Notes of Faith December 21, 2023

Notes of Faith December 21, 2023

Son of God, Son of Man

Like the Father and the Holy Spirit, Jesus is God. He always was, always is, and always will be. But unlike the Father and the Spirit, Jesus is also a human being. Though charged with blasphemy and crucified for claiming to be one with the Father, Jesus’ resurrection validates His claim to be God’s Son in a unique way.

When we confess our belief that Jesus is the Son of God, we share in the love the Father has for the Son, becoming adopted children of God.

Though Jesus was the Son of God, he was also the Son of Man, a title that emphasizes both His lowliness and His eventual dominion. Near the end of His life, when the high priest asked Him whether He was the Son of God, Jesus no longer avoided the title but said that He would one day

see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of Heaven. — Matthew 26:64

When you pray to Jesus as Son of God and Son of Man, you are praying to the One who is your Brother and your Lord.

He asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!” Yeshua replied, “Simon, son of Jonah, you are blessed! No human revealed this to you, but my Father in Heaven revealed it to you. — Matthew 16:15–17

CHRIST REVEALS HIS NAME IN SCRIPTURE

DANIEL 7:13–14; MATTHEW 16:13–21

Open your personal Bible translation and read the same passages. Make note where the SON OF GOD or the SON OF MAN is used as God’s name.

In my visions during the night, I saw among the clouds in Heaven someone like the Bar-Enash. He came to the Ancient One, who has lived for endless years, and was presented to Him. He was given power, honor, and a kingdom. People from every province, nation, and language were to serve Him. His power is an eternal power that will not be taken away. His Kingdom will never be destroyed.

When Yeshua came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

They answered, “Some say you are John the Baptizer, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

He asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!”

Yeshua replied, “Simon, son of Jonah, you are blessed! No human revealed this to you, but my Father in Heaven revealed it to you. You are Peter, and I can guarantee that on this rock I will build my church. And the gates of hell will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you imprison, God will imprison. And whatever you set free, God will set free.”

Then He strictly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

From that time on Yeshua began to inform His disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem. There He would have to suffer a lot because of the leaders, the chief priests, and the experts in Moses’ Teachings. He would be killed, but on the third day He would be brought back to life.

Together the titles Son of Man and Son of God express the incredible mystery of the incarnation.

Understanding the Name

Though the phrase “sons of God” was occasionally used in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Greek phrase “Son of God,” Huios tou Theou (hui-OS tou the-OU) belongs to Jesus in a unique way. Jesus Himself indicates that He and the Father are one. He is the only man who could bear the title without dishonoring the Father.

But Jesus is God’s Son not in the sense that most Westerners think of sonship, as though the Father preexisted Him. Instead, Jesus is God’s Son in the sense that He shares His nature and represents His intentions. He is fully divine and therefore perfectly capable of representing the Father on earth. Twice in the Gospels — at Jesus’ baptism and at the transfiguration — a voice from Heaven announced:

This is My Son, whom I love.

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, even the demons recognized Christ as the “Son of God.” However, it was this politically charged title that led to Jesus’ death, which may be why He avoided it until the end of His life. Recognizing this as a primary title of Christ, the early church baptized those who confessed Jesus Christ as the Son of God. These early believers understood, as we do, that our relationship with Christ enables us to become adopted children of the Father.

Though Jesus was the Son of God, His favorite title for Himself was the “Son of Man,” Huios tou Anthropou (hui-OS tou an-THROW- pou). It’s a somewhat enigmatic title.

But certainly one meaning of it is that Jesus is the perfect human being. He shows us through His life on earth what men and women were intended by God to be before we fell prey to sin. But the title also has messianic connotations and is closely connected with Jesus’ second coming. The passage from Daniel 7:13-14 is speaking of a powerful messianic king.

Together the titles Son of Man and Son of God express the incredible mystery of the incarnation — that the second person of the Trinity came down from Heaven to become one of us so that we could be one with Him.

When Jesus rose from the dead, He ascended into Heaven, not just as God but also as a man. C. S. Lewis remarked on this truth: “I seldom meet any strong or exultant sense of the continued, never-to-be-abandoned, Humanity of Christ in glory, in eternity. We stress the Humanity too exclusively at Christmas, and the Deity too exclusively after the Resurrection; almost as if Christ once became a man and then presently reverted to being simply God. We think of the Resurrection and Ascension (rightly) as great acts of God; less often as the triumph of Man.”

