Notes of Faith October 9, 2022

Notes of Faith October 9, 2022

Having an Exit Strategy

My first experience with water skiing came at the age of twenty-four. I was quietly anxious about the adventure. All of my focus was on getting up on those skis. The first attempt was over before it began. One tug from the motorboat, and the rope left my hands and took off without me. On the second try, I got up for a brief second before I face-planted and a rush of brown lake water was sent up my nose. On the third attempt I kept the tension just right to bring my body out of the water. As my body fully emerged, I leaned back just a bit and found the slot. I did it! I was water skiing. A smile overtook my entire face. I had accomplished the goal! Check.

Then it dawned on me. I had spent all my energy and focus on my entrance strategy and had invested zero time considering my exit strategy. I had no idea how to end this experience. Fear overtook me. Thoughts of my falling body skipping across the water like a smooth stone came to mind. Thoughts of my legs rising above my head as I made contact with the concrete water below elevated my blood pressure.

So, I held on for dear life as the boat continued circling the small lake. The guys on the boat began to yell out something to me, but I couldn’t quite make it out. By this time my hands and legs were cramping. How was this going to end? It had to end. I couldn’t hold on forever. I yelled for the guys to speak louder.

They screamed at the top of their lungs, “Let go of the rope!”

Let go of the rope? They must be insane. What happens to a body that just lets go of the rope and gives up? I didn’t know, because I had never experienced it before. So, I doubled down on my grip and kept skiing, completely unsure of how it was all eventually going to end.

Life is so often like my water-skiing adventure. We use all of our energy getting up and staying up but don’t have an exit strategy. We know we can’t continue the ride forever in this body — it will eventually give out — but, because we don’t know how the ride ends and fear it will hurt, we hold on for dear life.

Woody Allen said, “I don’t mind dying; I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” Boy, can I relate!

What is the exit strategy for the Christian? If I said “yes” to Christ in this life, what happens to me when I die, when I let go of the rope?

"Death is a sting.

But, the sting is only temporary."

— Randy Frazee

 The Bible has so much to say about this that will calm your nerves, loosen your death grip on life and give you hope. Consider the words of Paul in his letter to the Corinthian believers –

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. — 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:1

Daily our bodies are wasting away. Can I get an “amen”? This is just a fact of life. But as we grow in Christ, Paul says, our spirits can actually get stronger. The second-best for overcoming the effects of aging is diet and exercise. The first-best strategy is spiritual growth, getting healthy on the inside.

We should do everything we can to take care of our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), but eventually, time takes its toll. I am working hard to slow the process down, but I cannot stop it. I’m not only getting older, but I am getting shorter. Somewhere between high school and now, I have lost an inch off my height. Yikes.

Death will eventually win over these perishable bodies we inherited from Adam, but as we grow spiritually and get to know God better, we will see he has a plan for us. His plan trumps all the pain and even physical death we experience in this life. It’s a plan where love wins and we live forever. On the day of Christ’s return we will receive a new body, a resurrected body that is imperishable. When we fix our eyes on this promise it makes the temporary troubles we have in life now seem puny in comparison. Because no matter how awful our circumstances become, we know this is not how our story ends. We will receive relief from our grief one day. The believer in Jesus can cope with this hope.

That summer day when I was water skiing so many years ago, I finally did it. I let go of the ski rope. What happened? My body slowly sank into the water. The life jacket kept me afloat as the boat circled around to pick me up. Everything was fine. And the next time out I not only had an entrance strategy but an exit strategy.

Death, the Bible tells us, is a valley experience. But at some point in the valley, Jesus will meet us there and take us the rest of the way (see Psalm 23:4). Death is a sting. But, the sting is only temporary. Once it wears off and is over, you are left with eternity in the presence of God. Whenever it is time for you to let go of the rope of life, you will discover that everything will be just fine. No, not fine…better than ever.

Original blog by Randy Frazee for Devotionals Daily featuring his new book What Happens After You Die, copyright Randy Frazee.

Only believers in Jesus can have a joy filled exit strategy. Make sure that you are on the blessed and rewarded side of eternity!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 8, 2022

Notes of Faith October 8, 2022

How Great Thou Art

The Faith of Elvis

Why do larger-than-life people like Elvis do what they do?

Why do they go through the difficult process of trying to build a career? Why live with the unpredictability of fame and success on a large scale? Why put yourself out there so people can criticize your every move? Why try to reinvent yourself every decade or so?

Every artist has their own answers. Elvis loved music. He loved the audiences. He loved performing. He loved his fans. He loved the opportunity to help others because he was in a privileged position.

But there was one overriding reason he did what he did.

Elvis was a man on a mission.

It wasn’t about having a career or creating the next album, concert, or movie gig. He saw what he did as a spiritual calling.

The apostle Paul had a mission too. He laid it out in Romans 1:14–17:

I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Paul preached the gospel from every imaginable place in the ancient world. Sometimes his “stage” was a Jewish synagogue, a prison cell, a ship, or even Mars Hill in the city of Athens. Elvis shared the same mission of spreading God’s love. But he chose to share it through music.

Elvis started doing live concerts again after his 1968 TV special on NBC (the ’68 Comeback Special). That whole experience was an experiment to see if crowds would still respond to Elvis. And indeed they did! Soon afterward, Elvis booked a residency at the new Hilton in Las Vegas. He interspersed these residencies with concert tours around the country.

In 1973, Elvis performed his famous Aloha from Hawaii TV special and included “How Great Thou Art” in the set list. This was his way of showing he was a true believer.

He recognized that his ministry was his music. It was the only way he knew to get his message out.

Evangelism has always been challenging for people of faith. Even in the earliest days of the church, not every person who heard the gospel became a believer. Nothing had changed in nearly two thousand years — some believed, and some wouldn’t. Elvis knew he had a much better shot at sharing God’s love through the art form of music.

Why music? Music touches the heart directly. It goes straight to the emotions and moves people in a way that a sermon or lesson never could. Elvis was committed to using this powerful tool to reach as many people as possible.

It’s hard to step on anyone’s toes or cast a judgmental attitude when you’re singing about God’s love and grace.

Elvis also wanted to avoid the judgmental attitudes he saw in so much of the Christian world.

It’s hard to step on anyone’s toes or cast a judgmental attitude when you’re singing about God’s love and grace.

His job was to put the message out there. His audience’s job was to decide to either accept or reject the message. The funny thing is that it was probably pretty hard for a nonbeliever to reject the message of God’s love when they saw how much the gospel moved Elvis.

There was something different about him when he sang gospel songs. The gospel message had changed him. He wanted the same change for his audience. When you let God in, something miraculous happens in your heart.

Or as Elvis would say, “That’s God knocking on your door. Are you going to answer it?”

Although Elvis recorded numerous albums of gospel music, he didn’t see the gospel message as only contained within traditional gospel songs. A lot of the songs he used were not gospel songs, but they contained a message of inspiration, encouragement, or spirituality. Songs such as “Why Me, Lord?” and “You Gave Me a Mountain” all contained important messages Elvis wanted to share. If you listen to them with an open heart and an open ear, you’ll see these songs are talking about faith.

Elvis has sometimes been criticized for not writing his own songs. Many other artists of his era — indeed, most of the popular ones — wrote many if not all of their own music. Elvis’s main gift was not in writing songs, but in recognizing and selecting amazing songs that aligned with his worldview and message. Then he would put his own spin on them, adding something special and unique in the process.

For example, his rendition of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge over Troubled Water” is very different from the original. Yet the message is the same: the singer is telling the listener to give him their troubles and woes. He will lay himself down to be their bridge so they can make it across in a time of trouble.

If you take a moment to listen to Elvis’s version, it is obvious he wasn’t faking it. He meant every word. He wanted to be like Jesus, getting people through a hard situation. His whole life was focused on helping people and sharing love. It was the perfect song for him.

