Notes of Faith October 13, 2023

Notes of Faith October 13, 2023

God Is Awesome: Take Off Your Shoes

When we see Jesus as Commander of the army of the Lord, [it is our job] to fall on our faces before Him and worship — that is, to confess the self-will, self-effort, and self-glory that have dominated us and deeply surrender to Him as our Commander, and be willing for Him to make the decisions, give the orders, and be the doer of the work... We cannot be too low at His feet if He is to cause the walls of our Jericho to fall. He will have no difficulty with those walls if He can get us to fall first. ~ Roy Hession

During my college years, I didn’t have a lot of spiritual support on my faith journey. I wandered into the ways of the world and then back toward the heart of God again. One morning in my dorm room, I repented and cried out to God. I spent time in His Word and sensed His great love for me. Joy returned to my soul. I went to class unaware of what God was about to do that day. For starters, I met a couple of classmates — identical twins. Dark hair. Bright countenances. And such sweet dispositions. I noticed they kept looking my way during class. I smiled, gave them a nod, and returned my attention to our instructor.

Right in the middle of the lecture, one of the sisters leaned over and said, “There’s something different about you. You have so much joy. Will you tell us why you have joy?”

I whispered back, “I’d love to talk with you more. Let’s meet after class.” I followed these girls to their dorm room and told them about Jesus. Their hearts were so tender and receptive that they were instantly in awe of God. One of them got up abruptly and said, “Be right back!”

Within minutes, she grabbed a few friends and dragged them back into our conversation. I introduced my new friends to Jesus, and they wholeheartedly accepted Him. Over the next few weeks we hosted more gatherings with the girls on their dorm floor. They asked questions, and I did my best to answer them. Their hunger for God activated a faith that I’d almost neglected.

One day while crammed in a van with a bunch of other college students on our way home for the weekend, I curled up with a book by Watchman Nee. I don’t recall the title, but I do remember what happened. I went from being half involved with the surrounding conversations and partially attuned to what I was reading to suddenly focusing on the words on the page. At that moment I had an encounter with God unlike anything I’d ever experienced up to that point. His Spirit drew near, and I could not hide from Him. Like a movie reel, I saw my life’s story unwind before me. I saw my life in fast motion, one deed after another, and the motivations that fueled my actions.

A consistent theme ran throughout my life. Everything I’d done — good, bad, and otherwise — was to rescue my sense of self-worth. Most of my good deeds were to prove myself. Most sinful indulgences were to escape from myself.

Though God can and did redeem every aspect of my story, all my strivings were wasted efforts.

I’d misused my time, treasure, and talents to prove something that Jesus had already done, had already won. I didn’t know any better then. But I did now. In that van I came face-to-face with the truth about my depravity and the power of God’s holy standard for me. There’d be no dabbling in this walk of faith. God was not one to be trifled with. He wasn’t messing around. I couldn’t escape Him.

I gasped. I trembled. I covered my mouth with my hands, and tears escaped my eyes.

Friends asked if I was okay, and I could only shake my head. I couldn’t speak. I dared not justify my ways. I was guilty of selfish, self-preserving efforts. Though I had reason to be painfully insecure, I learned that insecurity is just another form of selfishness. Self-preservation and Kingdom life are entirely incompatible.

When we recall and rehearse God’s faithfulness in the past, we more clearly discern His goodness in the present.

To live out of a lie is to perpetuate more lies. God had drawn near. I felt no condemnation, but I was absolutely undone with conviction. To place the reel of my life up against the backdrop of God’s majesty and holiness left me breathless. I was a believer at this point, yet for some reason I was still trying to save myself. I didn’t understand the potent power of the gospel. My efforts were worthless. My God was holy. If I could have gone facedown in the van, I would have. For the next three days I barely said a word. I didn’t want to interrupt the cleansing fire of the Holy Spirit at work in me.

Looking back over the years that I’ve followed the Messiah, I can now see how intimately He’s been involved in my life.

Even during those seasons when God seemed silent and life was just a daily grind, Jesus led, interceded, guarded, and guided my way — all while I was unaware.

He put the right people in my path at just the right time. He prompted me to turn right when I would have turned left. He nudged me to make a phone call when I was headed for the ditch of despair. He introduced a new friend when I needed a fresh perspective. He played a song that inspired faith in the middle of my doubts. He put dreams in my heart and dared me to agree with Him. He gave me insight into intercession and invited me to join Him. He gave me opportunities to forgive, trust, and release my cares to Him, knowing how these processes would transform me and tether my heart to His.

Ever and always, God allows enough challenges to keep us dependent, enough goodness to keep us encouraged, and enough grace to sustain us.

Though I lived through plenty of seasons with a broken heart, wishing things were different than they were, I never lacked any of what I needed. God has always been faithful, always guided, always provided.

Life on earth is hard. But we serve an awesome God.

I don’t want to miss Him because I can’t always sense His nearness. Our lives burst with evidence that God is at work in our story. He charged the Israelites not to forget about His faithfulness.

When we forget, we wander. When we recall and rehearse God’s faithfulness in the past, we more clearly discern His goodness in the present.

Remembering is stewardship. Recalling is wisdom. Rehearsing is nourishment for our souls.

