Notes of Faith May 29, 2024

Notes of Faith May 29, 2024

Overcoming Memories

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

When Joshua was preparing to take the Israelites into the Promised Land, God gave him a promise: “The Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” It wasn’t just the task that had Joshua worried. It was also a 38-year-old memory.

Two years after the exodus from Egypt, the nation arrived at Kadesh where Moses sent twelve spies into Canaan. After forty days, the spies returned burdened with the fruit of the land—and burdened about the warlike nature of the inhabitants. Ten of the spies warned Moses not to try to take the land because the giants that lived there would surely defeat them. To their credit, Joshua and Caleb disagreed, saying God would give them victory. For rebelling against God at Kadesh, the nation wandered in the wilderness 38 years until that generation died off. Now Joshua would lead the second generation of Israelites against the next generation of Canaanite giants and their iron chariots.

Memories are powerful things. If God is calling you to do something, don’t let a bad memory stand in your way—“for the Lord your God is with you.”

Take courage. We walk in the wilderness today and in the Promised Land tomorrow.

Dwight L. Moody

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 28, 2024

Notes of Faith May 28, 2024

Look around. You are the generation that is watching the fig tree come back to life. You are watching God's handling with Israel within your lifetime in a way the apostles and disciples never saw. Jesus said, “Learn this parable from the fig tree,” when He spoke about the end time signs. He said, "When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that the end is near at the doors." The point He was making was this: When the Jewish people return to their land, signaling that the cursed fig tree is coming back to life, you know it's the end.

He said, "Assuredly I say to you, this generation…”. I want you to lift up your hand right now. Hello. You are the generation! "This generation will by no means pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My word will by no means pass away." And the Psalmist wrote, "Bring us back to the land.” He said, "Like the streams in the south." Have you been to Israel? Good. Because there are no streams in the south. The southern part of Israel is a desert. There's only one case where that part of the land has streams. Do you know when? Flash floods. When it rains heavily all around in the mountains, the water arrives in the form of flash floods. Have you ever seen a flash flood? It takes everything in its path.

And that’s exactly what happened in 1948. I started this message with my grandparents surviving Auschwitz, making it all the way to the land. For every person that lived in Israel in 1948, three new immigrants came. Amazing, flash flood. And it's Aliyah. It’s immigration from the four winds. And we didn't even know how to communicate. Yemenite Jews, Moroccan Jews, German Jews, Spanish Jews, Polish Jews, Russian Jews. How will they even communicate? God says, "It's time to restore their language. Hebrew." Wow. You see, He restored first the land, then restored them from their graveyard in Europe, brought them back to their land, restored the language, and now, thus, the fig tree is coming back to life.

Learn This from the Fig Tree

While the subject is debated by some, the fact that national Israel is represented by the fig tree multiple times in scripture is clear - Joel 1:7, Hosea 9:10, Jeremiah 24, to name a few.

Matthew 24:32

“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.”

Arbor-culturally, the fig tree putting forth leaves was also an indication of a change of seasons. When the branch was tender - symbolizing new growth - and the leaves sprouted, it meant that summer was near and the late harvest season (fall) was in the not-too-distant future. The fig tree was also the last of the spring fruit trees to bud. So, when it put forth leaves, a seasonal change into summer was very near.

When Jesus came the first time, the four spring feasts of Israel were fulfilled; Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfuits, and Pentecost. Summer would then arrive and there would be no fulfillment of the fall feasts until the fig tree became tender and put forth leaves; until Israel became a nation again.

Matthew 24:34

“Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”

That means that the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement), and Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) will happen within a single generation of the rebirth of the nation of Israel.

Between 1882 and 1903, approximately 35,000 Jews immigrated to Ottoman Palestine, joining the pre-existing Jewish population, which in 1880 numbered 26,000. Since then, 3,340,000 Jews have made Aliyah (ascent) to Israel with millions now having been born in Israel. Over 7,000 have made Aliyah so far this year, even in the midst of war.

Why is this continuing in the midst of war and growing antisemitism? Because God is bringing them back into the land for His name’s sake (Ezekiel 36:22) to prepare them for what’s coming.

Zechariah 12:10

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”

The House of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem are the same group. And no, they are not Muslims, Arabs, or Palestinians. They are Jews. The promise spoken of by Zechariah will happen at the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets - the Second Coming - when the 1/3 of the Jews who survive the great and terrible Day of the Lord will look upon the returning Christ Jesus as the Holy One of Israel, their Savior.

May 14th, 1948, was over 76 years ago. While we do not know what the length of a “generation” is, we know that 76 years is a lot closer to the end of a generation than the beginning.

Matthew 24:36-42

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”

The unknown day and hour can only be referring to the Rapture of the church and not the Second Coming. The Second Coming is 42 30-day months, or, 1260 days after the Abomination of Desolation, which occurs at the midpoint of the Tribulation. The Rapture can occur at any moment.

