accomplishment.

Since we have a great high priest [Jesus] over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.

— Hebrews 10:21–22

As our high priest, Jesus offers our prayers to God. His prayers are always heard.

Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.

— John 16:23

There are those who say, “Prayer changes things because it changes us.” I agree but only in part. Prayer changes things because prayer appeals to the top power in the universe. Prayer is not a magical formula or a mystical chant. It is the yes to God’s invitation to invoke His name.

Mark it down: IT won’t have the last word. Jesus will.

God raised [Christ] from death and set Him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from His rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything.

— Ephesians 1:20–22 MSG

The phrase “In Jesus’ name” is not an empty motto or talisman. It is a declaration of truth: My cancer is not in charge; Jesus is. The economy is not in charge; Jesus is. The grumpy neighbor doesn’t run the world; Jesus, You do! You, Jesus, are the Head Coach, CEO, President, King, Supreme Ruler, Absolute Monarch, High and Holy Baron, Czar, Overlord, and Rajah of all history.

Just speak the word, Jesus . . .

Pray! Since God works, prayer works.

Since God is good, prayer is good.

Since you matter to God, your prayers matter in heaven. You’re never without hope, because you’re never without prayer. And on the occasions you can’t find the words to say, pull these out of your pocket:

Father,

You are good.

I need help. Heal me and forgive me.

They need help.

Thank You.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Excerpted from Before Amen: The Power Of A Simple Prayer by Max Lucado, copyright Thomas Nelson.

 The health crisis in your life does not hold the power. Jesus does. Your marriage mess is not in charge. Jesus is. The teenager whose behavior is worrying you doesn’t rule the world. Jesus does! Pray! Praying in Jesus name has power.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 5, 2022

Today, May 5th, is the National Day of Prayer in the United States. Join us as we humble ourselves (2 Chronicles 7:14) seeking God’s face together in prayer.

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. — 1 Timothy 2:1–2 NIV

America’s leaders first called this nation to prayer in 1775. The Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom as they worked to form a nation, and the call to prayer has continued throughout our nation’s history. The National Day of Prayer was organized in 1952 to mobilize the Christian community to intercede for America’s leaders. It continues to stand as a call for us to humbly come before God for our nation.

The idea of praying for people in government didn’t originate with America. The apostle Paul called the Jews to pray for their Roman rulers and oppressors. He urged the Christian community to not only pray for the Roman leaders who were persecuting them, but to pray for blessings on them. Paul also called the believers to pray for the leaders with thanksgiving so that peace might reign.

Are you praying for blessings for America’s leaders, local and national, even those you disagree with?

God, I don’t always agree with our leaders, but I do desire peace in our land. So help me to do as Paul urged and pray faithfully. Amen.

Day of Trouble

May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high! — Psalm 20:1 NASB

Unemployment, wars, terrorism, natural disasters, leaders’ poor decisions — times are hard. But as our older relatives will tell us, hard times are nothing new. Flip through old family photo albums or history books, and see how difficult life was. Against the background of diseases, droughts, and financial depression, we see men and women of deep and abiding faith.

Turn in the Bible to the book of Psalms. There we hear the cries of God’s people in times of trouble. We also hear echoes of our own frustration, our own fears, and our pleas for help from the only One who understands, the One who can best respond.

When the troubles of this world crash in around you, flip through the pages of that photo album to gain some perspective. Then open the Psalms and find words of encouragement and peace for your weary soul. God is faithful, He understands, and He hears your prayers.

God, thank You for believers in ages past who struggled in times of trouble yet held fast to their faith. Help me to be able to hold fast to my faith. Amen.

Listen Carefully

I will hear what God the LORD will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; but let them not turn back to folly. — Psalm 85:8 NKJV

It’s been said that God gave us two ears and one mouth to show us that we ought to listen twice as much as we talk. Some people do a better job of this than others. We have no trouble meeting our quota for talking, but when it comes to listening — to truly listening and to listening twice as much as we talk — we struggle.

We would do well not only to apply this 2:1 ratio to our conversations, but also to our prayer conversation with God. When we think of prayer, we think about what we want to say. When we seek instruction for how to pray, we focus on what we say to God. Far less frequently are we reminded that we need to listen.

Knowing His written Word will help us recognize His voice; choosing to ask for the Spirit’s guidance will help us listen and obey.