Connecting to the Name

How did Jesus fulfill Daniel’s vision of “one like Bar-Erash, a son of man”

What do you think it means to say that Jesus is the Son of God?

Why do you think Jesus cautioned His disciples against telling anyone that He was the Messiah?

Describe your image of the ideal father. How does this compare with your image of who God is?

Describe your image of the ideal son or daughter. How does this compare with your image of yourself in relationship to God?

How does Jesus as the ideal human being reflect your understanding of God’s purpose for all human beings?

Praying a Passage with God’s Name

Thank God for revealing Jesus as His Son to you. Ask Him to deepen your own understanding of being His son or daughter. Focus on the name Huios Tou Theou, “Son of God” and Huios Tou Anthropou, “Son of Man,” as you read

Matthew 27:50–54.

50 Then Yeshua loudly cried out once again and gave up His life.

51 Suddenly, the curtain in the temple was split in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split open. 52 The tombs were opened, and the bodies of many holy people who had died came back to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after He had come back to life, and they went into the holy city where they appeared to many people.

54 An army officer and those watching Yeshua with Him saw the earthquake and the other things happening. They were terrified and said, “Certainly, this was the Son of God!”

Praying the Names Son of God and Son of Man for Myself

Look up and read: Matthew 16:13–16

Unbelievers are blinded to Jesus’ true identity. Pray and ask God to open the eyes of the blind. Ask Him to make you into a “little Christ” so that others may know Him.

Promises from the Son of God and Son of Man

4 But when the right time came, God sent His Son into the world. A woman gave birth to Him, and He came under the control of the laws given to Moses. 5 God sent Him to pay for the freedom of those who were controlled by these laws so that we would be adopted as His children. 6 Because you are God’s children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into us to call out, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer slaves but God’s children. Since you are God’s children, God has also made you heirs. — Galatians 4:4–7

27 The Son of Man will come with His angels in His Father’s glory. Then He will pay back each person based on what that person has done. — Matthew 16:27

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Read the following passages, considering the names SON OF GOD and SON OF MAN and how their meanings relate to the context of the passage.

Matthew 12:38–42; 20:20–28; 25:31–33; 26:63–66

Mark 9:2–7

John 3:16–17; 14:12–14

Romans 8:14–17, 28–30

2 Corinthians 6:18

Hebrews 1:1–5

1 John 4:9–12

Revelation 1:12–18

Excerpted from Praying the Names of God for 52 Weeks by Ann Spangler, copyright Ann Spangler.

You will never be disappointed when studying the Bible. It’s truth about God, and the relationship He desires to have and provides for us Himself through the Son of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are clearly revealed. Spend perhaps more than just today looking at Jesus, Son of God/Son of Man.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith December 20, 2023

Notes of Faith December 20, 2023

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). — Matthew 1:22–23

Advent is about waiting, anticipating, yearning. Advent is the question, the pleading, and Christmas is the answer to that question, the response to the howl. There are moments in this season when I don’t feel a lot like Christmas, but I do feel like Advent.

Advent gives us another option beyond false Christmas cheer or Scrooge. Advent says the Baby is coming, but He isn’t here yet, that Hope is on its way, but the yearning is still very real.

Advent allows us to tell the truth about what we’re grieving, without giving up on the gorgeous and extravagant promise of Christmas, the Baby on His way.

God fulfilled so many promises when Jesus came as a baby in Bethlehem.

Consider Advent a less flashy but still very beautiful way of being present in this season. Give up your false and failing attempts at merriment, and thank God for a season that understands longing and loneliness and long nights. Let yourself fall open to Advent, to anticipation, to the belief that what is empty will be filled, what is broken will be repaired, and what is lost can always be found, no matter how many times it’s been lost.

God fulfilled so many promises when Jesus came as a baby in Bethlehem. Dare to hope and trust that He will fulfill His promises to you as well.

Excerpted from Savor: Living Abundantly Where You Are, As You Are by Shauna Niequist, copyright Zondervan.