These kinds of songs were not straight-up gospel songs. They were not necessarily written from a Christian viewpoint. However, Elvis turned them around and used them to express his love and faith. He wanted to get people focused on the Lord. Sometimes you have to do that in indirect ways.

Gospel wasn’t just a style of music Elvis incorporated into his concerts or used to fulfill his recording contracts. It was also his heart language and a way to unwind after the emotional high of a concert.

When Elvis came off the stage, he would be so wound up with energy that it was impossible to turn it off. He never gave a half-hearted performance. Even if he felt something could be musically a little better, or he was unhappy with some small aspect of a concert, he never gave anything less than 100 percent of his energy.

Giving out all this energy affected him. You would think he would be exhausted, but it was the exact opposite. All the love and affection he had just put out to the audience was now coming back to him, and it filled him.

The only way he knew how to come down from this high was to sing gospel. Elvis would gather with some people in his hotel suite, usually with the gospel quartet that accompanied him onstage, and one of the guys from the band would sit down at the piano and get started. Because Elvis would be there for weeks at a time, he would have the hotel bring in a piano during his stay there. Elvis was bringing in a massive amount of money for them, so they would do whatever he asked.

They would sing gospel songs until the sun came up or until Elvis said, “I’m ready to go to bed.” They would sit up there for hours, and people would come up after the show. It was almost like a second concert. After the midnight show, Elvis would invite people up and they would go on for hours. People would stand around and listen or they would mingle in the suite.

One of the songs I heard frequently in these post-concert settings was “Lighthouse.” In an unusual move, Elvis chose not to be the main singer. He did add some vocals, but his background vocalist Donnie Sumner sang the lead. If you watch the documentary Elvis: That’s the Way It Is, you’ll see Elvis and the group singing “Lighthouse.”

There is a fascinating story from 1 Samuel 16 that tells how King Saul was being tormented by an evil spirit the Lord had allowed to come upon him. Unbeknownst to Saul, young David had been anointed as the next king, and it was only a matter of time before he would replace Saul.

Ironically, David was also in the service of King Saul. One of Saul’s servants had heard about David’s ability to play the lyre and had recruited David to perform for the king. First Samuel 16:23 says,

Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

This story reminds me of the power of music to soothe and comfort in all kinds of circumstances. For Elvis, gospel music played much the same role. He took refuge and found comfort in this sacred music, long after the lights of the stage had faded and into the wee hours of the morning.

Excerpted from The Faith of Elvis by Billy Stanley, copyright Billy Stanley.

Did not know this about Elvis. He came to the University of Oregon while I was attending there. I saw him arrive in his limo and get out in all white leather and flashy sequins. He looked at that moment like I look today, out of shape, not moving well, but prepared to give a concert. Women in furs flooded the concert hall. I don’t remember how long I watched but certainly thought this was a moment for a selfie with Elvis. No cell phones back then and security never would have let me get close. It was still a moment to remember. I hope you can still enjoy the gifted voice singing gospel music!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 7, 2022

Notes of Faith October 7, 2022

Give Me More of God

Why Spiritual Intimacy Can Feel Elusive

Article by Jon Bloom

Staff writer, desiringGod.org

Deep in the heart of every true disciple of Jesus is a deep longing for more of God. But what is this more we desire? We might each describe our want somewhat differently, depending on how this longing refracts through our biology, history, and theological influences. To some degree, none of us has words for it. But at the core, what we desire is to really know God — to know him in the intimate ways that only love knows.

And we have this desire because, by God’s unfathomable grace toward us in Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9), he first has known and loved us (1 Corinthians 8:3; 1 John 4:19). It is his great desire, one he expresses in the promise of Jeremiah’s great prophecy (quoted in full in Hebrews 8):

This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:33–34)

At the heart of the new covenant is God’s great desire that we “shall all know” him.

Known by Love

You don’t need to know Hebrew (or Greek) to discern the knowing God desires. It is the knowing of relational intimacy, of deep friendship — the kind of knowing that only love knows. For to truly know God is to love God.

“To truly know God is to love God.”

The role of love in intimately knowing someone is profound. On one hand, we cannot intimately love someone we do not know. So, knowledge must precede love. But on the other hand, the deep love of intimate friendship is the door to even deeper knowledge of the beloved, because intimate friends entrust themselves and so disclose more of themselves to each other. So, there is an intimate knowledge accessible only through the deep love that results from and produces even more profound trust.

We see one illustration of this dynamic in play at the end of John 6, when, as a result of hearing Jesus say offensive-sounding things, “many of his [wider group of] disciples turned back and no longer walked with him” (John 6:66). But the twelve didn’t leave him. Why? Because, to use Peter’s words, that they had “come to know” that he was “the Holy One of God” (John 6:69).

For eleven of them, this knowledge wasn’t merely intellectual; they had come to love him and trust him, even when he confused them. And because they trusted him, Jesus disclosed to them “secrets of the kingdom” he didn’t disclose to others (Luke 8:10). To really know Jesus was to really love Jesus, which was the door to knowing Jesus more. This is what Jesus is getting at when he later says to them,

Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. (John 14:21)

The Way Is Simple

Notice the simplicity in those words: Jesus will manifest himself to whoever loves him. And two sentences later, he says, “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). If we love Jesus, both the Father and the Son will manifest themselves to us through the “Spirit of truth” who “dwell[s] in” us (John 14:17).

These are precious and very great promises (2 Peter 1:4). The way to know the triune God intimately, to experience the relational communion promised in the new covenant, is not complex. Jesus calls us to keep his commandments, or keep his word, which is essentially what he means when he says, “Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1). Jesus doesn’t give us a list of rituals, ascetic rigors, detailed prayer requirements, long pilgrimages, meditative practices, or instructions for creating special aesthetic environments to experience communion with him and the Father through the Spirit. The way is simple: “Believe in me.”

The Way Is Hard

The way may be simple to understand, but, as Jesus says elsewhere, “The way is hard that leads to life” (Matthew 7:14). The complexity and difficulty for us come not from the way itself, but from the evil we face: the internal evil of our unbelief or “little faith” (Matthew 17:20), combined with the effects of remaining sin dwelling in our members (Romans 7:21–23), and the external evil existing in a world that “lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Learning to overcome the obstacles presented to us by our sin-infected flesh and the devil-filled world (1 John 2:16) is very hard indeed.

But the way to more deeply knowing, loving, and trusting God is by faithfully persevering through the great difficulties, and through receiving God’s grace of forgiveness when we fail (1 John 1:9). For God uses these difficulties as opportunities to manifest more dimensions of himself to us. Through tribulations, we experience that Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33), that his grace is sufficient in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), and that he “is able to make all grace abound to [us], so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, [we] may abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). We come to know more of him.

Through this hard way that leads to life, we also repeatedly encounter the reality that God is true to his “living and active” word (Hebrews 4:12). And we discover that the reality we’re encountering is not merely a set of propositions, but a Person: Jesus, who is the living Word (John 1:1). We discover, in fact, that Jesus is the way that leads to him, the life (John 14:6). And when it comes to our practical pursuit of God, we discover that the Lord most often and most profoundly reveals himself to us “by the word of the Lord” (1 Samuel 3:21).

For Those Who Want More

It’s possible that this may strike you as disappointing, as if the secret to intimacy with God is “read your Bible more.” Because what you long for is something more. You want to be near God and to encounter him more personally than you seem to experience when you read your Bible or hear God’s word preached and taught and discussed. If so, your disappointment could be resulting from one or all of the following possibilities.

First, it’s possible that your exposure to God’s word has outpaced your obedience to it. A familiar and accurate grasp of God’s word is only as good as your behavior-determining belief in it. Jesus said this to some of the most frequent Bible readers of his day: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life” (John 5:39–40). Jesus discloses himself intimately only to those who keep his word. It’s worth prayerful examination.