And I said, “This is my fate; the Most High has turned his hand against me.” But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works. O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.1

It’s good for our hearts to go back and recall the times when God invaded our everyday existence with tangible expressions of His love and power. Times when He allowed us a peek into the eternal realm in a way that totally shifted our perspective and deepened our assurance that God was near, God cared, and God was moving in our midst.

We are all messed up like a person compromised with impurity;

even all our right efforts are like soiled rags. We’re drying up like a leaf in autumn and are blown away by wrongdoing. — Isaiah 64:6 The Voice

Such moments in my life have left me speechless with awe and wonder. After walking with God for decades, I know this to be true: He’s more present than I can comprehend and more powerful than I ever imagined.

Spending time this morning pondering my history with God reminds me that my present bursts with His power and my future is bright with hope.

I encourage you to take a trip down memory lane as well. It’ll do wonders for your soul.

Ps 77:10-14

10 Then I said, "It is my grief,

That the right hand of the Most High has changed."

11 I shall remember the deeds of the Lord;

Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.

12 I will meditate on all Your work

And muse on Your deeds.

13 Your way, O God, is holy;

What god is great like our God?

14 You are the God who works wonders;

You have made known Your strength among the peoples.

Excerpted from Closer Than Your Next Breath by Susie Larson, copyright Susie Larson.

This is how I want to know God, to relate to God…closer and closer still. This is true life, living daily with a holy God, doing His will, pleasing Him in all things, filled with joy and peace!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 12, 2023

Notes of Faith October 12, 2023

What a Beautiful Name: Worship through Grief

Most of us know Anne Wilson from her powerful worship music. Songs like “My Jesus” and “Something About That Name” have led us to raise our hands and praise Jesus together no matter what we are going through. In her new book My Jesus, Anne shares her journey through suffering and tragedy after the loss of her brother and how their family chose to worship Jesus in the midst of their grief.

I stood from my seat on the front pew and began to walk to the piano onstage. I took one slow step after another up the red-carpeted stairs, a shaky nervousness filling my body. It was the same sensation I’d felt for days, only magnified. I reached the piano and turned to look out across the sea of faces in the crowd. Friends and family members looked back at me with tears in their eyes. Had I not been feeling such a dark sense of loss, I would have been thrilled to see so many loved ones gathered in such a majestic place. It was beautiful, but I couldn’t appreciate the beauty of it. I was overwhelmed by both the ache of goodbye and seeing hundreds of people staring at me. A few friends gave me encouraging nods as I took a seat. It was time to worship my Jesus.

I took a deep breath and smoothed my dress to calm my shaking hands. I was about to sing for the first time in front of twelve hundred people. Would I even be able to make it through? Would my hands stop shaking enough to let me play?

As I gently placed my fingers on the keys, I looked up to God for a brief second, imploring Him for help. At that very moment, God removed every nervous feeling from my body. The fear and worry were gone. I looked at my fingers and saw steadiness — the shaking was gone. Thank You, God! With a heart suddenly at peace, I took in a deep breath and prepared to sing.

As Carson, Hayes, and I began to play the intro to the song, I heard God’s voice again. His words, interjected at such a pivotal moment, would change my life completely:

Anne. This is what I’m calling you to do. I’m calling you to praise and worship My name.

I had no doubt the voice was the Lord’s. I will never forget those words.

I have called you to a life of worship.

With a confidence that could only come from God’s Spirit, I began to play and sing “What a Beautiful Name,” a song that magnifies the powerful, wonderful name of Jesus. The song speaks of His longing for us to join Him in heaven and tells of His victory over death and the grave. The song was a cool drink of water to my parched soul, and I prayed it was the same for everyone who heard it that day.

That day, I sang for Jacob, and I sang to worship my Jesus. Without tears, without stopping, and without breaking down, I offered my song for them both. The ability to sing such powerful words at such a sorrowful time without breaking down was only possible through God’s strength and His Spirit. Now, more than ever, my family and I wanted to praise the name of Jesus. We all realized in a terrible and wonderful way how short life really is and how it can change in an instant. We longed to tell the world of the hope found in Jesus’ beautiful name. I knew that was what Jacob would want too.

I lifted my fingers from the keys as the final notes of my song rang throughout the sanctuary. I exhaled a deep sigh of relief. The faces I had just feared were smiling at me through tears. Many held tissues to their eyes.

As I returned to my seat, God impressed another thing on my heart: I would never be an astronaut. I have called you to a life of worship through music, He said. I could never have imagined that God would speak to me about my future at such a moment, and even less that He would call me to a life of music. But somehow, I just believed Him. In that moment, I had no doubt the Lord would fulfill this calling on my life. I knew that meant I wasn’t going to be an astronaut, and I was okay with that knowledge. In the aftermath of losing Jacob, the dream of being an astronaut didn’t seem important anymore. With Jacob in heaven and a huge hole in my heart, I barely had a will to live, much less to pursue the dream of going to space. I did not feel even an ounce of grief at the thought of leaving that childhood dream behind. I actually felt peace. The desire to go to space was simply gone.