He’s almost here! Jesus, the One who makes the world right. Even now, if we would believe in Him and follow Him in obedience to God, our world would surrender its evil practices and painful lies and we would live surrounded by love! Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming! Jesus is here! Let Him come and live in your heart!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith December 19, 2023

Notes of Faith December 19, 2023

Do You Hear What I Hear

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest Heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them,

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

When the angels had left them and gone into Heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this Child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things

and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. — Luke 2:8-20

I love this story, and I especially love that it’s a familiar one.

Reading an old story with new eyes always gives God a chance to speak a fresh word and remind us that His Word is alive and that He desires to meet us there!

When I read this, and I try to put myself in the scene, I can’t help but wonder what it was like not only to see a host of angels but to hear them! Can you imagine? I picture the shepherds bumping elbows like, “Did you hear that!? Do you hear what I hear?!”

With the theme of hearing in mind, I want to spend a few moments with you, asking ourselves a few questions.

I think it can be easy to read a Bible story like this one and think, “I love that for them. It’s magical and Christmassy, but what does this mean for me? What does it mean for my life today? What does this mean for my relationship with Jesus?”

When we hear God’s voice, it changes our life.

Let’s start here:

How do I hear God’s voice?

You might be saying to yourself, Jennie, this scripture is amazing and inspiring, but I’ve never experienced anything like this. I haven’t experienced the angels telling me at work how awesome God is.

One of the best parts of this story is that the shepherds didn’t know that these angels would show up that night. It was a regular night on the job for them, and they had shown up for their shift on a seemingly insignificant night, and yet, the significant happened that very night.

How are you leaning into where God has you right now?

You may not be in the place you want to be; you may be experiencing things that you don’t want to experience – the heartache, the struggles of life. But how are you being present in your job, in your home, in your school? God can speak to you there, and He wants to speak to you right where you are.

I don’t think it’s about hearing God audibly (although He can do that!) I don’t think it’s about whether or not you see the angels in the skies. I believe it’s about hearing from God in your everyday life. It’s about reading the Bible every day and carving out time to spend with your Savior. It’s about walking in the things He’s called you to and asking Him to speak to you. It’s about being willing, and it’s about waiting on Him and letting Him lead right here and right now.

What does my life sound like?

What does my life sound like? If we genuinely tune our ears to hear from God, to hear the sound of Heaven, we will live lives that sound like Heaven. What does Heaven sound like? What does a life in tune with God’s word sound like? My husband likes to say, “worship is the sound of a healthy soul.” Are you letting God’s love and word and worship pour into you so that in return, it can come ringing out of you?

Psalms 89:15 says,

Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound. They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.

The goal of our lives isn’t to live perfectly. Sweetness, love, and kindness won’t always come naturally from our lives. We’ll have bad days and hard moments, we’ll make mistakes, but the goal is this: that we imperfectly follow Jesus, that we forgive, that we show grace, that we love, and that the overarching sound of our lives is God’s love, His grace, His kindness, and His word.

What do I hear God saying to me?

Think about this for a moment, when was the first time you heard God speak to you? And again, I’m not necessarily saying audibly, but when was the first time your ears were opened, and you first heard that God loved you, and that He created you, and that He had a plan for you? Think about that first time. If you’ve forgotten, God’s telling you right now that He loves you.

Sometimes we can let the things we’re struggling with, the life that we’re barely making it through, the madness or the pain of the holiday season keep us from hearing the fact that God loves us so much. And if you’ve never heard, hear now what I’ve heard, that your Father in Heaven loves you.

He created you. He created you with a purpose in mind. And He loved you so much that He sent His son Jesus, our Savior, into this world as a baby. So that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

When we hear God’s voice, it changes our life, and my prayer is that you wouldn’t ignore Him speaking to you but that you would hear Him. And that your everyday life would be filled with purpose and joy and power as you surrender to Him and His voice in every little moment.

Written for Devotionals Daily by Jennie Lusko, author of The Fight to Flourish.