“Jesus discloses himself intimately only to those who keep his word.”

Second, it’s possible you have a misconception of what intimacy with God should feel like, which has given rise to expectations based on a kind of fantasy, not unlike the unreal expectations we can bring to romantic love or deep human friendships. Remember, our most intimate marriages and closest friendships usually result from a few intense experiences that punctuate many ordinary times that all build trust and deepen love.

Third, it’s possible we might think that the word of the Lord is a poor substitute for the Lord’s manifest personal presence. And in a sense, of course, that’s true. But think of what makes your most intimate, manifestly present friends so meaningful. Ultimately, the words through which you disclose yourselves to each other in mutual trust, along with the promises you faithfully keep, create the intimacy you enjoy. So it is with God.

Now We Know in Part

But it’s also possible that your longing for more is your inconsolable longing to be with your Beloved, the longing all true disciples of Jesus experience. You have come to know Jesus and love him and trust him, but you are keenly and sometimes painfully aware that the wonderful disclosures God has made to you are like a splash of the ocean of joy you someday will swim in (Psalm 16:11). You’re aware that now you only “see in a mirror dimly” what he’s revealed to you, that now you know only in part, but later you will know fully, “even as [you] have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). There’s part of you that’s weary of the betrothal phase of your relationship with Jesus, and you long for the wedding, when the full marriage will at last be consummated.

For most of us, our discontent with our current level of intimacy with God comes from a mixture of the above: slowness to obey, misconceptions of what leads to our desired intimacy, and a longing that will be realized only when we finally see our Beloved face-to-face. But all these causes are reasons for great hope because they all point to the fact that there truly is more. There is more of God to know, more of God to love, and more ways we can deepen our trust and intimacy with him through faithfully keeping his word.

Whatever the cause of our longing, the Spirit is stirring in us a desire that comes from God. Because it’s his great desire, the very heart of the new covenant, that we all really know him. And someday, perhaps sooner than we think, God will bring to pass his precious and very great promise:

No longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. (Jeremiah 31:34)

Even if our knowledge of God is obscure we seek desperately not only to know but to share in the intimacy of relationship in Father and child, Brother (Jesus) to brother, and Comforter, Counselor, and Guide (Holy Spirit) in the temple that is our earthly body! May we pursue this relationship until it is made perfect in heaven!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 6, 2022

Notes of Faith October 6, 2022

Prayer Is About Love

The Bible is not a rule book or a set of directions; it’s a love story — a romantic, courageous love story we’re invited to believe. We see that whole story captured in a single scene when Jesus defends and dignifies a shame-covered woman thrown into the dirt at His feet, but we can see it just as clearly when we zoom all the way out to the metanarrative that God has been authoring since hanging the stars in the night sky.

The biblical story begins with perfect love at the center of the plot, and the conflict introduced by sin is a twisting and warping of that love into something lesser. The hinge point at the story’s center is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The wound opened up by infidelity is mended by a love that will never give up. Jesus, on the final night of His life, says this to His followers:

As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now remain in My love.1

The whole sixty-six-book anthology becomes resolved, not in a catastrophic apocalypse, but at a wedding banquet — Christ united to His bride for all eternity.2 Human infidelity repaired by divine fidelity.

How do we remain in that love? How do we make covenant love the constant backdrop before which the scenes of our lives play out? Prayer. “If you can’t love, you can’t pray, either,” writes Johannes Hartl. “Praying is loving. And learning to pray means learning to love.”3

Love is easy at the first and at the last. It’s effortless in the honeymoon stage when you’re infatuated with each other — touchy, talkative, and smitten. And love is like breathing for the old couple who are decades into a mature love that has been aged to perfection like a fine wine. But all those years in between? Love in the midst of building a career, raising kids, establishing a life, and facing trials — those are the long years when love has to be worked at and fought for. Those are the years when early infatuation is matured into the old couple in effortless union. Those are the years when love is won and lost.

Like love, prayer comes at the first and at the last, for sinners and saints, but all the years in between are the important ones. Prayer is about relationship, and that means fidelity is the only container within which it can truly flourish.

When I was seventeen years old, a senior in high school, a waterfront park lay right along my commute home from school. Regularly, multiple times a week, I’d stop there on the way home and walk the shaded paths of that park in unhurried, agenda-free conversation with God.

I’ve got stories of prayer walking with a mission, seeing sparks of revival in the early mornings at a public middle school. I know the prayer of intensity and fire. I also know the prayer of fidelity and love. On those afternoons at Philippe Park, I did not want anything from God. I had no plans I wanted Him to sponsor, no needs I was hoping He’d meet. There was no motive; there was only love. I wanted to be with God, so I walked and talked and listened.

"Praying is loving. And learning to pray means learning to love."

— Johannes Hartl

A couple decades removed, I now imagine those afternoons were God’s favorites. There’s no way to know for sure, but I have a sneaking suspicion He preferred those meandering afternoon strolls to the early mornings with a school directory in hand and a vision in mind. Because on those weekday afternoons, it wasn’t about changing the world. It wasn’t about getting God to act the way I thought God should act. It wasn’t even about my own issues or needs. There was no function.

We “waste” time with those we love. And I was stealing time with God because I love Him.

“Prayer does not mean much when we undertake it only as an attempt to influence God, or as a search for a spiritual fallout shelter, or as an offering of comfort in stress-filled times,” writes Henri Nouwen. “Prayer is the act by which we divest ourselves of all false belongings and become free to belong to God and God alone.”4

Before prayer is about power or outcomes or heavenly armies and a righteous uprising, it’s about love. It’s the way we freely choose the God who freely chose us first. The way we express ourselves to the God who, in spite of everything, delights in us. The way we receive from the God who has endless stamina to offer Himself to a bunch of people who prefer self-sufficiency, tight jaws, and clenched fists.

The Heart of a Lover and the Discipline of a Monk

“Teach us to pray.”5 That’s the request we keep returning to. Prayer is what people noticed about Jesus more than anything else. Prayer is the aspect of his life those who got close to Him were most jealous for.

Watching Jesus pray was like watching the closing scene from the movie The Notebook. You know the one. After the twists and turns of young, passionate, infatuated love, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams have wrinkled and plumped into any other hobbling, elderly couple. They’re in a hospital room, both nearing the end. He lies down in her bed, wraps his arm around her, interlaces his fingers with hers, and they fall asleep for good, together. Dying, but still in love, still holding on to each other.

Everyone who has ever watched that movie gets at least a little misty-eyed during that scene because it meets us at the place of our God-given longing. We all want that intimacy and companionship. Everyone wants that, but there’s a reason the writer and director of The Notebook included only the honeymoon stage and the mature love in the end. It’s the most obvious reason: all those years in between are filled with nothing but ordinary fidelity. And fidelity is boring.

When you see the fruit of fidelity though — an elderly couple still in love — a thought runs through every mind: That’s better than anything I’ve got. I want that. That’s what the disciples saw when Jesus prayed — the fruit of fidelity. And they wanted it.

“Teach us the kind of prayer that leads to that.”