Losing Jacob changed everything, including my dreams for my life. I now knew I would have a future in music, worshiping and praising the name of Jesus. God must have given me a gift of faith to accept such a sudden change in direction and believe that He would fulfill that calling. I had no idea how or when His new plan for me would happen or what that calling would entail.

I just knew it would be. Someday. Because God said so, and I believed Him.

Excerpted from My Jesus by Anne Wilson, copyright Anne Wilson.

Having faith to believe in Jesus can only happen through a gift from God. Having faith to trust God for life’s career is difficult to trust and believe also. But God… some of my favorite words in the Bible…but God shows Anne, and you and me exactly what He wants us to do, and gives us the gifts, power, and authority to do that which He has called us to do. And through the work of life we worship and praise the God who calls and gives us those abilities as an offering back to Him.

1 Cor 10:31-32

whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 11, 2023

Notes of Faith October 11, 2023

Patience: Our Strength in the Waiting

Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you. ~ David McCullough, Jr.

Watch the Cookies Bake

But the fruit of the Spirit is... patience. — Galatians 5:22

Patience is my least favorite word in the English language. If you were to ask anyone in my family or someone who works with me, most likely they would acknowledge that while I have gifts and have worked hard to develop the fruit of the Spirit, patience is the one thing that still feels like it’s in embryonic form. I feel sure somewhere in my spirit this seed is just waiting to sprout, but I know from the times when my patience has been tested that it has yet to come into full bloom.

It’s not because I haven’t fertilized it and watered it faithfully, because I have. For years. With the Word and in everyday situations I face. When I’m stuck in traffic. When I’m waiting because my flight has been delayed — again. When I’m waiting in the car in the driveway for the girls to come get in. We’ve all been there, right? Still, it remains a struggle. Even when I do something as basic as baking cookies, my lack of patience can get the best of me — and the cookies.

I’m so grateful that God is patient.

To this day, when my girls smell cookies baking, they come rushing to the kitchen because they know I’m going to do one of two things. I’m either going to pull them out too soon because I’ve got things to do and I can’t stand waiting one more minute on them, or I’m going to wander off and start doing something else I need to do and completely forget about them. So I specialize in either cookies that are the equivalent of warm dough or ones that are more than well done, perhaps with some burned edges as a bonus. Suffice it to say, it’s best that I leave the cookie-baking to Catherine and Sophia. I have good intentions but not enough patience.

What about you? What are the things that try your patience? What stretches you to grow more of this fruit of the Spirit in your life? I’ll admit that my first thought every time my patience is tried is not to grow and develop more fruit, but overall I have grown significantly through the years of my life. And I have used many a trying moment as an opportunity to change.

I’m so grateful that God is patient, and He is patient with me as He keeps working on this.

He’s patient with you too. As you move through your day and things start to try your patience, recognize it as an opportunity to develop more of the fruit God wants to grow in you. Recognize it as another way you build endurance so you can keep moving forward full of vitality and strength, fulfilling all that God’s called you to do. Even if it’s something as simple as watching the cookies bake until they are just right.

Heavenly Father, please help me in the everyday moments when my patience is tried. Help me recognize the opportunity to develop more of this fruit of the Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Excerpted from You’re Not Finished Yet by Christine Caine, copyright Caso Writing, LLC.

PBPWMGIFWMY – This is not just running your fingers along they keyboard but something I saw on a t-shirt and laughed and enjoyed it.

Please Be Patient With Me, God Isn’t Finished With Me Yet.

Maybe not the greatest way to announce your imperfections but still a bit funny. Also, a way to remind yourself that God is working, making you more like Jesus every day. He promises to do that in His Word and is faithful, even with the hard things, like PATIENCE!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 10, 2023

Notes of Faith October 10, 2023

Wild About You: Wounds

About HER

Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. — Psalm 25:16

To do any sort of justice to a book for women would require me (John) to go deeper, listen even more carefully, study, delve into the mystery (okay, mess) of a woman’s soul. Part of me didn’t want to go there. Pull back. Withdraw. I was keenly aware of this going on inside me, and I felt like a jerk. But I also knew enough about myself and about the battle for a woman’s heart that I needed to explore this ambivalence.

What is this thing in me — and in most men — that doesn’t want to go deep into a woman’s world?

“You are too much. It’s too much work. Men are simpler. Easier.” And isn’t that the message you’ve lived with all your life as a woman? “You’re too much, and not enough. You’re just not worth the effort.” Now, part of a man’s fundamental reluctance to truly dive into the world of a woman comes from a man’s deepest fear: failure. He fears that having delved into his woman’s world, he won’t have what it takes to help her there. That is his sin. That is his cowardice. And because of her shame, most of the time a man gets away with it.

Most marriages reach this sort of unspoken settlement. “I’m not coming any closer. This is as far as I’m willing to go. But I won’t leave, and that ought to make you happy.” And so there is this sort of détente, a cordial agreement to live only so close. The effect is that most women feel alone.

Lord Jesus, you know the ways in which I feel alone. Give my husband courage to come near, even as I draw near to you.

God is fiercely committed to you.

About HIM

For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. — Psalm 109:22

For most of us, our wounds are an immense source of shame.