I was reminded recently about hearing/listening to others, especially God. In that reminder was a nuance that we may need to pay more attention to if we want to hear what others/God is saying to us. If you take the word listen and rearrange the letters, it spells silent! Makes the Christmas carol “Silent Night” take on a whole new meaning. When we are silent we hear better those who are trying to communicate with us. God was speaking loud and clear then and He still does today…if we will be silent and listen. Do you hear what I hear?

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith December 18, 2023

Notes of Faith December 18, 2023

The Greatness of Servants

Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant… For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. — Mark 10:43

A baby was born in Bethlehem so that He could grow up and give His life away.

Jesus came to us to pour Himself out in love and service.

So it’s no wonder that when He found His disciples striving for a position of honor in God’s Kingdom He told them, “Whoever wants to become great will serve others.”

The way Jesus talked about God’s Kingdom kept surprising the disciples — and it’s still pretty shocking even today. How often do we give our highest respects to people in humble, service-oriented positions?

Jesus turns the world upside down: those who are considered lowest in the ranks are actually on top.

When you choose to serve others, know that Jesus honors your choice. He’d say you’re pursuing true greatness.

John Bunyan wrote, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”

Can you see a need to meet? Go make a difference. Can you find a way to lift someone up? Go do it. Be generous with your time and effort. Live like Jesus did, giving yourself to love and service.

I praise You, Jesus, for being the greatest servant of all.

*

God chose to send the Savior in a way that involved the cooperation of a human.

Be Actively Available to God

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” — Luke 1:38

An angel appeared to Mary and told her astonishing news: Mary would have a baby who’d be the Son of God. In that moment, Mary had a choice. She could have pushed back, saying, “No, that doesn’t seem likely. I don’t believe you.”

But instead, she said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” She said yes to God.

No matter how many times I think about this, I’m always stunned that God chose to send the Savior in a way that involved the cooperation of a human.

Today He wants us, even with our weaknesses, to be participants in His work too. And in order for that to happen, we have to make ourselves available to Him. Mary did this in a profound way.

— she gave her body, heart, time, and future to her new role as a mother.

How can you follow Mary’s lead and be more available to God? Maybe you need to be open to making a change. Maybe it’s simply a matter of pausing and praying more often before reacting, or showing more of God’s patience to your family.

Instead of focusing on what’s stressing you today, think about how you can be used by God in every situation you’re in.

I am Your servant, God. Use me any way You choose.

Excerpted from Calm Your Anxious Mind by Carrie Marrs, copyright Zondervan.

In those every day situations that God wants to use people for His work and glory, He says, “Whom shall I send?” We must respond, “Here am I, send me!” Let us give thanks for the indescribable gift of God in Jesus Christ and prepare our hearts to give back in service to our Lord. How might you be used today?

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith December 17, 2023

Notes of Faith December 17, 2023

The Innkeeper in Bethlehem:

Living Beyond the “No”

For nothing is impossible with God. — Luke 1:37

The Innkeeper who gave Mary and Joseph a stable to stay in should be a model for us as we celebrate important seasons like Christmas without our loved one. That’s because the innkeeper had the ability to think and live beyond the “no.”

“No room in the inn” could easily have been his complete conversation with the visiting strangers who came to his door. But he didn’t let perceived limitations stop him. Instead, he thought of other options.

In contrast, many of us who grieve are quick to say “no way” to people and circumstances. Too often we limit God’s possibilities. When faced with a seemingly impossible circumstance, we convince ourselves there is no hope, no chance, no way!

What is the circumstance on your “no way” list?

My list is probably similar to yours. It’s long. It contains names of insensitive people who will never understand my loss and people who care but won’t stop giving advice and answers to why God allowed my loss. It includes people whom I think will never have a relationship with God, and others who are proud and will never see the need to change or learn humility. My list includes expectations that others have of me that I can’t fulfill and

my inability to cope with my new identity since my loss.

The names and circumstances on my list and yours share a common theme... a need for hope, a need for someone bigger than the circumstance, a need to think and live beyond the “no.”

Christmas is God’s reminder that He has heard our cry and responded.

Because of sin, humankind was eternally separated from God. No hope. No chance. No way! But God thought beyond the “no.”

He provided a way for us to have a relationship with Him and eternal life through the birth and death of His Son, Jesus. Celebrating Jesus’ birth at Christmas and His death and resurrection at Easter remind us that the door of healing and salvation is open wide to all who will receive Him.