Key to all of this is making time to shut out the world. When we are still, we will have an easier time hearing God’s voice and, at the same time, experiencing the peace of His presence with us.

God, help me to work toward that 2:1 ratio and make a concerted effort to hear Your voice, listen, and obey. Amen.

Excerpted from 365 Devotions for Peace by Cheri Cowell, copyright Zondervan.

Today is a great day to pray! Even if it’s just for a few minutes, take a break and pray. Ask the Lord for His wisdom, guidance, and direction. Ask Him for peace, hope, and encouragement. Ask Him for revival, for Him to pour out His Holy Spirit afresh upon us, and for us to welcome obedience and humility. Ask Him for unity and kindness, grace, mercy and love.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 4, 2022

Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress.—Psalm 4:1KJV

This verse is one of the greatest testimonies ever written regarding the effectiveness of God’s work on our behalf during times of crisis. It is a statement of thanksgiving for having been set free not from suffering but rather through suffering. In stating, “Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress,” the psalmist is declaring that the sorrows of life have themselves been the source of life’s enlargement.

Haven’t each of us experienced this a thousand times and found it to be true? Someone once said of Joseph that when he was in the dungeon,

“iron entered his soul.”

And the strength of iron is exactly what he needed, for earlier he had only experienced the glitter of gold. He had been rejoicing in youthful dreams, and dreaming actually hardens the heart. Someone who sheds great tears over a simple romance will not be of much help in a real crisis, for true sorrow will be too deep for him. We all need the iron in life to enlarge our character. The gold is simply a passing vision, whereas the iron is the true experience of life. The chain that is the common bond uniting us to others must be one of iron. The common touch of humanity that gives the world true kinship is not joy but sorrow —gold is partial to only a few, but iron is universal.

Dear soul, if you want your sympathy for others to be enlarged, you must be willing to have your life narrowed to certain degrees of suffering. Joseph’s dungeon was the very road to his throne, and he would have been unable to lift the iron load of his brothers had he not experienced the iron in his own life.

Your life will be enlarged in proportion to the amount of iron you have endured, for it is in the shadows of your life that you will find the actual fulfillment of your dreams of glory. So do not complain about the shadows of darkness —in reality, they are better than your dreams could ever be. Do not say that the darkness of the prison has shackled you, for your shackles are wings —wings of flight into the heart and soul of humanity. And the gate of your prison is the gate into the heart of the universe. God has enlarged you through the suffering of sorrow’s chain. ~GEORGE MATHESON

If Joseph had never been Egypt’s prisoner, he would have never been Egypt’s governor. The iron chain that bound his feet brought about the golden chain around his neck.

Excerpted from Healing Water for the Soul by L.B. Cowman, copyright Zondervan.

It might seem like suffering and pain are pointless, but that is not true in the Kingdom of God. Trusting in the Lord through trials and strain strengthens and builds us in our souls and character just like going to the gym builds our muscles!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 3, 2022

~ It’s Mental Health Awareness Month ~

It’s Time to Talk About It

Written for Devotionals Daily by Shawn Johnson,

author of Attacking Anxiety: From Panicked and Depressed to Alive and Free

Have you ever struggled with anxiety, depression, hopelessness, or suicidal thoughts? If you have, you’re not alone. Those thoughts are running rampant in our world today.

The CDC says that over 50 percent of all Americans will struggle with mental health issues during their lifetime. That stat tells us that every one of you reading this right now have either dealt with anxiety or depression yourself or know somebody who has. It's that prevalent in our society today.

Which means there couldn't be a better time than right now to start having really good, open, honest, and biblical discussions about mental health! But unfortunately, the church can be the hardest place to talk about it.

That was my story. I'm the pastor of a large and growing church, but for years I kept my mental health struggles to myself. I didn't talk openly about them because I didn't think I was allowed to. So instead, I suffered silently until I hit a breaking point and couldn't hold it in any longer.

There's this weird stigma with church where we talk about, learn about, and sing songs to Jesus, who gives us peace, joy, and freedom. But for many of us, there is a disconnect between what we are singing and what we are actually feeling. Because in the middle of our seasons of mental health struggles, peace, joy, and freedom are the furthest thing from what we are experiencing.

And so we start to feel like we must be second-class citizens, second-class Christians. We think we are the only ones struggling and we start to think, Maybe I don't have enough faith. Maybe I don't really believe in God. Maybe I'm too broken. Maybe no one else will understand.