A man’s not supposed to get hurt; he’s certainly not supposed to let it really matter. And so most men minimize their wounds. King David (a guy who was hardly a pushover) didn’t act like that at all. “I am poor and needy,” he confessed openly, “and my heart is wounded within me” (Psalm 109:22). Or perhaps men will admit it happened, but deny it was a wound because they deserved it.

After many months of counseling, I asked Dave a simple question: “What would it take to convince you that you are a man?” “Nothing,” he said. “Nothing can convince me.” We sat in silence as tears ran down my cheeks. He had embraced the wound and owned its message as final. There was no sign of emotion at all. I went home and wept — for Dave, and for so many other men I know, and for myself because I realized that I, too, had embraced my wound.

The only thing more tragic than the tragedy that happens to us is the way we handle it.

God is fiercely committed to you, to the restoration and release of your masculine heart. But a wound that goes unacknowledged and unwept is a wound that cannot heal. A wound you’ve embraced is a wound that cannot heal. A wound you think you deserved is a wound that cannot heal.

God, give me the courage to acknowledge my wound so that I might heal. I trust you to restore me and release my masculine heart.

Excerpted from Wild About You by John & Stasi Eldredge, copyright John Eldredge and Stasi Eldredge.

God made man and woman for each other, to compliment and complete one another. Though men seem to struggle understanding their spouse, it is more likely that we are more concerned about ourselves than we are in understanding our spouse. God gave us the greatest gift in a woman to spend our lives with. We need to thank God daily, pray for her, love her, expecting her to be different than ourselves but blessed by God to be a blessing to us! Give thanks, again and again!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 9, 2023

Notes of Faith October 9, 2023

Know Your Enemy

Daniel Maritz’ 90-day devotional for men, Bold Pursuit, will help you (or the men in your life) build a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. — 1 Peter 5:8

If you’ve ever played sports, you know the importance of a scouting report. Knowing what an opponent is likely to do helps you prepare a successful game plan. In warfare, where the stakes are much higher, spies risk their lives to provide intelligence on an enemy’s plans.

Peter gave reborn Christians a scouting report on our enemy in the passage above.

Giving us key intelligence about Satan is one way God equips us for spiritual battle.

Paul warned that Satan tries to take advantage of people. But then Paul said,

We are not ignorant of his schemes. — 2 Corinthians 2:11

Lying is the key to Satan’s designs. Jesus said, “There is no truth in him,” and He called Satan “the father of lies” (John 8:44). His lies can have a devastating impact on people’s lives — now and forever. Satan “has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they will not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). That’s why it’s important for believers to counter Satan’s lies with the truth of the gospel.

Satan uses people, including those closest to us, to distract us from God’s will. He even tried to do this with Jesus. When Jesus told His disciples that He would be killed and then raised from the dead on the third day,

Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You!’ But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s purposes, but men’s’. — Matthew 16:22–23

Giving us key intelligence about Satan is one way God equips us for spiritual battle.

Satan sends demons to trouble us and steal our peace and joy. Paul wrote,

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. — Ephesians 6:12

Satan is a dangerous enemy, but he is no match for God. He is a created being. He can do only what God allows him to, as we see in the story of Job (Job 2:6). James gave us the secret to overcoming our powerful, but limited, enemy:

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. — James 4:7

God can use Satan’s attacks to make us stronger and wiser, and bring us closer to Him. Paul said,

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. — Romans 8:38–39

The more we resist the devil and his strategies, the closer we grow to God.

DIG DEEP

The more you resist Satan, the less influence he has over your life. Ask yourself the following questions and answer them truthfully:

What does resisting the devil look like in your life?

How might God use Satan’s attacks to strengthen you and bring you closer to Him?

Excerpted from Bold Pursuit by Daniel Maritz, copyright Daniel Maritz.

We are designed for relationship with God, our Creator and Sustainer. Satan, on the other hand, wants to keep us from relationship with God, distracting and tempting us with created things, to desire, pursue, even worship. Satan, and his ideology, are our enemy, seeking to keep us from God who loves us. Let us recognize his evil and flee from his attempts to keep us from the true love of our life, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 8, 2023

Notes of Faith October 8, 2023

Pray for peace in Israel! Thousands of rockets were fired and a land and sea assault started yesterday and as far as I know is continuing today. Israel, always on alert was caught by surprise with many killed, taken hostage, by Hamas terrorists. Pray for the Lord to respond and save His people, bring them to Himself through faith and end this ugly evil.

Who is going to be in Heaven?

There is one question that all children of God have wondered about at one time or another. It’s an important and personal question. For some of us, it’s the biggest question we have about life after this one. The question is simply this:

Who is going to be in Heaven?

This is a big question. After all, our lives are filled with people whom we love and cherish. We want to know if we will be able to spend eternity with our families and friends. We want to know who will be beside us in the glory and light of God.

The Lord God and All His Angels

The answer to who is going to be in Heaven is in the Bible. First of all, it tells us that God is in Heaven. Scripture mentions several times that God is in His throne or on His throne, and the Bible says that

the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him. — Revelation 22:3

So, you and I know that God the Father is going to be there, God the Son is going to be there, and God the Holy Spirit is going to be there.

We also know that the Bible speaks of angels all through the book of Revelation, and one thing for certain is that there will be many, many angels in Heaven. For example, the Bible says,

I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands. — Revelation 5:11

It talks about the angels around the throne singing a new song.