Don’t allow your grief to limit God’s possibilities in your life or in other’s lives. Give Him your “no way” list today. Ask God to help you see beyond your circumstance and to change your “no way” thinking. It’s time to journey on and to live beyond the “no.”

God, thank You for being Emmanuel, God with us. Thank You for Christmas and for Easter and for thinking beyond the “no.” Please forgive me for my “no way” thinking. Help me to trust You and to have Your perspective. Your Word says that with You nothing is impossible. Be my hope. Help me to see new possibilities and live beyond the “no.” Amen.

Excerpted from Grieving the Loss of a Loved One by Kathe Wunnenberg,

copyright Kathe Wunnenberg.

We share in the grief of those who are missing someone for the first time this Christmas. Let us be used of God to encourage and uplift our friends in a time of special need. God has us walking together for the purpose of being His body, strengthening and upholding one another for His possibilities!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith December 16, 2023

Notes of Faith December 16, 2023

Giving Away What Was Never Yours

The Source of all things is also the Owner of all things. There’s a pleasure in giving what you have to someone in need that is unlike the pleasure of ownership. You place your money in the Salvation Amy tin. You volunteer to serve dinner to the homeless. You see the look in a poor child’s eyes when you hand them a box covered in colorful Christmas wrapping.

But your whole life is actually a gift. God gave you life and you are His. God so loved that He gave.

Whether it’s your money, your talents, or your time, the more you walk in gratitude for what’s been given to you and the more you realize that what you have was never really yours in the first place, the more you’ll offer everything you have to those in need.

God has provided you with the means to give. And it’s in the giving that you’ll receive.

Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. — Deuteronomy 15:10

Your whole life is actually a gift.

Beyond What Is Seen

There was a monster under the bed. You couldn’t see it, but you knew. Under the bed, in the closet — it was always what you couldn’t see that scared you most.

But the unseen also thrilled you. Imagining what lay outside your door every day made you tie your shoelaces all the quicker. Imagining what gifts were yours under the Christmas tree filled you with anticipation and joy.

As adults, we’re still scared of the unseen, all those areas beyond our control. And we’ve also lost that sense of wonder about what’s outside our door or the gifts waiting to be opened.

But God will turn on the night light and leave the door cracked. And He’ll invite you to discover a world of wonder that only He can reveal.

Will you trust this God of the unseen?

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see... By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. — Hebrews 11:1, 3

Excerpted from 365 Devotions to Embrace What Matters Most by John M. Michalak, copyright Zondervan.

When we come to Christ in faith we place our trust in Him for all of life on earth and eternal life in heaven. There are things that we will not know and understand that will bring anxiousness and even fear but should not take away our trust of the One who holds us in His hand!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith December 15, 2023

Notes of Faith December 15, 2023

Change of Plans

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph.

— Luke 1:26–27 ESV

Have you ever planned an elaborate dinner party only to have your guests cancel? Or spent days anticipating a date with your spouse only to have the babysitter get sick? It’s so disappointing when the best-laid plans go awry.

Women are a planning sort of people. As a whole, we tend to be less of the go-with-the-flow type. We plan births, meals, and wardrobes with great attention to detail. We research and analyze things to death. With that in mind, how can you not have compassion for Mary? The girl was planning a marriage.

Maybe she was deciding what entrée to serve and arranging seating to make sure Aunt Bertha didn’t sit too close to the wine table, or maybe she was writing “Mary loves Joseph” in the dirt with a stick. Scripture makes it clear that when Gabriel showed up, Mary was a betrothed woman.

She surely had some things planned, and those plans did not include giving birth to the Son of God.

Let it be to me according to your word. — Luke 1:38 ESV

We’ve all had times when our plans didn’t work out. Perhaps we thought we would be married by now, yet our Facebook status still reads “single.” Or we always assumed we would still be married right now. We imagined ourselves with a flourishing career, but instead we find ourselves eking out a minimum-wage existence.

We thought we would be doing something else, be with someone else, be someone else. But God had other plans.