Since we feel like we are the only ones struggling with mental health, we assume we must be doing something wrong. Plus, we feel so much shame about it that we start to think we are supposed to hide it. After all, everyone else has it all together, so no one else will understand, right? So, I've just got to hide it and pretend that I'm okay.

We treat church like a courtroom instead of a hospital. We go there and pretend that everything's okay instead of being open and honest about what we're struggling with.

And Satan absolutely loves it. He wants us to suffer in isolation.

The Bible says that we're supposed to bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2). But when we hide our burdens, how can anyone help us carry them? How can they bear it if they don’t know it exists?

I’ve learned over the years that we're all suffering from the same thing, but we don't know it because we're all keeping the same secret. It's time to start talking about this in the church. We have to start admitting that it's a real issue. And the starting point is calling out the lies of the enemy:

No one will ever understand.

I must be going crazy.

I'm so broken.

I've got to hide this stuff.

Those are lies from the pit of hell. The Bible shows us that we don't have to just deal with depression and be attacked by anxiety, but through the spiritual weapons that God has given us, the power of the Holy Spirit inside of us, and the powerful name of Jesus, we can experience more peace, joy, and freedom than we ever thought possible.

And it all starts with opening up the discussion!

Have you ever felt resistance to entering into the community of God during a season of profoundly isolating trial and suffering? What happened when you dipped your toe back into church? How did the fellowship of other believers help?

This church is a close nit family.  And my heart says that we would accept anyone made in the image of God into our midst even with the worst of damage and frailties caused by our fallen world.  You have been welcoming, loving and helping with your gifting for all who enter our doors to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Let us be even more aware of the needs of those around us and ask God to bless us to meet their need through His church!  Amen!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 2, 2022

Pray Until Something Happens

In the 2010 Oscar-winning film The King’s Speech, actor Colin Firth plays the part of King George VI, whose ascension to the throne of Great Britain would be accompanied by his severe speech impediment. King George knows that to rule effectively and be taken seriously, he must have command over his diction. He hires a speech therapist played by Geoffrey Rush, who gives the king the confidence to enunciate words that he formerly struggled with, helping him to recover both his cadence and his self-assurance. It is an incredibly moving film, one that highlights the importance and power of the spoken word.

God, who is the King of kings, creates everything by the Word of His mouth. In fact, His Word is supreme in the universe. Nothing and no one can undo what He has spoken and what He has declared. In Genesis chapter one, God creates the heavens and the earth, light and life, by nothing more than speaking. His Word is the beginning and the end of all things.

PUSH prayer is prayer that is based upon the Word of God. If you can see God’s Word as seed, you will see that within this seed is the will of God. Every seed reproduces after its own kind. It cannot do otherwise. An orange seed cannot produce bananas and an apple seed cannot produce watermelons. This is because within each seed is its DNA.

Each word of God contains the DNA of God within it and it is sent forth for no other reason than to establish or bring about His will.

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. — Isaiah 55:11

The Word of God is so powerful that the Bible says in Matthew 13 that when the Word of God is sown and the recipient does not understand it, the devil comes immediately and snatches away what was sown (Matthew 13:19). The devil is terrified of the Word of God because he has no power over it. However, he has the power to snatch it away and he attacks it, resisting it relentlessly. When we speak God’s Word we are engaging in spiritual warfare. The devil hates the Word because it brings forth light and diminishes darkness.

Prayer is most potent when we speak and declare the Word of God.

It acts like a battering ram, pushing back the siege walls of the kingdom of darkness. It releases into the atmosphere that which overcomes darkness, bringing forth light. Jesus spoke into a tomb and a dead man walked out. In the middle of a tempest, Jesus stood on the bow of the ship and said “Peace, be still!” and immediately the storm subsided and the sea became as calm and smooth as glass (Mark 4:39). PUSH is prayer that is based upon the Word of God, fueled by the Word of God, carrying the goal of accomplishing the Word of God.

Excerpted from PUSH: Pray Until Something Happens by Jurgen Matthesius, copyright Thomas Nelson.

 God’s Word is the beginning and the end of all things. What would happen if we started praying the Word of God over our families, community, nation, and world issues? What if we faced spiritual battle with His Word confidently? What could happen?