According to the Scriptures, when a person dies, God has His angels take that person into paradise.

Remember that God created angels as His messengers to carry out His work. When people ask, “Do you think we have angels looking after us on earth?” — well, that’s a matter of opinion. Some people feel that they do, and some people feel that they do not. But one thing is clear according to the Scriptures. The Bible says that when Jesus talked about the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man died and went to torment, and when Lazarus died, the angels carried him into Paradise, or Abraham’s bosom. So according to the Scriptures, when a person dies, God has His angels take that person into Paradise.

Just think about that miracle. Think about being brought up into eternal life by thousands of angels. That is a beautiful image.

According to the Scriptures, when a person dies, God has His angels take that person into paradise.

Friends and Loved Ones in Heaven

One of the other wonderful things about Heaven is that all our friends and all our loved ones who have passed on before — if they died having received the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior — are also going to be in Heaven. The scripture says that, when Jesus comes again, He is going to bring with Him those of our loved ones who have passed on before us (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). So, we know friends and loved ones and parents are going to be there.

All of those who placed their faith in God are going to be there.

Angels are going to be there. People from all nations will be there.

Our Relationships in Heaven

Now, when it comes to who is in Heaven, the second thing to think about is what kind of relationships we are going to have there. How will we relate and connect to one another? Well, to answer that question, we have to go back to this idea of glorified bodies. You will recall the apostle Paul said that

our citizenship is in Heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. — Philippians 3:20-21

Therefore, our bodies are going to be transformed like the body of Christ — and remember that His glorified body was a visible, physical body. And glorified bodies are imperishable.

A significant passage to think about when it comes to the relationships we will have in Heaven with our glorified bodies is where Mary Magdalene and Jesus met in the garden after His death. This is a significant moment, because most of us wonder what we are going to be like in Heaven, and how other people will be able to recognize us when we are there. So, Mary was standing outside the tomb, weeping. Then the Scripture says,

When she had said this, she turned around, and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.

Now, she saw Him, but she did not know it was Him.

Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, ‘Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, ‘Rabboni!’ — John 20:14-17

Notice that she looked at Him, and at first she didn’t recognize Him. He had a glorified body, so there was some difference, some change. Remember the last time she saw Him, He was stretched out on a cross and covered with all that bloody ugliness. What was it that made her recognize this was Jesus? It was what He said. It was His voice.

This is a familiar scene for us all in some ways. Oftentimes, I’m somewhere in a crowd, or sometimes I’ll be on a plane, and somebody will walk up to me and say, “You know, I didn’t recognize you until I heard you speak.” And then, “I’ve heard your voice so many times I knew this had to be you.” Well, this is exactly what happened to Mary. When she saw Jesus, she wasn’t expecting Him, and there was something about Him that was different enough that she didn’t quite recognize Him at first. But when He called her name, she knew that voice.

Now, when you and I have our glorified bodies, we are going to be recognizable, and we are going to have similar voices to the ones you and I have now. We are going to be recognized just as we are down here. The people who love us are going to know us, and we are going to know them.

The reason I say this much about the body is because of Jesus Christ. You will recall that Jesus went to the apostles and He walked in and showed them His hands with the nail marks in them. Yet, even while they were looking at His hands, they were having a hard time believing that it was Him. Then He said, “Do you have anything to eat?” And they gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and He ate it, and He digested that fish even though He had a glorified body (Luke 24:36-43). So you and I will never be able to explain humanly what that glorified body is going to be like, except that it is made to perfection for its new environment.

People always ask me specific questions about their bodies in Heaven, like, “If I die at seventy-five, what am I going to look like?” Well, I can’t answer that question. I can tell you this. You are going to be the best-looking seventy-five-year-old you’ve ever seen. Or I am asked, “Well, suppose a person dies as a baby. Will that person always remain a baby, or will they grow up?” Nobody knows the answer to that, so all those things are conjecture. We just know some things that are absolutely certain, given to us in the Scripture. Anything else is our imagination, and yours is as good as mine.

The one thing we know for certain is that the glorified body will be absolutely perfect.

It will be the best that almighty God can do, and we will be perfectly, totally, and completely fulfilled.

Continue reading on the blog...

Excerpted with permission from The Gift of Heaven by Charles Stanley, copyright Charles F. Stanley.

No one can imagine the glory that is prepared for us in heaven. But if we think about creation and the glory of the earth before sin, we might be close. What joy and blessing God has prepared for us! Can’t wait to see you there!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 7, 2023

Notes of Faith October 7, 2023

Bitter or Better?

In The Unfair Advantage, Pastor Aaron Burke takes a look at the unfair seasons Joseph endures in the book of Genesis and shows how his struggles are very much like we face today. Enjoy this excerpt.

How is your heart? This could be the most important question you answer today. The heart is actually referenced 633 times in the Old Testament and 170 times in the New Testament. God has a lot to say about its condition. The health of your heart determines the health of your life. So to get an accurate measurement of how healthy you are, take a deeper look at two areas. The first question to ask yourself is “How am I acting?” Proverbs 27:19 tells us,

As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.