1 John 15:9.

2 See Revelation 19:6–9.

3 Johannes Hartl, Heart Fire: Adventuring into a Life of Prayer (Edinburgh: Muddy Pearl, 2018), 205.

4 Henri Nouwen, “Letting Go of All Things,” Sojourners, May 1979, 6.

5 Luke 11:1.

Excerpted from Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools by Tyler Staton, copyright Tyler Staton

After all these years, I feel like I am beginning to live an intimate love relationship with my Lord. We have to breathe to live. We must pray to experience the breath of God that gives life . . . and that eternal. What joy it is to spend time with the One who loves us unconditionally. Let us continue to learn what it means to love the Lord our God!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 5, 2022

Notes of Faith October 5, 2022

Peculiar Parable

In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, “Give me justice against my adversary.” For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, “Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.” (Luke 18:2–5)

Now, don’t be offended that Jesus compares God the Father to an unjust judge. That happens several times in the Bible. For example, the most familiar one is that Jesus’s coming is called the coming of a what in the night? Thief, which is not very complimentary to Jesus. But clearly, when the New Testament talks like that, it doesn’t mean Jesus is the thief. It means that the point of comparison is suddenness, unexpectedness. So here, the point of comparison is not that God is unjust, but that he gives in to prevailing prayer.

Verse 7 draws out the lesson very clearly, which was stated in verse 1. “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night?” The answer, of course, is obviously God will vindicate his elect who cry to him day and night — that is, who always pray. Therefore, the point of the parable is cry to God day and night. Show yourself to be the elect by acting the way the elect always act — cry to God day and night. Or to use the words of verse 1, pray always and don’t lose heart. And if you do that, you will not become like Lot’s wife — in love with the world — and turn back into a pillar of salt. You will not be left in judgment as one is snatched away from your home. You will endure in faith and love, and God will vindicate you when the Son of Man flashes from one horizon to the other. So, always pray and don’t lose heart.

Pray, Pray, Pray

Now, what’s driving me this morning in this sermon is that this is the last day of a week of concerted prayer. So, we’re at the end of prayer week. That’s a dangerous place to be, according to this parable. “Don’t end” is what this parable is saying. If we end praying, we’re in trouble — deep trouble. Some of us this week have had a great time. I’ve prayed more hours in the first week of 1983 than any week in my life. And many of you have too. Now what? The word of Jesus to us this morning is, “Don’t stop praying. Don’t peter out. Don’t be fickle. Always, always, always pray. Cry to God day and night.”

Here’s the way Peter put it in his first letter: “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers” (1 Peter 4:7). The closer the end draws near, the more threat against the warmth of the faith of the church and the greater the need for persevering prayer. The pressures of worldliness will be so great as the end draws near that only a few will make it. After all, Jesus said, “The love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). I hope we’re among the number.

Now, how does this parable help us and encourage us to pray continually? The widow comes to an unjust judge, and she pleads for help. Evidently, she’s being oppressed by some rascal, and she’s helpless. And she asks the judge, “Vindicate me. Help me. Tell him to stop that.” And that’s us, right? The widow — weak, poor, no husband to stand up for her. Her only recourse is the judge, even though he is unjust, and our only recourse is God.

Not Like That Judge

Now, the argument of the parable is not, “Well, if you can get on the case of the judge long enough, he’ll try to get you off his back by vindicating you. Therefore, if you get on God’s case long enough, then to get you off his back, he will vindicate you.” You could interpret the parable that way, but there are two reasons why you shouldn’t.

The first is that that would contradict clearly Luke 12:32, where it says, “It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” He’s not reneging on any promises. He’s eager to give you the kingdom. But the main reason why we shouldn’t construe the parable that way is that there are two clues right here in the parable for the fact that God isn’t like that judge.

Notice in verse 2 that this judge neither feared God nor regarded man. And those two things are repeated in verse 4. “Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet . . . I will give her justice.” Now when it says, “Yet I will give her justice,” that must mean that not fearing God and not regarding men are big obstacles to helping the widow, right? If you don’t fear God, it’s an obstacle to get over to help her. He gets over it by ulterior motives. But notice first, he doesn’t fear God. And if fearing God is an obstacle to helping the widow, then presumably, if you did fear God, you would incline naturally to help the widow, right?

That must mean that God isn’t at all like this judge because, if he inclines the people who fear him to give to the widow liberally and quickly, he must be that kind of God. And so, by saying that this judge doesn’t fear God and, therefore, doesn’t answer her readily, he shows that God isn’t at all like the unjust judge. And so, the argument of the parable is an argument from lesser to greater. If, by knocking on the door of the judge who doesn’t have an ounce of justice in his body, you can still get your answer, how much more, by knocking on God’s door continually, will you most certainly be answered, because he’s not like that judge at all?

Voices God Knows

The second thing it says about the judge is that he has no regard for man. Now we need to ask, Since he doesn’t know this widow and, therefore, doesn’t care about her at all — has no regard to her — is God like that when we approach him and pray to him? Verse 7 makes it very, very clear that that’s not the case, because it says, “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night?”

“In Jesus’s mind, prayer and faith stand and fall together.”

See that word elect? That’s a dynamite word. That means, when we come to God and pray to him, we’re not coming like a stranger, a widow whom he doesn’t know or care about. He has chosen us, elected us, set his favor upon us, adopted us into his family, made us his children. When we knock on the door and say, “It’s me,” it’s very different than when a strange widow knocks on an unjust judge’s door and says, “It’s me” — and he answered, “Who?”

God knows our voice. We’re his children. We’re the chosen. We’re the elect. And therefore, Jesus argues from lesser to greater: if an unjust judge who has a stranger, whom he doesn’t care about at all, knocking on his door will give in to her, how much more will God, who not only knows us but chose us, loves us, adopts us, readily and lovingly answer our request?

So, the parable is intended to encourage us to get on with the business of praying because we have such a hopeful prospect of being answered. When Jesus asks at the end of the parable in verse 8, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” that could be also phrased like this: “When the Son of Man comes, will he find that we have kept praying, or not?” Evidently, in Jesus’s mind, prayer and faith stand and fall together.

We have a plaque on the wall in our house that says, “The Key to Everything Is Prayer.” It is a good reminder for everything that we do, think, and say, to start in communion with God. We are less likely to go off in the wrong direction or make poor decisions. Work hard to keep this kind of intimacy and you will have great joy in your life.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 4, 2022

Notes of Faith October 4, 2022

The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

Unlocking the Secrets of the Feasts

Amazing prophecies of God’s plans for the world can be found embedded in the customs of the feasts of Israel. The intricate detail of the prophecies illustrated in the observances of these feasts provide insight into God’s plan for the ages. On the evening of October 5th, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement begins and it continues through the evening of the 6th. For Jews, it is a day of repentance to God often observed by 25 hours of fasting, going to synagogue and praying. Yom Kippur is considered the holiest day of the year and it brings an end to the High Holy days for the year. For Advent and Passover we shared excerpts of Unlocking The Secrets Of The Feasts which were both received with overwhelming response. Enjoy this excerpt for Yom Kippur!

The Second of the Fall Feasts

The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) follows closely after Rosh Hashanah. We read in Leviticus 23:26-28:

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the Lord. You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the Lord your God.’

And Exodus 30:10 says:

And Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.

The Jews consider the Day of Atonement the holiest day in all, for it is on this day that Israel would be forgiven of their sins or would face judgment. Devout Jews tell me that this day understandably brings plenty of anxiety into their hearts. Isn’t it wonderful that we believers in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ have the peace and assurance that our sins are forgiven eternally, because of what He has done on the cross! Yom Kippur literally means “Day of Covering.” The word Kippur also means “ransom.” It is to show God’s willingness to cover the sins of the previous year. While the animal that was sacrificed had to be one year old in order to provide atonement for the previous sins for one year, Christ, being eternal, provided atonement for an eternity!

Leviticus 16:29 gives further instructions on how the Jews were to observe Yom Kippur:

On the tenth day of the seventh month you shall humble your souls and not do any work.

In explaining what must characterize the act of humbling oneself, the rabbis say one must avoid eating and drinking, bathing or washing, marital relations, putting on perfumes or lotions, and wearing leather shoes. Now “refraining from the wearing of leather shoes” threw me. I asked about it and was informed that wearing leather shoes signified luxury. They wear comfort socks instead!