Pray without ceasing!  God hears and answers our prayers.  Pray about everything, then wait and expect God to respond and His will be active in your life.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 1, 2022

Article by Marshall Segal
Staff writer, desiringGod.org

Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. (Proverbs 18:1)

In March of 1876, Alexander Graham Bell made the first-ever phone call, which, in time, came to dramatically transform how we relate to one another. On the surface, the communication revolution has seemed to render isolation something of an endangered species — we’re more connected than ever, right? And yet one wonders if isolation eventually mutated into something more subtle and yet equally dangerous (perhaps even more dangerous for being subtle). At least one prominent sociologist fears that’s the case:

We are lonely but fearful of intimacy. Digital connections and the sociable robot may offer the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship. Our networked life allows us to hide from each other, even as we are tethered to each other. We’d rather text than talk. (Sherry Turkle, Alone Together, 1)

Or, as the subtitle of her book says, “We expect more from technology and less from each other.” And whenever we expect less of each other, we inevitably drift further and further from each other, leaving us as isolated (or more) as the lonely man before the advent of the telephone.

What Kind of Isolation?

Some may read the last few paragraphs and quietly envy a time when no one called, emailed, texted, or (worst of all?) left a voicemail. A life with less people actually might sound kind of appealing. You may struggle to relate to the possible dangers of isolation. Wisdom, however, knows the hazards hiding in the shadows of our seclusion: “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment” (Proverbs 18:1).

What kind of isolation did the wise man have in mind? The next verse gives us a clearer picture:

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,

     but only in expressing his opinion. (Proverbs 18:2)

He doesn’t want to hear what others think; he only wants someone to hear what he thinks. This strikes a major nerve in the book of Proverbs. As this wise father prepares his son for the realities of life in this wild and menacing world, he wants him to see that some of the greatest threats are stowaways, striking from within. He warns him, in particular, about the ruinous power of unchecked pride.

Be not wise in your own eyes;

     fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. (Proverbs 3:7)

Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?

     There is more hope for a fool than for him. (Proverbs 26:12)

There is a way that seems right to a man,

     but its end is the way to death. (Proverbs 14:12)

The proud man, we learn, breaks out against all judgment because he invites destruction on himself. Arrogance makes his isolation dangerous: I don’t spend more time with other people because I don’t need other people — because I know better than other people. This pride distinguishes isolation from the virtues of solitude, which God encourages again and again (Psalm 46:10; Matthew 6:6; Mark 1:35).

The ways that lead to death are the ways we choose for ourselves while refusing meaningful community — relationships marked by consistent honesty, counsel, correction, and encouragement.

Alone with Our Desires

What draws us into the spiritual shadows of isolation? Our own selfish desires. “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire.” Whenever someone leaves or avoids the community he needs, he has been lured away by sinful desires — desires for privacy or autonomy, for comfort or ease, for money or sex, even for vindication or vengeance. At root, it’s our desires that divide and isolate us:

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. (James 4:1–2)

“Whenever someone leaves or avoids the community he needs, he has been lured away by sinful desires.”

The desires that keep us from one another are varied, but they’re all rooted in selfish discontentment: We want and do not have, so we excuse ourselves from love — either by attacking one another or by abandoning one another. Our desires, Scripture says, are what isolate and undo us (Jude 1:18–19). Consider, for instance, the lazy man:

The desire of the sluggard kills him,

     for his hands refuse to labor.

All day long he craves and craves,

     but the righteous gives and does not hold back. (Proverbs 21:25–26)

The sluggard dies in sin because he’s been hardened by its deceitfulness: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12–13). Whenever we isolate ourselves from the perspective, encouragement, and exhortations of others, we open ourselves wide to the deceitfulness of sin. And why is the deceitfulness of sin so compelling? Because Satan studies and preys on our desires. He’s a master gardener, carefully seeding selfishness, discontentment, and bitterness in just the right places.

Consistent, meaningful community, however, exposes and thwarts him. It reveals just how thin and shallow his lies are, and just how far our desires can sometimes wander.

Sweetness of a Friend

The opposite of soul-wrecking isolation, though, is a life deeply rooted in the hearts and counsel of good friends. “Where there is no guidance, a people falls,” Proverbs 11:14 warns, “but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” As is so often the case, wisdom, fruitfulness, and safety grow out of humility — out of a willingness to submit our thoughts and plans, dreams and desires, sins and weaknesses to someone else.