The second question to ask yourself is “How am I speaking?” Jesus teaches in Matthew 12:34,

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. — NKJV

Do you find your words laced with complaining, negativity, or criticism? This may indicate a problem with your heart.

Undergoing rejection will have a significant impact on your heart’s condition. You have a choice in the matter though. Use the rejection to get bitter or use it to get better. Rejection can be the poison that sinks us to bitterness, or it can be the fuel that drives us to greatness.

We all know people who have used their rejection experience poorly. Left in the frozen state of perpetual hurt, bitterness oozes out of them, creating discomfort and hurt for the people around them. Choose wisely how you want rejection to affect you.

Rejection happens to the best of us, but it doesn’t need to get the best of us. So how do we fight that innate bitterness that tries its hardest to creep in? Scripture tells us:

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

— Proverbs 4:23

What you allow into your heart when you are rejected will determine its condition.

Unforgiveness is a toxin to the heart. Refusing to forgive is choosing to stay trapped in a jail cell of bitterness, serving time for someone else’s crime. I am not sure who originally said that, but it is very true. (And I’m not worried about stealing that quote because that person has to forgive me!)

In the midst of extreme suffering, while He was still at the peak of His torment on the cross, Jesus made the crucial decision to forgive. He didn’t wait until their murderous act was over but faced His betrayers and critics and, while they were inflicting pain, imparted forgiveness. He forgave before the offense had a chance to infect his heart. Despite His agony, He mustered His last bit of energy and cried out,

Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. — Luke 23:34

Jesus has given us the perfect example to follow. Ephesians 4:32 instructs us to

be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

We don’t deserve it, but Jesus forgave us. Now we have no choice but to forgive others in return.

Offense can be a festering wound to our hearts. No matter how we try to escape it, our world can be very offensive. People say things that hurt. People do things that hurt. People overpromise and underdeliver. People cut you off in traffic, renege on money they owe you, and disappoint your expectations. Hurtful things happen on a daily basis. However, it is possible that offensive things can happen to you without the offense living in you.

An offense is an event. Becoming offended is a choice.

Joseph had a decision to make in the back of [the] caravan. In the famous words of Elsa from Frozen, Joseph had to “let it go.” Holding on to hurt is exhausting and detrimental to your heart. If you have noticed unhealthy patterns occurring as a result of rejection, let me encourage you to take the steps necessary to release the offense so you can move on.

The number one killer in America for the past decade has been heart disease. I believe the number one killer of your potential is spiritual heart disease. Don’t become a casualty.

Be intentional to guard your heart as well as purify your heart from the hurt caused by life. You can go through bitter situations without becoming a bitter person. In a moment of rejection, rather than taking it personally, choose to see people as Jesus did, who forgave the highest offense with the words “they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:24).

Jesus owns our brokenness and gives it intrinsic value.

LET GOD HEAL YOUR BROKENNESS

There is an old Japanese legend dating back five hundred years of a man who was a leader in the Japanese military, otherwise known as a shogun. Legend says that one day he broke his favorite teacup. Unwilling to accept it as lost, he determined to repair it to even better than before. He picked up every shard of the broken cup and painstakingly pieced it back together. For the final touch, he sealed the cracks with gold, making the cup more precious than it had been before. In other words, instead of getting bitter, he got better.

Whether or not the story is true, the art form is alive today in the Japanese practice of kintsugi. Take a moment to google some images. Just like in the legend, the kintsugi artist breaks an intact pottery object, allowing it to shatter into dozens of pieces. The artist then begins the work of placing all of the broken pieces back together. When the pieces are replaced, instead of glue or tape, they are sealed with gold. In doing this, the kintsugi artist gives broken pottery way more value than it had when it was still undamaged.

Here we see a powerful lesson of redemption. In the hands of the artist, the artifact goes from broken to beautiful. In short, “the Japanese art of kintsugi teaches that broken objects are not something to hide but to display with pride.”1 This is the gospel.

Jesus owns our brokenness and gives it intrinsic value.

Is your heart broken? Rejection can often do that. The only lasting solution is to give your pieces to the Master Artist. The prophet declared,

We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. — Isaiah 64:8

When we place our brokenness in His hand, He lovingly turns it into something beautiful. Our brokenness moves us from a mess to a message. Our hurt transforms into healing for other people. Our frustration changes into fuel for the future. None of this is possible in our own hands.

God is the only one who can change our hearts.

He promises,

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. — Ezekiel 36:26

Allow Him to do some heart surgery and heal some of those broken places, so, like Joseph, you can move into “Egypt” better instead of bitter.

The experiences of life, the hard things, the bitter things, tend to cause us to become bitter. We speak bitter things to those around us. We even look bitter. Life is good. We have circumstances of bitterness but they should not make us bitter. God’s perfect healing and giving us glory is more than enough to make us sweet and loving and humble like He is. Let us worship, praise, and give thanks for the God who takes bitter and makes better!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 5, 2023

Notes of Faith October 5, 2023

The Living Water

Country Music artist and podcaster Granger Smith lays a path through grief in his book Like a River. Granger and his wife, Amber lost their son, River, to drowning in 2019 and in his book he shares the bereavement and faith journey he went through with Jesus. Enjoy this excerpt:

Living with struggles today gives us another reason to worship God.

Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ — John 7:38

Red, purple, blue, orange, and gold streaked across a canvas sky like a marvelous painting as the creaky chains of the porch swing gently rocked back and forth. London and Lincoln giggled and danced barefoot on the green lawn as Amber sat cross-legged on the steps. As I kept up the rhythm of the sway with my foot, baby Mav slept nuzzled in the bend of my elbow.

Soak in this moment because it won’t last forever.

I’ve thought that several times in my life, and it was always right, but I had never fully understood what it meant until now. Nothing lasts forever, but that’s exactly what makes life so beautiful, so meaningful. In fact, nothing matters at all until we finally realize that all things are temporary on this earth. When we understand that, we see these things for exactly what they are — small glimpses of the greatest gift: an eternal dwelling in the presence of the river’s Source. If His gifts are so good, and it hurts so much to miss them, what would it be like to meet the Giver of these gifts? I can’t even imagine.

Is it really too hard to believe that difficult times can bring about joy?

Loss Is a Necessary Part of Life

Consider this. If we never lost any of the gifts of life, how could we really understand how precious they are? How could we possibly know about the brilliance of light if there were no darkness to contrast it?

This is a perspective that I’ve had to learn.

It’s also the contrast presented by the age-old question, How could a good God allow terrible things to happen?

Look, I get it.

Many things in this world seem unfair, or depressing, or demoralizing, or disturbing, or just plain tragic. By design, we live in a world that desperately needs someone to come rescue it. And someone did — Jesus!

When we dive into the Bible, we see a purposefully strong connection between joy and suffering. We’re going to have problems on this earth. In fact, we’re told it’s not just a possibility, it’s a given.

Take John 16:33, for instance, where Jesus said,

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation.

Jesus continued with a resolution for us:

But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Read that last part again. That’s an incredible promise!

When we are finally redeemed from this broken world and join the ranks in Heaven, we will spend the rest of forever, literal eternity, in awe of God for delivering us from all heartache and pain.

Living with struggles today gives us another reason to worship God

— the One who came to take away the sting of those struggles — because we know they are not the final word. And when we do look to Him, we experience joy. That’s how we’re designed.

The men and women we read about in the Bible actually rejoiced in their suffering. Consider Paul, who was beaten and thrown in jail multiple times, or how Mary, the mother of Jesus, responded when she realized she was pregnant — something that would disgrace her in her society. Neither one considered themselves worthy for the task but faced it, looking to God, finding that joy doesn’t come from one’s circumstances but from where one is focused.

So I ask, is it really too hard to believe that difficult times can bring about joy?

Think of your favorite movie.

Now remove the antagonist.

Is it still a good movie? No.

If there were no evil, how would we ever see what is good? It would just be — empty.

I can make an example with my favorite sport. Do you wonder why football players cry tears of joy when they hold up a Super Bowl trophy? It’s because they remember how difficult it was to win and know how temporary it is to possess. Those players endured a challenging season. Maybe there was a terrible loss in game two. Or someone had a season-ending injury in game five. Possibly a locker room dispute in game six. In game eight they might have fought from behind and barely won in overtime. And game ten was lost to a team that they were supposed to beat. I could come up with many examples, but the bottom line is that if a season or football career were perfect with zero adversity and loss, then the trophy ceremony wouldn’t be as sweet.

The tears of joy come through the pain of suffering.

Loss is not only a part of our lives, it’s also necessary for us to truly understand joy. Trusting that God has a plan for His people allows us to not be surprised when the fiery trial comes but instead to rest in the joy that coexists with the suffering. That’s my view from the porch today.

Excerpted from Like a River by Granger Smith, copyright Granger Smith.

It would be hard to say we should enjoy suffering. But we can see the glory of God through our suffering and that will bring us joy. God is good all the time and all the time God is good. It seems that we can choose joy or sadness in our experiences, even those of grief. God provides us with the glory behind the dark cloud of pain and suffering. We need to journey through difficult days, knowing the love of God and looking for His precious gifts of love, hope, and eternal blessing. Hard earthly times will end, but the eternal glory and blessing of God will not!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 4, 2023

Notes of Faith October 4, 2023

In the Waiting

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

— Isaiah 41:10 NLT

The messy middle is the hardest part. When the homework project is halfway done and the room is a mess. When the kitchen renovation is at peak craziness and you’re cooking out of the back bedroom. When a loved one is in treatment, but not quite yet cured. When you’re waiting for the results, and the anticipation feels as if it may drown you. When you’re aching for that significant other, that baby, that job. When you’re slowly adding one more day to your sobriety calendar and choosing yourself over the addiction minute after minute. When you’re waiting, putting one foot in front of the other, hoping to get to the next day.

I once heard someone say, when you can’t take one more step forward, move just an inch. And sometimes it doesn’t even have to be a whole inch — just make sure you’re not moving backward. Move forward any way you can. And, if you can’t move forward, try stepping to the side. Some seasons, the strongest thing we can do is move sideways. When the grief, the struggle, the fear, or the yearning feels like it may do you in, move forward or move sideways. Seek first the Kingdom of God and trust that He will be with you in the messy middle places.