According to Leviticus 16:31–33, the high priest was to put on his linen garments and was to make atonement for the Most Holy Place, the tent or temple, the altar, himself (high priest), the priests (Levites), and the people (Israelites) — all in that order. Leviticus 16:3–4 states:

Aaron shall enter the holy place with this: with a bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and the linen undergarments shall be next to his body, and he shall be girded with the linen sash, and attired with the linen turban (these are holy garments). Then he shall bathe his body in water and put them on.

This is not the colorful robe the high priest usually wore. This was a plain white linen garment. This observance was to be performed once a year according to Leviticus 16:34:

Now you shall have this as a permanent statute, to make atonement for the sons of Israel, for all their sins once every year.

The procedure had four parts as spelled out in Leviticus 16:13–14: take fire from the altar of incense, offer sacrifices and place the blood of these sacrifices in a bowl, sprinkle the blood in the Holy Place and upon the mercy seat of the Ark seven times. The ingredients of the incense are found in Exodus 30:34:

Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each.’

"There is now total access to God because of the redemptive work of Christ."

The Scapegoat

One of the most important aspects of the observance of the Day of Atonement was the scapegoat. We read in Leviticus 16:7–8:

He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the doorway of the tent of meeting. Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat.

Then verses 9–10 add:

Then Aaron shall offer the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell, and make it a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot for the scapegoat fell shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat.

Laying both hands on the head of the goat, the high priest then confessed the sins of the people. After that he sent the goat away to the wilderness by an appointed person. This fulfills the requirement explained in Leviticus 16:22:

The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.

This also ties into Isaiah 53:6, which says:

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.

The Talmud, Tractate Shabbat Folio 86a, states: “How do we know that a crimson-colored strap is tied to the head of the goat that is sent [to ‘Azaz’el]? Because it is said, ‘If your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow (Isaiah 1:18).’ By a miracle this crimson-colored strap turned white, thus showing the people that they were forgiven of their sins.” It then explains: “Rabbi Ishmael says, ‘Now did they not have another sign? There was a crimson thread tied to the door of the sanctuary. When the goat had reached the wilderness, the thread would turn white, as it says, “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.”’ That is fascinating, but this becomes totally amazing when another section of the Talmud (Yoma 39b) says: “Our Rabbis taught: ‘During the last forty years before the destruction of the Temple the lot [‘For the Lord’] did not come up in the right hand; nor did the crimson-colored strap become white… and the doors of the Hekal (the temple) would open by themselves.’”

After Christ was crucified, the crimson strap on the scapegoat and the crimson thread on the temple door never turned white again! Apparently, God was reminding the Jews that Jesus is the true scapegoat once and for all. Jesus fulfilled the promise of both goats. He paid the penalty for our sins and removed our sins as well! Since the lot that was drawn for the goat for sacrifice to the Lord never came up in the right hand, this, too, was a sign that God did not accept their offering again. Hebrews 9:11–12 says:

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

As already noted earlier, the Talmud says that the temple doors were found open by themselves each evening. In his writings, The Wars of the Jews (Josephus Complete Works), Josephus said, “At the same festival (Passover)… the Eastern gate of the inner court of the Temple, which was of brass, and vastly heavy, and had been with difficulty shut by twenty men, and rested upon a base armored with iron, and had bolts fastened very deep into the firm floor, which was there made of one entire stone, was seen to be opened of its own accord about the sixth hour of the night.”

This is similar to the tearing of the veil, which is a sign that there is now total access to God because of the redemptive work of Christ.

According to Jewish tradition, the observance of Yom Kippur today consists of five services. They are (1) Kol Nidre (the evening service): confessional chant; (2) Shacharit (the early morning service): reading of Leviticus 16 in the temple; (3) Musaf (the second service): reading of the Day of Atonement; (4) Mincha (the afternoon service): reading of Jonah; (5) Ne’ila (the final service): closing or locking the books. I find it interesting that the book of Jonah is read, because Christ said that Jonah was a sign. We read in Luke 11:29-30:

As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, ‘This generation is a wicked generation; it seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.’

The Prophetic Implications

The heavenly events during the tribulation as described in the book of Revelation give the impression that Christ is acting out Yom Kippur. From my research, I have become aware that Jews traditionally believe that the Messiah will come on the day of Yom Kippur to cleanse and reestablish Israel. Michael Cory, the founder of Voice of Judah International Ministries in Lawrenceville, Georgia, explained it well: “Yom Kippur is the holiest, most solemn day of the year in Israel. According to the Talmud, it is the last day to repent and be forgiven as the heavenly court makes its final judgment on this day and the books are closed.”

The Book of Revelation reveals that several things are going on in heaven while the Tribulation is occurring on earth. These events in heaven are described with images such as the golden censer and incense, and the robe dipped in blood. These images remind us of the procedures employed by the high priest in the performance of his duties in the Temple during Yom Kippur.

William Barclay discusses the details of the activities of the high priest during the Day of Atonement in his exposition of Hebrews 9:6-10 in his Daily Study Bible. In Barclay’s words: “The high priest took coals from the altar and put them in a censer; he took incense and put it in a special dish; and then he walked into the Holy of Holies to burn incense in the very presence of God. It was laid down that he must not stay too long ‘lest he put Israel in terror.’ The people literally watched with bated breath; and when he came out from the presence of God still alive, there went up a sigh of relief like a gust of wind.” Barclay did a good job of describing the emotions of the people at that moment. Their relief might have been not only for the priest when he emerged, but also for the forgiveness of their sins for yet another year.

When Jesus, their heavenly High Priest, comes down out of the heavenly temple, the people of Israel will display a different emotion. We read in Zechariah 12:10:

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

Instead of a temporary forgiveness, they will receive an eternal forgiveness!

Romans 11:26–27 promises:

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. This is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.’

It is also important to note another contrast between the earthly high priest and Jesus, their heavenly High Priest. The blood on the robe of the earthly high priest was from the animal sacrifice that provided ceremonial cleansing, while the blood on the robe of the heavenly High Priest recorded in Revelation 19:13 is from His enemies when He comes to cleanse the land as the Messiah. In other words, instead of a mere ceremonial cleansing, Jesus as the High Priest and Messiah does an actual overt cleansing of the land. This is explained in Isaiah 63:1-4:

Who is this who comes from Edom, with garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, this One who is majestic in His apparel, marching in the greatness of His strength? ‘It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.’ Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? ‘I have trodden the wine trough alone, and from the peoples there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger and trampled them in My wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, and I stained all My raiment. For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and My year of redemption has come.’

Therefore, looking at both Jewish tradition and the Scriptures, it appears that Jesus the High Priest and Messiah will come out of the heavenly temple to earth at Yom Kippur, His second coming, administering judgment to unbelievers still alive as well as salvation to those believers still alive at the end of the Tribulation.

The correlation between the first two fall feasts, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, is startling. The feast days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, along with the seven days in between, are known collectively as “the Days of Awe.” In other words, two days of Rosh Hashanah plus seven additional Days of Awe, totaling nine days, makes the next day, the tenth day, Yom Kippur.

This paints a great picture of the future when we as believers will be in heaven with our High Priest, Jesus Christ, for seven years receiving our rewards.

Also another picture is seen in the custom of the Jewish wedding. When the groom brings his bride to the bridal chamber, which he prepared for her in his father’s house, they celebrate their union for seven days before the wedding feast. We, as His bride, will be with Christ, our bridegroom, for seven years at the place He has prepared for us at His Father’s house. After those seven years, we will return with our Lord at His second coming as He administers judgment to unbelievers on the earth and salvation to believing Israel, thereby fulfilling Yom Kippur just as the earthly high priest did! Interestingly, the Jews expect the Messiah will come at Yom Kippur to administer judgment or forgiveness.