“The most effective and fruitful people are those who distrust themselves enough to diligently seek out guidance.”

The most effective and fruitful people are those who distrust themselves enough to diligently seek out guidance — not three or four times over a lifetime, but several times each month, maybe even each week. “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22; see also 20:18) — notice, not just advisers, but many advisers. And not just many advisers, but the right advisers: “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). Online articles, sermons, and podcasts can be a great gift, but we all need flesh-and-blood, life-on-life perspective for our particular personalities, struggles, and circumstances. We need friends who can look us in the eye and see what no one online can.

So who are your advisors? Who knows you well enough to challenge your plans and decisions? When’s the last time someone pushed back on something in your life? If you can’t remember, you may be more isolated than you think, at least in the ways that really matter.

Wounds of Togetherness

One way Satan isolates us is by convincing us that the counsel and correction we need is burdensome, not life-giving. Both Scripture and experience, however, testify against him:

Better is open rebuke

     than hidden love.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend;

     profuse are the kisses of an enemy. . . .

Oil and perfume make the heart glad,

     and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. (Proverbs 27:5–9)

Life in rigorous community is not a stifled life, but an enhanced one. Faithful counsel may wound us in the moment, but only so that it might heal and preserve us. As Ray Ortlund says,

When iron sharpens iron, it creates friction. When a friend wounds you, it hurts. So, do you see? There’s a difference between hurting someone and harming someone. There is a difference between someone being loved and someone feeling loved. Jesus loved everyone well, and some people felt hurt. So they crucified him. If we don’t understand this, then every time we feel hurt we will look for someone to blame and punish. We will make our emotional state someone else’s fault. (Proverbs, 168)

Don’t judge your church or small group or friendship by how much it hurts when hard words come. Ask what those hard words are producing in you over time. Is the friction you feel slowly drawing you closer to Christ and making you more like him? Has the pain you’ve felt in certain conversations led you deeper into repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10)? If so, then your wounds may be healing wounds from faithful friends — rare friends who are worth keeping at whatever cost.

Antidote for Isolation

What practical advice would I give to someone who realizes he is more isolated than he thought? My first piece of advice would be to find, join, and serve a local church.

Friendship is a great weapon against spiritual isolation, but one meaningful covenant with a church family is worth an army of friendships. When our desires begin to harden us to God, his word, and his will, friends may stay and fight with us, but our church has vowed to stay and fight — until death ushers us together, sinless, into the presence of Jesus.

Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24–25)

Isolation dies in church families that know they need, and want, to gather. For them, Sunday mornings aren’t a sweet addition to a full and happy life; they are the foundation of a full and happy life. God means for us to know him, serve him, enjoy him, and become like him as a part of Christ’s body. The more isolated we become, the more we cut ourselves off from the fountains of his grace, mercy, and guidance.

Meeting together as a church family bring me great joy.  There I find love, forgiveness, accountability, mercy, grace, hope, endurance, help . . .

Thank you for blessing me as I hope to bless you as we gather together! 

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith April 30, 2022

Pastor’s Pen Pulpit – Charles Covington

Easter Sunday 2001

“THE BENEFITS OF HIS RESURRECTION”

Romans 6

We are all familiar with the teaching of I Corinthians 15 and other New Testament passages which show clearly that because Jesus was raised bodily from the dead, all Christians will one day have a glorified body like His.  That is a fact settled in Heaven.

However, let us look briefly at His bodily resurrection as it benefits Christians today.  In Colossians 3:1 Paul writes:

If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

This is a blanket statement of fact.  We have to go to that familiar sixth chapter of Romans to see the details. 

He begins in verses 1 and 2 by saying that because we died together with Him, then it is unthinkable that we can continue to live in a pattern of life habit of sin.  Paul says we have been baptized into His (Christ’s) death, identified completely with Him in death so whatever happened to Him on the cross, happened to believers in God’s eyes.  Then verse 4 follows logically - if we have died with Him, we live with Him because He was raised up from the dead by the glorious power of the Father.  We are identified with Him in death and identified with Him in resurrection.  The resurrection power of the risen Christ lives within each true believer in Christ.

Because of that fact, sin no longer reigns in our lives - leading us down the same old path we once trod.  Paul punctuates that fact in verses 6 and 7:

Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for He who has died is freed from sin.