Our mistake is that we want to compare our plan with God’s plan. We want to see them side by side and weigh the pros and cons of each. Our best response, however, will always be the same as Mary’s when the angel crashed her wedding plans.

Let it be to me according to your word. — Luke 1:38 ESV

Lord, I like to think that I have everything planned out. Remind me to always leave room in my plans for Your providence.

Excerpted from Devotions from the Front Porch, by Stacy Edwards, copyright Thomas Nelson.

I have learned to be blessed with changes to my plans rather than be frustrated with changes to my plans. God uses all things for His glory and our good, therefore, learning from God’s work in my life has proved to be a joy and great blessing. I’m not saying go with the flow…I personally like to have plans, a calendar to follow, times to attend to…but God! Reflect on the times your plans changed and you experienced great blessing, even if the beginning of the interruption was not so. Be prepared for anything, give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. May you have a blessed day every day you live in Christ!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith December 14, 2023

Notes of Faith December 14, 2023

God Isn’t Afraid to Get Down in the Dirt

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

— Genesis 2:7

The story of creation is an incredible one. For so many reasons. But mostly — at least for me — because it shows so beautifully the unmatched worth we have in God’s eyes.

God spoke everything into existence, which is a whole mind-blowing thing all on its own: “Let there be...” and there was.

God was balanced between time and eternity — forming galaxies, zebras, mountains, and starfish with His very words. He spoke, and they were created. Something out of nothing.

When it came to His creation of humankind, however, He changed things up.

Instead of speaking us into existence, as He did with everything else, He chose to form us in His own image.

I close my eyes: “Fearfully and wonderfully,” He made us (Psalm 139:14). I’ve seen pictures of some pretty amazing sand sculptures, but I’d say that God’s takes first prize.

And then He breathed into us.

Face-to-face, we inhaled His exhale. Our first breath came from the very mouth of God. I cannot even fathom the worth — the wealth — of that breath of life.

Regardless of what I feel, God never leaves me.

When my life is a mess or it feels like there’s no end in sight to the challenges I’m facing, it’s easy to think that God is far removed from it all. When the nights are long and the darkness closes in, His presence doesn’t always feel very present. But just as He was with Adam in Genesis, He is right here…in the dirt with me.

Regardless of what I feel, He never leaves me.

He never forsakes me. He doesn’t just watch me from afar; He sits right down in the messy chaos with me.

When I remember that He made me in His image, it’s easier to trust that He is intimately involved in my life, even when I can’t see Him. And it makes me want to open my eyes wide and look for Him in unexpected places.

Like right here in the dirt.

Pray that you will remember to look for God where you normally don’t expect to see Him. That you will feel His presence in new and intimate ways.

That you will experience His matchless love and let that overflow onto those around you.

God, You are close, as near as my own breath. Today, I pray that I will reach out for Your hand and embrace Your presence in each moment.

Excerpted from Prayers to Help You Thrive, copyright Zondervan.

Except Jesus, there is none who have known the intimate closeness of God. He is always with us. It is we who have wandered away, sometimes far away. May we know the breath of God that gave us life and continues to uphold us in every moment!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith December 13, 2023

Notes of Faith December 13, 2023

Grace for the World

God’s Great Gifts

Thanks be to God for His gift that is too wonderful for words.

— 2 Corinthians 9:15

Why did He do it? A shack would have sufficed, but He gave us a mansion. Did He have to give the birds a song and the mountains a peak? Was He required to put stripes on the zebra and the hump on the camel?

Why wrap creation in such splendor? Why go to such trouble to give such gifts?

Why do you? You do the same. I’ve seen you searching for a gift. I’ve seen you stalking the malls and walking the aisles. I’m not talking about the obligatory gifts. I’m talking about that extra-special person and that extra-special gift.

Why do you do it? You do it so the heart will stop. You do it so the jaw will drop. You do it to hear those words of disbelief “You did this for me?”

That’s why you do it. And that is why God did it. Next time a sunrise steals your breath or a meadow of flowers leaves you speechless, remain that way. Say nothing and listen as heaven whispers, “Do you like it? I did it just for you.”

~ The Great House of God

When the world goes wild, He stays calm.