And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. — Revelation 19:11-14

The judgment which Jesus brings to earth in fulfillment of Yom Kippur are explained in the next verse of the same chapter,

And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.’

As noted earlier in Zechariah 12:10, Jesus the Messiah will also bring salvation to believing Jews. Their eyes will be opened to the truth about Jesus, when He returns!

In the first chapter we saw that the Jews expect the Messiah to come at Passover to bring redemption. On the other hand, they talk about the Messiah coming and bringing judgment or forgiveness at Yom Kippur. Isn’t it amazing that in the observances of the feasts, the concept of both the first and second coming of the Messiah is embedded in their celebrations!

Excerpted from Unlocking the Secrets of the Feasts by Michael Norten, copyright Thomas Nelson

We should be interpreting the Scriptures from a Jewish perspective for our salvation comes through the Jews, the chosen people of God, who were given the Word of God and as a Jew, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, came to live a perfect sinless life and give that life for all who would believe in Him. We tend to overlook the Scriptures that say, “to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile!”

Knowing about the feasts of the Lord brings greater perspective and understanding as to the working of God in the lives of mankind.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 3, 2022

Notes of Faith October 3, 2022

Journal Through the Bible: Ephesians

By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. — Ephesians 2:8–9

READING PLAN

2 days; 3 chapters a day

THEMES

Mystery of grace; church unity; armor of God

MAJOR PLAYERS

Church at Ephesus, Paul, Tychicus

Background

Paul wrote to the Ephesian church while he was imprisoned, likely in Rome, circa AD 60. He wrote a handful of letters at once and sent them all with Tychicus, probably to be circulated around the region. He wrote to a church composed mostly of Gentile believers in an area known for the worship of the goddess Diana.

Put on the full armor of God.

— Ephesians 6:11

Summary

The early church saw much division between Jewish and Gentile believers. This pained Paul, who was adamant about the unity and equality of church members under Christ — for the whole world. In this letter, Paul spoke of the mystery of grace and the spiritual world, of God’s purposes for reconciliation, and of God’s love for His church. He also covered practical concerns on how to be a unified community, and he gave his classic image of the armor of God for our protection and defense.

Reflections

1. How comfortable are you with the mysteries of faith? What does Paul teach regarding this subject?

2. What did Paul tell us about the supernatural nature of the “new man” and about spiritual gifts? How are we empowered to change and thrive under Christ? How have you been empowered?

3. Paul encouraged followers to walk in love, light, and wisdom. How would this have made the Ephesians different from their fellow citizens? How does it make us different?

4. Study the “whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11). How can you “take it up” every day? How can you be more aware of the spiritual world around you?

Excerpted from Journal Through the Bible: Exploring Genesis to Revelation, copyright Thomas Nelson.

Encouraging you to read, study, and meditate on the whole book of Ephesians in two days! This is an exciting way to read the Word of God. Please take this opportunity to let God lead you through this letter.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 2, 2022

Notes of Faith October 2, 2022

You Were Made for This Moment

‘To whom will you compare Me? Or who is My equal?’ says the Holy One.

— Isaiah 40:25

As Moses announced:

Who among the gods is like You, Lord? Who is like You — majestic in holiness? — Exodus 15:11

And the psalmist asked:

Who in the skies is comparable to the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty is like the Lord? — Psalm 89:6 NASB

As Augustine prayed:

What then are you my God? What, I ask, except the Lord God. For who is the Lord besides God? Or who is God besides our God? — Most high, most good, most powerful, most omnipotent, most merciful and most just, most secret and most present; most beautiful and most strong; most stable and incomprehensible; unchangeable (yet) changing all things; never new, never old; making all things new, and bringing the proud to (the collapse of) old age; ever acting, ever at rest; gathering, and not needing; carrying and filling and protecting (all things); creating and nourishing and perfecting; seeking, though you lack nothing.1

Consider the work of His hands.

But ask the animals, and they will teach you,

or ask the birds of the air, and they will tell you.

Speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea tell you.

Every one of these knows

that the hand of the Lord has done this.

The life of every creature

and the breath of all people are in God’s hand. — Job 12:7-10 NCV

The next time you feel the weight of the world, talk to the One who made the world. As your perception of God grows greater, the size of your challenge grows smaller. If God can sway the heart of a Persian monarch, if He can reverse certain death into victorious life, if He can turn a scheduled holocaust into an annual holiday, do you not think He can take care of you?

I’m sorry for your exile in Persia. I’m sorry for your deep wounds and weariness. I’m so sorry that you so quickly understand the meaning of words like pain, fear, and sadness.

"Relief will come.

Will you be a part of it?"

— Max Lucado

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Springtime seems like forever from now, I know. But, friend, it isn’t. The story of Esther dares you to believe that God, though hidden, is active. He brings life out of broken things. The apostle Paul was summarizing Esther when he wrote:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. — Romans 8:28

“We know,” Paul said. There are so many things in life we do not know. We do not know if the economy will dip or if our team will win. We don’t always know what our kids are thinking or our spouse is doing. But according to Paul we can be dead certain of four things.

We know God works. He is busy behind the scenes, above the fray, and within the fury. He hasn’t checked out or moved on. He is ceaseless and tireless.

He never stops working for our good. Not for our comfort, pleasure, or entertainment, but for our good. Since he himself is the ultimate good, would we expect anything else?

To do this He uses all things. Panta in Greek. As in panoramic or panacea or pandemic. All inclusive. God works, not through a few things or just the good things, best things, or easy things, but in all things God works.

He works for the good of those who love Him. Good things happen to those who trust God. The umbrella of God’s providence does not extend to cover the evil and hard-hearted. But for those who seek Him and His will, in all things God works.

A puppet in the hands of fortune and fate? Not you. You are secure in the hands of a living and loving God.

A random collection of disconnected events? Far from it. Your life is a crafted narrative written by the Author of life, who is working toward your supreme good and a sublime ending.

Relief will come.

Will you be a part of it?

It seems to me that the entire world is in a state of trauma. People do not know why they were born or where they are destined to go. This is the age of much know-how and very little know-why. The invisible enemies of sin and secularism have left us dazed and bewildered.

The world needs you! We need people with the resolve of Mordecai and the courage of Esther. The world is in desperate need of a people of God who will stay steady in the chaos.

People like the ones who gathered in war-torn London. No one would have blamed them for canceling church services on that Sunday morning. A bombing raid had roared in the city throughout the night. London was a circle of fire. Buildings were destroyed. Even the walls of this church were flattened. Members arrived to find pews covered with dust and mortar. But rather than despair, they chose to worship. Amid the heaps of stones they began to sing:

The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord;

She is His new creation, By Spirit and the Word:

From Heav’n He came and sought her To be His holy Bride,

With His own blood He bought her, And for her life He died.

Can you envision that circle of brave souls? Smack-dab in the center of global chaos, they worshipped. They set their faith on our unfailing God. The song was an admonition of sorts, a declaration of truth amid a crumbling society.

The song may well have saved the life of Ben Robertson. He was an American war correspondent who had arrived in London the day before. The night bombing left him undone and terrified. The explosions, sirens, and cries of the wounded caused him to despair of life itself.

“If this is what modern civilization has brought us to — if this is the best that modern man can achieve, then let me die,” he prayed.

At some point he dozed off. He awoke to the unexpected sound of people singing a hymn. He looked out the window and saw the congregation gathered in the rubble.

He later wrote: “Suddenly I saw in the world something that was unshatterable — something that had endured through millennia, something that was indestructible — the spirit and life and power of Jesus Christ within His Church.”2

Bombs are still dropped. Worlds still explode. Walls still collapse. Pandemics still rage. But in the midst of it all, the Lord still has His people. And when they proclaim the truth of God in the middle of a crumbling world, you never know who might be changed.