The Jews are back in the land and the nation is now 76 years old. Moreover, the world is gathering against Israel just as the Bible foretold. So, let’s keep our eyes lifted and be watching for His glorious appearing and listening for the sound of the trumpet.

Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Look up, for your redemption draws near. It could be very close. Perhaps today. It may be in our lifetime. But certainly God keeps His promises and Jesus will return to fulfill all that the Bible says will happen. If we die before the rapture of the church, we will still be with God. There is no down side for true believers.

Love God! Love others!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 27, 2024

Notes of Faith May 27, 2024

The Boy Who Saw the Battle of Bunker Hill

Today in the United States it’s Memorial Day, the day we honor those who have lost their lives defending their country. Today, let’s pray for families who have lost a loved one in battle or in service.

Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. — Psalm 62:8

After the Boston Tea Party, the British issued punitive measures against Boston, which prompted the Colonies to convene the First Continental Congress in 1774. John Adams of Massachusetts traveled to Philadelphia, leaving his wife, Abigail, and their children in Braintree, near Boston, which was quickly becoming a battle zone. British troops began swarming the area, and shots were fired at nearby Lexington and Concord.

Abigail was the daughter of a minister and a force to be reckoned with, but she grew increasingly anxious for her children’s safety. On June 15, she wrote her husband, “We now expect our seacoast to be ravaged; perhaps the very next letter I write will inform you that I am driven away from our yet quiet cottage... We live in continual expectation of alarms.

Courage, I know we have in abundance... but powder — where shall we get a sufficient supply?”1

Seven-year-old John Quincy felt the strain, too, later writing, “My mother with her infant children dwelt every hour of the day and of the night liable to be butchered in cold blood or taken and carried into Boston as hostages by any foraging or marauding detachment of men.”2

On June 17, Abigail and her children heard the guns and cannons that marked the beginning of the Battles of Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill. As the British started up the slopes, a command reportedly passed through the American lines: “Don’t shoot until you see the white of their eyes.”

Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. — Psalm 62:8

When the guns began firing, the sound traveled for miles. Hearing the roar of the cannons and the sounds of the battle, Abigail took John Quincy and hiked to the top of Penn Hill, where they watched the battle unfold across the bay. The Boston neighborhood of Charlestown went up in flames, and the winds blew the heat and smoke into their faces. Waves of British soldiers fell while charging up Bunker’s hill. The Patriots were driven back, and it was the bloodiest battle thus far in the War. The next morning Abigail wrote John, and in the middle of her letter, she burst into the cherished scriptures sustaining her, especially a passage from

Psalm 62:

The day — perhaps the decisive day — is come, on which the fate of America depends. My bursting heart must give vent at my pen. I have just heard that our dear friend, Dr. Warren, is no more, but fell gloriously fighting... “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; but the God of Israel is He that giveth strength and power to His people. Trust in Him at all times, ye people, pour out your hearts before Him; God is a refuge for us.” Charlestown is laid in ashes. The battle began upon our intrenchments upon Bunker’s Hill, Saturday morning about three o’clock, and has not ceased yet... It is expected they will come out over the Neck tonight, and a dreadful battle must ensue. Almighty God, cover the heads of our countrymen, and be a shield to our dear friends! How many have fallen, we know not. The constant roar of the cannon is so distressing that we cannot eat, drink, or sleep.3

John Quincy Adams never forgot the carnage that filled his seven-year-old eyes as he stood transfixed by the cannons, gunfire, charging soldiers, dying troops, burning city, and unfolding history. He later said it made an impression on his mind that haunted him the rest of his life. Even in old age he couldn’t bring himself to attend celebrations associated with the events of that day.4

“I saw with my own eyes the fires of Charlestown and heard Britannia’s thunders in the battle... and witnessed the tears of my mother and mingled them with my own,” he wrote.5

Abigail finally turned and left the bloody panorama, leading her son back home where she made him promise to repeat the Lord’s Prayer every morning before rising from bed, a practice he kept the rest of his life.6

Thus the little family watched, prayed, trusted God, poured out their hearts to Him — and melted Abigail’s collection of pewter spoons into musket balls for the Patriots.7

Abigail Adams, Letters of Mrs. Adams, 1 (Boston: Charles C. Little & James Brown, 1840), 36–37.

Harlow Giles Unger, John Quincy Adams (Boston: De Capo Press, 2012), 12.

Adams, Letters of Mrs. Adams, 39–40.

Nathaniel Philbrick, Bunker Hill (New York: Viking, 2013), 293.

Edward Everett Hale, ed., Old and New, 10 (Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1875), 508, quoting John Quincy Adams, Memoirs of John Quincy Adams, Comprising Portions of His Diary from 1795 to 1848, vols. 1–2, Charles Frances Adams, ed. (Philadelphia: Lippincott & Company, 1874).