Beloved, that is the present application of the resurrection.  Believers have no need to yield and keep on yielding to anger, pride, gossip, and all the things that go with the sin nature.  Spiritually you are as much alive with Christ today as you will be throughout all eternity.  Claim this truth for yourself and experience the true Easter message.  All truth is relevant for today.

God bless each and every one of you this Easter Season.  I challenge you to seek those things which are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Love to you all,

Charles

The two italicized portions of this pen-pulpit are the beginning of my message for tomorrow, May 1, 2022.  I felt it appropriate to share Pastor Charles thoughts …

As he poured his life into me, so I pour out mine to you.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith April 29, 2022

Article by Scott Hubbard
Editor, desiringGod.org

Have you ever found yourself in a night so black that you nearly stopped hoping for morning?

Some guilt feels so deep that you wonder if you should just lie down and die. Some mental or spiritual midnights feel so thick, and the sky so starless, that a step in any direction seems useless. Sometimes, you not only walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but you collapse partway through, and don’t rise.

Maybe you’ve been there, as I have. Maybe you are there right now. If so, Holy Week offers a fellow failure, an anguished friend, a brother in the darkness. If anyone has tasted the bitter salt of midnight weeping, he has. And if anyone can testify to the miracle of dawn and the drying of tears, he can.

What was happening in those dreadful hours on Holy Saturday, as Peter, sobbing and beating his breast, remembered his three denials, remembered Jesus’s final look (Luke 22:61), remembered how it all ended, and yet somehow did not go hang himself like Judas? A scene from Maundy Thursday gives us the answer: the prayer of Jesus was holding him.

Against the accumulated powers of sin, Satan, and despair, a praying Christ was Peter’s only hope. And ours.

Satan Roars

Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat. (Luke 22:31)

Earlier in Luke’s Gospel, we read the foreboding words, “When the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from [Jesus] until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13). As night falls on Thursday, the time has come, and the devil knows it (Luke 22:53). And so, Satan, after devouring one of the twelve (Luke 22:3), roars for the other eleven.

For three years, Jesus had stood between Peter and the dragon’s mouth, keeping him, guarding him (John 17:12). But now he was leaving, and Peter, like Job before him, would discover how much his strength rested on the hidden shield of his Lord. For the first time, he would walk the valley without the familiar comfort of his shepherd.

Satan demands to sift the disciples: to throw them on the sieve and shake, shake, shake until Simon Peter was only Simon again — clay and not rock (Luke 6:14), a fisher of fish and not of men (Luke 5:10). Here is the real terror behind our darkest nights. We feel like we’re unraveling, as if our testimony is being told in reverse. We fear we’re falling back into a Christless past.

We would, if Jesus left us alone in Satan’s sieve. Thank God he doesn’t.

Jesus Prays

But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. (Luke 22:32)

What words could overcome the horror of “Satan demanded to have you”? These: “But I have prayed for you.” I have prayed for you, Peter. I, Jesus, the storm-stilling, sickness-healing, demon-destroying Son of God. I, Jesus, the Father’s beloved, his Chosen One, whom heaven hears with pleasure (Luke 3:22; 9:35). I, Jesus, have prayed for you.

Peter will still be put in the sieve. But Jesus asks that, in all the shaking, Peter’s faith will not fall dead to the ground. He asks for an ember to burn under the ashes of Peter’s failure — a secret comfort in his weeping, a buried warmth beneath his anguish, a hidden hope that would compel him come Sunday to sprint to the tomb rather than follow Judas (Luke 24:10–12).

“Your night, no matter how black, is no sure sign that your faith has finally failed and fled you.”

In all likelihood, Peter could neither see nor feel the ember. He may have felt inconsolable, sure that this darkness would never see the dawn. Maybe you feel similarly. Know this: Jesus has seen embers of faith in his saints where they saw only ash. Your night, no matter how black, is no sure sign that your faith has finally failed and fled you.

Jesus still held Peter, even from the tomb. So he holds all his people, even when a stone seems to have rolled over the heavens. And we can feel him holding us when we, like Peter, stubbornly refuse Judas’s despair, and labor to believe even on the bleakest Saturday.

In the coming hours, the sun’s light would fail (Luke 23:45). But in answer to Jesus’s prayer, Peter’s faith would not.