God is in the middle of this. This steep climb. This uphill struggle. This cold, fierce headwind you are facing. You feel overwhelmed. Weary. Ill-equipped to weather it. But lift up your eyes. That is your Father standing on the driveway. He is in this moment with you. Who knows but that you have been chosen for such a time as this?

Excerpted from You Were Made for This Moment by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.

I believe that the God who is the omniscient and omnipotent Creator of all things, places mankind specifically in time and space that we might be His ambassadors to the world. Some reject the Creator in unbelief, others do not take up the mantle of proclaiming the truth of their Creator, we, must be like those in Scripture who responded in faith and broke down the gates of hell, strengthening those who struggle with temptation, those who are battling peer pressure, standing with those who proclaim truth in a sinful society, offering hope and salvation in this life and in the life to come, glory, for those who will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Will you join with me to be one who answers the call to be a witness for God. Time is short. Your life will be spent and what will you have accomplished? Give your all for the One who gave all for you! Will I watch you receive your reward in heaven and hear Jesus say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master!”

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 1, 2022

Notes of Faith October 1, 2022

Grace and Truth: Reversing the Effects of the Fall

Grace and truth together reverse the effects of the fall, which were separation from God and others. Grace and truth together invite us out of isolation and into relationship. Grace, when it is combined with truth, invites the true self, the “me” as I really am, warts and all, into relationship.

It is one thing to have safety in relationship; it is quite another to be truly known and accepted in this relationship.

With grace alone, we are safe from condemnation, but we cannot experience true intimacy. When the one who offers grace also offers truth (truth about who we are, truth about who he or she is, and truth about the world around us), and we respond with our true self, then real intimacy is possible.

Real intimacy always comes in the company of truth.

Jesus’ treatment of the adulterous woman in John 8:3–11 provides a wonderful example of safety and intimacy. Jesus had gone to the temple courts at dawn to teach the people. He had just sat down when the teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in an adulterous woman and made her stand before the group.

“Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery,” they said. “In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” The Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus. The Romans did not allow the Jews to carry out the death sentence, so if Jesus said, “Stone her,” He would be in conflict with the Romans. If He said, “Don’t stone her,” He could be accused of undermining Jewish law.

But Jesus refused to fall into their trap. He bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger. When they kept on questioning Him, He stood up and said to them,

Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.

When they heard His answer, they began to slink away, one by one. Soon Jesus was left alone with the woman. He asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

In this one encounter, Jesus shows what it means to know grace and truth in Him. He offered this woman grace in the form of forgiveness and acceptance. He said, in effect, that she did not have to die for her sin. She was accepted and did not have to be separated from Him.

He also showed the power of grace as an agent to end separation from her fellow human beings as well. The Pharisees were no different from her: she was a sinner, and they were sinners. Jesus even invited the Pharisees to commune with her as a member of the human race, an invitation they declined.

Grace has the power to bring us together with God and with others, if others will accept it.

But Jesus did not stop with just acceptance. He accepted her with full realization of who she was: an adulteress. He accepted her true self, a woman with sinful desires and actions. He then gives her direction for the future: “Go now and leave your life of sin.” These two ingredients together — acceptance and direction — serve to bring the real self into relationship, the only way that healing ever takes place.

Jesus said it in another way in John 4:23–24:

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. (emphasis mine

We must worship God in relationship and in honesty, or we do not worship Him at all.

The sad thing is that many of us come to Christ because we are sinners, and then spend the rest of our lives trying to prove that we are not! We try to hide who we really are.

The Real Self versus the False Self

When the real self comes into relationship with God and others, an incredible dynamic is set into motion: we grow as God created us to grow. It is only when you are connected to the Head (Jesus Christ) and connected to others (the Body) that “the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow” (Colossians 2:19).

A coming together of grace and truth in Jesus Christ is our only hope, and indeed it is a hope that does not disappoint.

If the true self is in hiding, the false self takes over. The false self is the self that is conformed to this world (Romans 12:2). The false self is the self we present to others, the false front, if you will, that we put up for others to see. Paul speaks of the false self this way:

That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. — Ephesians 4:20–25

As long as the lying, false self is the one relating to God, others, and ourselves, then grace and truth cannot heal us. The false self tries to “heal” us by its own methods; it always finds false solutions, and the real self that God created to grow into His image stays hidden and unexposed to grace and truth.

The Guilt Barrier

Grace and truth are a healing combination because they deal with one of the main barriers to all growth: guilt. We have emotional difficulties because we have been injured (someone has sinned against us) or we have rebelled (we have sinned) or some combination of the two. As a result of this lack of love or lack of obedience, we are hidden in a world of guilt.

Adam and Eve had to hide themselves because of the guilt and shame of their sin, and also because of what they had become (less than perfect).

Guilt and shame too often send us into hiding. If we have to hide, we cannot get help for our needs and brokenness; we cannot become “poor in Spirit,” and therefore be blessed. When grace comes along and says that we are not condemned for who we truly are, then guilt can begin to be resolved, and we can begin to heal.

Sometimes the church reinforces our inclination to hide. My friend Jake found an end to his hiding only after he joined an AA group. When he came into a culture where he did not have to be ashamed of his failures and was forgiven for his sins, then truth and grace began to have their effect in his life.

It is interesting to compare a legalistic church with a good AA group. In this kind of church, it is culturally unacceptable to have problems; that is called being sinful. In the AA group it is culturally unacceptable to be perfect; that is called denial. In the former setting, people look better but get worse, and in the latter, they look worse but get better.

Certainly there are good churches and poor AA groups, but because of a lack of grace and truth in some churches, Christians have had to go elsewhere to find healing.

It is only in a combination of grace and truth that the real Jesus is present.

It is only when the real Jesus is present that we can begin to grow into the image of our Creator.

Adapted from Changes That Heal by Dr. Henry Cloud.

I am so glad that I do not have to find my relationship with God based on keeping the law. I would be separated from God forever. And so would you. But God, in grace and truth makes us aware of our sin and need for a Savior and then provides that Savior in His Son, Jesus the Christ, who left the glory of heaven, took on flesh through a virgin woman, lived a sinless life, died on a cross, taking on all sin of all mankind, to offer redemption and salvation to those who would believe in Him. We need to know our need . . . we need God to have an abundant grace filled eternal life. Believe in the One and only Savior for this gift of love!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith September 30, 2022

Notes of Faith September 30, 2022

Who Do You Say I Am?

My first selfie post was an image of me sitting in my office. I had been working on a report that was draining my intellectual reserves, so I pulled out my phone and typed a status update that said, “Brain on E,” E for exhaustion. Then I had the idea to include a photo of myself to illustrate my sentiment. I held up my phone, switched the camera to face front, sighed deeply, and snapped the picture. I didn’t take multiple pictures. I didn’t even think to take multiple pictures. I took just one picture and added it to my post. The next day, I went to Facebook to post about my lunch when I noticed a dozen people had liked my selfie post and had commented, “So beautiful,” “You look so good in that color,” “Love your hair,” and more.

I was shocked. It never occurred to me that people would comment on my appearance based on a post about my intellectual exhaustion. In fact, it never occurred to me that people would comment at all. But something stirred in me when I read those comments. Each compliment felt like a warm, cuddly blanket. I read and reread those comments because they felt good. And after every reading, I felt an invisible thread pulling my attention back to that post to see if there were more comments and likes. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there usually were.

As I climbed into bed that night and rested my head on the pillow, I had a smile on my face. I also had a thought in my heart as I closed my eyes: “What should I post tomorrow to get more likes?” But deep down, the real question rolling around in my soul was slightly different: “What should I post tomorrow to get people to like me?”

Insecurity leads us to equate attention with worth.