How will you move forward or sideways today? Celebrate your progress, even if it is tiny. You are one step closer to who you are becoming.

Seek first the Kingdom of God and trust that He will be with you in the messy middle places.

Delight in Discipline

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. — Hebrews 12:11

Have you ever adopted a new habit — say, eating healthy — and given it up after exactly forty-eight hours because you didn’t notice an enormous change? It takes a lot of willpower and intention to make healthy choices for two whole days in a row. So why aren’t we back in our jeans from college after all that effort?!

I sometimes struggle with maintaining discipline for the long haul. I love immediate gratification, great transformation, and awe-inspiring befores-and-afters. But people who’ve achieved such things will tell you they only got there by making a series of small choices over and over again for a long period of time.

Let’s use vitamins as an example. If I take my vitamins daily for three days, I probably won’t see a fantastic impact. I probably won’t see a fantastic impact if I take them for a week. But months or even a year? That daily choice will add up to something really good for my body.

The tiny choices we make every day make up our lives. What will you commit to? Moving your body every day? Spending time with God? Wearing sunscreen? Delighting in discipline can be tough, but the long-term rewards are worth it.

What healthy daily habits would you like to implement? Make note of one or two Consider a physical reminder to help you remember this task Put a Post-it Note on your bathroom mirror or set up an automatic reminder notification on your smartphone.

Excerpted from Sure as the Sunrise by Emily Ley, copyright Emily Lew.

Spiritual disciplines are not any easier to commit to than any others that we may begin. Results and change do not happen immediately. That is why they are called a discipline…meant to be a habit that occurs frequently and regularly… Focusing on God, being in awe of who He is, and all of His attributes, praying at any and all times, regularly worshipping with other believers in Jesus, using your resources for the work God calls you to do… and much more. Life is short but still a marathon, not a sprint. Do all that you do for the long haul and especially for the glory of God!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 3, 2023

Notes of Faith October 3, 2023

Why Would He Come?

Christ Himself was like God in everything… But He gave up His place with God and made Himself nothing. He was born as a man and became like a servant. — Philippians 2:6-7 NCV

Why? Why did Jesus travel so far?

I was asking myself that question when I spotted the squirrels outside my window. A family of black-tailed squirrels had made its home amid the roots of the tree north of my office. They watch me peck the keyboard. I watch them store their nuts and climb the trunk. We’re mutually amused.

But I’ve never considered becoming one of them. The squirrel world holds no appeal to me. Give up the Rocky Mountains, bass fishing, weddings, and laughter for a hole in the ground and dirty nuts? Count me out.

But count Jesus in.

What a world He left. Our classiest mansion would be a tree trunk to Him. Earth’s finest cuisine would be walnuts on Heaven’s table. And the idea of becoming a squirrel with claws and a furry tail? It’s nothing compared to God becoming a one-celled embryo and entering the womb of Mary.

But He did. The God of the universe was born into the poverty of a peasant and spent His first night in the cow’s feed trough.

The God of the universe left the glory of Heaven and moved into our neighborhood. Who could have imagined He would do such a thing?

The places God went to reach us show how far He will go.

Why Would He Come?

Why? He loves to be with the ones He loves.

Dr. Maxwell Maltz tells a remarkable story of a love like this. A man had been burned and disfigured in a fire while attempting to save his parents from a burning house, but he couldn’t get to them. They perished. He mistakenly interpreted his pain as God’s punishment. The man would not let anyone see him — not even his wife.

She went to Dr. Maltz, a plastic surgeon, for help. He told her not to worry. “I can restore his face.”

The wife was unenthused. Her husband had repeatedly refused any help. She knew he would again.

Then why her visit? “I want you to disfigure my face so I can be like him! If I can share his pain, maybe he’ll let me back in his life.”

Dr. Maltz was shocked. He denied her request but was so moved by her love that he went to speak with her husband. Knocking on the man’s bedroom door, he called loudly. “I’m a plastic surgeon, and I can restore your face.” No response. “Please come out.” Again there was no answer.

Still speaking through the door, Dr. Maltz told the man of his wife’s proposal. “She wants me to disfigure her face, to make her face like yours in the hope that you let her back into your life. That’s how much she loves you.”

There was a brief moment of silence, and then, ever so slowly, the doorknob began to turn.

The way the woman felt for her husband is the way God feels about us. But He did more than make the offer. He took on our face, our disfigurement. He became like us. Just look at the places He was willing to go: feed troughs, carpentry shops, badlands, and cemeteries. The places He went to reach us show how far He will go to touch us.

He loves to be with the ones He loves.

~ Next Door Savior

Great God of the universe, I am amazed that You would leave the glory of Heaven and become like me. I come to You with my disfigurement and ask You to touch me with Your love. I want to be with You as well. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Excerpted from In the Manger by Max Lucado, copyright Thomas Nelson.

We won’t really understand the glory that Jesus left in heaven to come to earth until we are with Him and given the glory prepared for us. Pondering His love brings joy, happiness and all the good feelings of life. Be still, quiet, and think about His love for you. Your entire being will be blessed and filled with His love. Pursue that love. Give Him your love in return and you will begin to see the glory of God and the eternal blessings He has prepared for you!

Pastor Dale