Peter Turns

And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. (Luke 22:32)

When Jesus looks at Peter, he sees the three denials hiding in his heart (Luke 22:34). But he also sees something deeper than his denials, a threefold “I love you” that will survive till Sunday, sustained by his own prayers (John 21:15–17). He sees a man who will plant his feet in the same footsteps of his denials, this time walking in the opposite direction.

And even now, Jesus wants Peter to see himself beyond the coming misery. And so, he doesn’t say, “if you have turned again,” but when. Peter’s perseverance does not rest on the slender thread of his own power, but on the unbreakable beam of Christ’s own prayers. And so it is for all Christ’s disciples. Our deliverance — whether from our own sin or from a darkness not our fault — may seem uncertain on our side; we wonder if our faith will fail along the way. But on Jesus’s side, our deliverance is as certain his own intercession (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25). If we are truly in Christ, our turning is a when, not an if.

And in the matchless mercy of Jesus, we will find, as Peter did, that he welcomes us back as not a slave but a son, reassured and recommissioned. “When you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” The one who was too weak to stand with Jesus will now strengthen others, his failure having fitted him for a wiser, humbler, more Christward ministry, resting on a power not his own.

Peter now knows the weakness of Peter, the strength of Satan, and the overpowering redemption of Jesus. And the restored Peters among us, who know the same firsthand, are often best suited to strengthen others.

He Prays for You

What might Jesus have prayed for Peter on that darkest of nights? We get a clue in John’s Gospel.

I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. (John 17:15)

“Don’t come undone, and don’t despair, if the sky above you looks black as Peter’s. Instead, hope.”

Jesus did not ask that Peter be removed from the world, where the devil prowls. Peter felt “the power of darkness” on Maundy Thursday (Luke 22:53), and the darkness nearly broke him. But Jesus did ask that Peter be kept from the devil’s devouring jaws. And the Father answered: Peter did not become a Judas.

We may find, too, that Jesus’s intercession does not keep us from nights whose darkness nearly swallows us. Don’t come undone, and don’t despair, if the sky above you looks black as Peter’s. Instead, hope. Pray. Huddle together with the other disciples, and wait for Sunday morning.

In time, something will stir on the horizon of this midnight: a light beyond hope, a magic deeper than the misery of sin or the mercilessness of Satan. Jesus prays for you.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith April 28, 2022 Prophecy Update

Notes of Faith April 28, 2022 Prophecy Update

Watching Israel as we wait for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ!

“It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.” Zech. 12:3

Since 1948 when Israel miraculously became a nation again after some 1900+ years of being scattered around the earth, the United States has been her only true ally.

We came to her aid in her War of Independence in 1948, the Six Day War in 1967 and the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Each time God allowed her to overcome almost impossible odds.

Most Israelis admit that if it weren’t for the military support of the United States, Israel would not be a nation today. And Israel is openly and profoundly grateful for our help.

No doubt God orchestrated the USA to reach her “leader of the free world” status in 1945, just in time to have Israel’s back when she was a burgeoning and vulnerable nation.

By 2008, our support was still present, but waning, when Obama came to power. His administration fully supported Iran over Israel, giving Iran a legal track to slowly develop nuclear weapons.

President Trump put a screeching halt to that nonsense for four years but now those who are in control have again turned the administration's support from 100% Israel to 100% Iran.

Today Israel knows she has no true ally in the world, other than the body of knowledgeable evangelical Christians.

Having organized one of the world’s best intelligence gathering networks, Israel knows more about what’s going on in the Biden Administration than most working inside the Biden Administration.

Israel Going Out On a Limb

Israel's isolation and the hatred toward her is about to quickly become worse. While we were in Israel recently, calls to rebuild the third Jewish Temple began being openly discussed in major publications like the Jerusalem Post.

Calls to go back to making blood sacrifices will further distance her from every other nation. Most in the USA have been "Bambized" by Disney and will be totally disgusted when they hear this.

Since 1948, there have been fringe groups, like the Temple Mount Faithful, who have pushed for rebuilding the Jewish Temple. They have faithfully and ceremoniously carried a cornerstone to be laid to begin construction of the Temple once a year, knowing they would be refused.