The Promise Remains

Joseph was the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus. Jesus is called the Christ. — Matthew 1:16

Seems like the only common bond between [Jesus’ ancestors] was a promise. A promise fromHeaven that God would use them to send His Son.

Why did God use these people? Didn’t have to. Could have just laid the Savior on a doorstep. Would have been simpler that way. And why does God tell us their stories?

Simple. He wants us to know that when the world goes wild, He stays calm.

Want proof? Read the last name on the list [of Jesus’ lineage]. In spite of all the crooked halos and tasteless gambols of His people, the last name on the list is the first one promised — Jesus.

No more names are listed. No more are needed. As if God is announcing to a doubting world, “See, I did it. Just like I said I would.”

~ When God Whispers Your Name

*

God Became a Man

He gave up His place with God and made Himself nothing. He was born as a man and became like a servant. — Philippians 2:7

It all happened in a most remarkable moment… a moment like no other.

God became a man. Divinity arrived. Heaven opened herself and placed her most precious One in a human womb.

The Omnipotent, in one instant, became flesh and blood. The One who was larger than the universe became a microscopic embryo. And He who sustains the world with a word chose to be dependent upon the nourishment of a young girl.

God had come near.

~ God Came Near

Excerpted from Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.

These short quotes from several of Max Lucado’s books, of which I have all of them, are gifts of the wisdom of his writing. I recommend these books for your own meditating on God’s Word and the way God used Max to make your heart soar in the truth expressed. May our giving of gifts be a blessing to God!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith December 12, 2023

Notes of Faith December 12, 2023

The Jesus I Need

Are you thinking what I’m thinking?

That given the events of the past years, Advent feels just a tiny bit misplaced?

Global pandemic.

Economic instability.

Racial tension.

Unending violence.

The call to quiet myself and once more prepare for the coming of Jesus feels like something better suited for a time of greater peace. What I need right now is to not wait on the Lord but experience the Lord. Like, yesterday.

You know what I mean?

And it’s not exactly the Jesus in a manger whom I really need, if I’m being honest. It’s the Jesus who walks on water and flips over tables and brings the dead back to life who I want rushing onto the scene. And yet, Advent calls me to wait and prepare and keep watch for a Savior who will enter the world in as fragile a state as possible: an infant entrusted to a poor and powerless couple.

Remind me again how this is Good News?

As is most always the case, to understand the story of Jesus we must first understand the story of the Bible. Ages before the birth of Jesus, the Prophet Isaiah told us exactly who this powerless infant would one day become.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. — Isaiah 9:6

This is who Jesus will become, Isaiah says. But this is not who Jesus is at the beginning. He begins… as we all do… at the beginning. And even though that’s often not the Jesus we want, I think it might be the Jesus I need.

Because I don’t know about you, but it helps me tremendously to know that Jesus will not only come to have the world rest upon His shoulders but that He is brave enough to allow the world to bear down upon Him. Put another way:

Yes, the world is terrifying, but the Good News is that God is not afraid.

How do I know that? Because Jesus could have arrived fully formed as the Mighty God and Prince of Peace. He is God and God can do whatever God wants to do. But God chose to come to us as a vulnerable child, which is just another way of saying He did what none of us would ever do. He let down every defense, ceded all strength, and offered Himself to the entire world.

Why? There are many good answers that could be given, but at least one of them must be that God wanted us to know that even though the world can be terrifying, God is not terrified, and thus we can choose to not be either.

Seen in this light, I am drawn more peacefully into the waiting season of Advent, eager to lean in close and gaze upon this Child who will save the world and trust that even though the story has yet to play itself out, the mere presence of the Baby lets me know that all, in the end, shall be well.

Written for Devotionals Daily by Ryan Casey Waller, author of Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don’t Want to Talk About.

God/Jesus, lived our human life, that He might serve as a holy and perfect sacrifice for the sin of man.

Heb 4:15-16

15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

2 Cor 5:21

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus had to live our entire life experience to represent the relationship between humanity and God. His perfect holiness and our lack thereof, made it necessary through God’s love, to send Jesus to be the only sacrifice that would reconcile mankind to God. What a Savior and Lord we have! May we all continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and pray that we might also grow in spiritual maturity to be more like Him every day!

Pastor Dale