In a fascinating recent study of “selfitis” (the clinical term for an addiction to selfies), researchers interviewed a group of four hundred students and learned that more than half (223 respondents) reported taking between one and four selfies a day, with more than a quarter (141) taking between five and eight selfies per day. When asked why, students said things like, “I gain enormous attention by sharing my selfies on social media,” and, “Taking different selfie poses helps increase my social status.”1

Insecurity causes our hearts to tally the number of likes on our social media posts as a representation of our worth.'

The first time people responded positively to my appearance on social media, it was a pleasant surprise that left me feeling a bit better about myself. Reading those comments changed the way I saw myself that day. And therein lies the insidious power of comparison. Comparison changes the way you see yourself because it can cause you to see yourself through the eyes of others. Their view eclipses what you see with your own eyes. For example, while I saw myself as exhausted, others saw me as beautiful. However, when others disapprove of what they see, those negative views can also eclipse what you see. While you might see a woman aging gracefully or a college student learning from mistakes or a mother doing her best or a guy putting forth the effort to find a job after getting fired, others might see wrinkles, failure, disappointment, and broken promises.

When we see ourselves through the eyes of others, we make others the source of our worthiness.

To illustrate this point, I want to explore a Bible story that may be familiar to you. It’s the story of Israel’s first two kings, Saul and David.

Your identity is secure

Saul was the son of a man named Kish. Various Bible translations describe Saul’s dad as a man of “standing,” “power,” “stalwart character,” and “influence and wealth” (1 Samuel 9:1). One day Kish’s donkeys wandered off, so he tasked Saul with going to look for them: “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys” (1 Samuel 9:3). Now, the fact that his dad said to take one of the servants meant there were many servants, and having donkeys (plural) indicates that Kish was a wealthy man. Therefore, so was Saul.

Saul set out with one of the servants to search for the missing donkeys. Unbeknownst to him, God had told a prophet named Samuel that Saul was coming to see him and that Saul was to be anointed king of Israel. When Saul showed up, Samuel invited him to stay and eat with him and then added, “As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?” (1 Samuel 9:20).

Saul was flabbergasted. Stunned. I can imagine him thinking, “Huh? I just came here looking for our donkeys. Why would a prophet ask me to stay for a couple of days if the donkeys have been found? Wait a minute. What did he say about my family? That all the desire of Israel has turned toward us? What? What is he saying?” After gathering his thoughts, Saul said,

But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me? — 1 Samuel 9:21

There were twelve tribes of Israel, and each tribe was named for one of the sons of a patriarch named Jacob, whose name was later changed to Israel. Before his death, Israel (Jacob) had blessed each of his twelve sons. Since Benjamin was the youngest son, he was blessed last. Although his tribe ended up being the smallest, the Benjamites were mighty and well resourced. Unfortunately, despite the resources Saul’s tribe had, comparing himself to the other tribes caused him to see himself as lacking.

Sometimes toxic comparison diminishes us by making us small in our own eyes.

I have read Saul’s response to Samuel countless times. It is this very response that inspired me to write this book because it puzzled me. Consider these facts from Saul’s story:

Saul told Samuel he didn’t understand why all of Israel’s desire was turned toward him and his family.

Saul believed his family occupied an insignificant position among the tribes of the nation of Israel.

Saul’s story begins by stating that Saul’s family was one of “standing,” “power,” “stalwart character,” and “influence and wealth.”

This begs the question of where Saul got the idea that he came from an inconsequential and unimportant family. Why did he think he was less-than, not good enough, and didn’t measure up? Wherever the idea came from, his unwillingness to let go of it would cost him the kingdom just a few decades later.

Saul’s eventual downfall as king was rooted in insecurity-fueled disobedience.

God had instructed Saul to obliterate a population of people known as the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15). Many generations earlier, the Amalekites had attacked Israel when they were tired, weak, and vulnerable during their wilderness journey out of Egypt (Exodus 17:8–16). Saul was not only to kill the Amalekites but also to destroy everything they owned. But instead of obeying God, Saul caved when his soldiers pressured him to keep rather than destroy the good stuff — the best cattle, the best sheep, and more.

Big mistake.

The Lord sent the prophet Samuel to pronounce judgment:

Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.

— 1 Samuel 15:23

Saul’s heart dropped, and he tried to rationalize his decision: “I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them” (1 Samuel 15:24). After decades of occupying the role and identity of king of Israel, Saul still saw himself as the kid who came from the most insignificant clan in the smallest tribe of Israel. He had more money, power, influence, and standing than anyone else in Israel, but it wasn’t enough. He couldn’t see past who he had been despite who he had become.

Toxic comparison filters our present identity through our past deficiencies.

“Although you were once small in your own eyes,” Samuel responded, “did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel” (1 Samuel 15:17). The kingdom was ultimately taken from Saul because, even after all God had done to change Saul’s identity, he had secured his identity to the fickle affirmation of other human beings. He wanted their applause more than he wanted God’s approval. And because of this, God told Samuel it was time to anoint a new king.

The story goes on to introduce a new family, the family of Jesse of Bethlehem. In contrast to the way Kish, Saul’s father, was introduced, the text uses no flowery words to describe Jesse. He is simply introduced as “Jesse of Bethlehem”

(1 Samuel 16:1).

At God’s command, Samuel traveled to Bethlehem and asked to meet Jesse’s sons. Samuel knew God had chosen one of Jesse’s sons to be king, but he didn’t know which one. After Jesse introduced seven of his sons, God told Samuel that none of them were to be anointed king. So Samuel asked Jesse if there were any additional sons. “Yeah, the youngest is out there tending sheep,” Jesse responded. Jesse sent for him, and when young David stood before Samuel, God affirmed, “This is the one” (1 Samuel 16:12).

Although we might expect David to be perplexed and have questions, Scripture records no response from him to these surprising events. Under the same circumstances that led Saul to question his worthiness, David appears to suffer no self-doubt. Just as every word of Scripture is intentional, I also believe every missing word is intentional. I will not add to what is missing, but I invite you to take an imaginary journey with me for a moment.

Imagine your teenage self, minding your business and mowing your parents’ grass when one of your siblings comes outside and says, “Hey, Dad wants you.” You stop, turn off the lawn mower, and make your way inside the house. Standing there are your seven siblings and your father. All eyes are on you when an unknown, gray-haired man walks toward you. When he reaches you, he says nothing, pulls out a bottle of olive oil, and pours it over your head. When the last drop slides down your forehead, he turns to the group and pronounces, “Introducing the new king of Israel.”

What might you think? Perhaps something like, “Huh?” Or, “Why me?” Or maybe, “This is interesting.”

What’s significant is how David’s thinking differs from Saul’s thinking. Specifically, how David doesn’t ask Samuel the question Saul had asked, which was a question rooted in the opinion of others. A question rooted in the valuation of others. A question rooted in comparison to others. In contrast to Saul, David does not ask, “Why would you anoint me king?” Instead, the Bible simply says,

From that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.

— 1 Samuel 16:13–14

Meanwhile, the Spirit had departed from Saul.

God had chosen both men to be king, but while Saul secured his identity to who others said he was, David secured his identity to who God said he was.

Your identity is secure when you believe that what God says about you is true.

Australian Institute of Professional Counselors, “The Rise and Rise of the Selfie,” Counselling Connection, September 17, 2019, https://www.counsellingconnection.com/index.php/2019/09/17/the -rise-and-rise-of-the-selfie/.

Excerpted from Killing Comparison by Nona Jones, copyright Nona Jones.

Do not compare yourself to others or your mind will lead you to despair or perhaps filled with pride…either way the comparison will lead you to believing something different about yourself than who you really are. You belong to God! You have your identity in Him as His child. There is nothing better than that truth of who you are and to whom you belong!

Pastor Dale