But now it’s in the mainstream Jewish Media. Consider these recent headlines in Israel:

And here’s another:

The Israel Today article includes this paragraph:

“Responsible Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders should use this recent wave of Islamic violence to immediately begin discussing practical and peaceful steps for the rebuilding of the Temple on the Temple Mount. It could be done without damaging or disrespecting the Dome of the Rock or Al Aqsa, as part of a future peace plan between Israel and her Arab neighbors to end the plague of Islamic terror once and for all.”

Wow. Wow. And oh WOW! This is another one of those things I never thought I would see in print pre-Rapture! Israel is openly discussing in their major newspapers peace in conjunction with rebuilding their Temple and going back to sacrifices. Things seem to be quickly coming together for our soon loud and exhilarating exit.

We know the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt and sacrifices re-instituted right after the 70th Week of Daniel begins – the Tribulation – because the Antichrist will put a stop to the sacrifices half-way into the 7-year peace period.

“And he will make a firm covenant [peace treaty] with the many for one week [week of years = 7 years], but in the middle of the week [3 1/2 years later] he [the Antichrist] will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering;” Dan. 9:27

You can't stop something that hasn't started!

However, they will NOT start building their Temple until the Two Witnesses(1) show up to measure out where to build.

Then there was given me [John] a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months. Rev. 11:1-2

The above verse is quite interesting because it’s something that occurs post-Rapture—the 2 Witnesses, Elijah and John(1), only show up after the Rapture…after the 7-Year Peace Treaty is signed.

As you can see above, there is plenty of room to build the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount, even leaving the Dome of the Rock intact and adding a church in one of two places. All three major religions of the world in one place.

Israel building their Temple will most likely be included in the post-Rapture 7-year peace treaty signed by Israel and 10 nations (the ten toes of the beast in Daniel 2).

With a victory over the Russian/Iran invasion (Ezek 38/39) Israel will be in a strength position and can get anything they want.

Back in 1967 when Israel captured the Temple Mount in the Six Day War, Moshe Dayan, Israel’s wartime military General, gave use of the Temple Mount back to the Muslims in an attempt to avoid another war.

The Muslims were given permission to operate their facilities on the Temple Mount area but Israeli soldiers had full control of the area. Muslims have their Friday services there but the Israel Defense Force controls the entire area.

So when Israel begins calling for sacrifices on the Temple Mount, two major prophecies are being fulfilled – her return to sacrifices and becoming a burden to the world.

What an amazing thing to watch. What an amazing time to be alive.

CQLJ! (Come Quickly Lord Jesus)

BP

Reference:

1) https://compass.org/the-identity-of-the-two-witnesses/

WHO OWNS THE TEMPLE MOUNT?

An up-close and personal perspective from our recent trip

It's confusing for many what Israel can and cannot do on the Temple Mount (the red rectangle area above). The bottom line is that God gave it to Israel for their First Temple. But they lost it to Babylon and got it back 70 years later.

They lost it again in 70 AD. In 1948 it was given to them by the United Nations. Jordan immediately captured it and illegally occupied it until 1967 when Israel got it back in the Six Day War.

So it belongs to Israel today and they can do as they please—their choice. Muslims are PERMITTED to use it by Israel's grace. But Israel maintains its soldiers up there.

For example, this past week when Muslims threw bricks down on the Jews worshiping at the Wailing Wall on Passover and then hid in the Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount, the IDF stormed into the Mosque and arrested those who had been throwing bricks.

When our group was on the Temple Mount last week, just before that well-publicized incident, there were more than the usual number of Israeli soldiers patrolling and they were on high alert. They apparently were expecting that something might happen.

After our Easter services at the Empty Tomb last week (pinch me!) we made one last walk through the Old City and saw numerous groups of 8-10 IDF soldiers in full riot gear throughout the Old City. Israel wasn't giving the Muslims a chance to start anything.

Israel Has Been Preparing To Rebuild The Temple For A Long Time

One of the most interesting sites we visit in Jerusalem is the Temple Institute where they are actively assembling all the necessary Temple implements that go inside, quite a large undertaking.

They want to have everything ready once they can rebuild. They've even found the blue dye for the trim on the High Priest's robe. They still need the ashes of the red heifer though.

It seems that just like the Holy Spirit is loosening His Restrainer grip on the world before full and total departure(1), God apparently is beginning to wake up Israel to the reality of her spiritual heritage in a big way.

And as she moves more toward God, the world will hate her more and all nations will be against Israel.

CQLJ!

BP