Unger, John Quincy Adams, 17. 7. Unger, John Quincy Adams, 17.

Excerpted from 100 Bible Verses That Made America by Robert Morgan, copyright Robert J. Morgan.

One cannot change the truth of history. God has always been in control. He still is. All we need to do is trust Him.

Prov 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will direct your path.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 26, 2024

Notes of Faith May 26, 2024

Thank you to all who came to Bill Lawson’s memorial service. Thank you to the ones who blessed us serving to meet the needs of the day. Thank you for all of the cards, prayers, and words of encouragement. We are a truly blessed family.

The Best Day of the Week

Five Reasons I Love Sunday

Article by Kenneth E. Ortiz

Pastor, Orlando, Florida

Early one Sunday morning, I walked into my two-year-old daughter’s bedroom and scooped her up out of bed. She was barely awake. As I carried her over to the changing table, I whispered, “Baby girl, today we get to go to church.”

Her eyes lit up, she let out a big gasp, and she shouted, “Scottie, Elise, William, Rowan?” I responded, “Yes, you’re going to see your friends today.” “Dada, I love church!” she said. “Yeah, baby girl, me too.”

Obviously, my daughter doesn’t fully understand why we regularly meet as a local church, but she gets the excitement. She has tasted how sweet it is when Christians gather to worship.

Why I Love Sundays

For many years, I’ve been known for saying that Sundays are my favorite day of the week. As a pastor, I’ve said this to my congregation repeatedly. Why do I love Sundays? It’s quite simple: Sunday is the day that I get to worship with my church family — my dear friends who love the God I love.

We don’t need a specific time or space to worship, of course. We can pray alone. We can read the Bible by ourselves. We can engage in various helpful spiritual disciplines in solitude.

However, there are elements of the Christian life that you simply cannot experience alone. Don Whitney puts it this way: “Christianity is not an isolationist religion. . . . There’s an element of worship in Christianity that cannot be experienced in private worship or by watching worship” (Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 43–44). This is why the author of Hebrews exhorts us to prioritize our gathering together (Hebrews 10:24–25).

Sunday worship gatherings have been a big deal to Christians for a very long time. They were normal for the earliest Christians (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2; Revelation 1:10) and were important to the second and third generations as well (Didache 14.1; First Apology of Justin Martyr 67).

I’m thankful that many contemporary Christians gather each Sunday for worship and fellowship. However, I worry that many believers lack the appropriate enthusiasm, attending church services largely out of obligation. I long for God’s people to enthusiastically anticipate the unique sweetness of gathering with God’s people week after week. I love Sundays, and here are five reasons why I think you should love Sundays too.

1. We get a taste of glory.

I love Sundays because they give me the best glimpse of the new Jerusalem.

One day, Christ will return, and we will live together in that glorious city, the new Jerusalem. When we think about this city, we might think about geography or location, about streets of gold or structures made of jasper. But that misses the main point.

The new Jerusalem is primarily a community, a people perfected by the work of Christ, enjoying his greatness and beauty together. When that day comes, all of God’s people will be permanently gathered. We will live in perfect harmony, enjoying one another and treasuring Christ together forever and ever.

The local church offers a sneak peek. Every Sunday when we gather, we’re seeing some of what the future holds. We are not yet perfected by Christ, but we are being perfected (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18). Each Sunday, the church is a little bit more like Jesus than we were when we gathered last week. And if our Lord permits, we will be a little bit more like him next week. Each week, I get a better picture of the glory that is to come.

“Sunday is the day that I get to worship with my church family — my dear friends who love the God I love.”

In the Old Testament, if a person wanted to be near the presence of God, he or she would go toward the tabernacle (or, later, the temple). The tabernacle was God’s dwelling place on earth. But today, God dwells with his church. Puritan writer Richard Sibbes says the church is “the tabernacle now” in this age. “Particular visible churches under particular pastors [are] where the means of salvation are set up. Particular visible churches now are God’s tabernacle” (A Breathing After God, 54).

2. We see spiritual gifts on display.

I love Sundays because they put God’s spiritual gifts on display.

God has gifted each Christian with spiritual abilities (Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:7; 1 Peter 4:10), and he means for them to build up the body. Some spiritual gifts manifest in informal settings, but others are best and most often displayed within the context of corporate worship gatherings.

When I walk into our church building and I’m greeted by Joyce, I see her gift of hospitality. As Garrett leads our music ministry, I see his gift of exhortation. As our kids participate in Sunday school, I see Jim’s gift of teaching. When the elements of our service run smoothly, I see Phil’s gift of administration. After the service, when I have a brief conversation in the foyer with a few members of our church, and they tell me about the meal train that came to them that week, I see gifts of mercy and giving on display.

Sunday is not the only day spiritual abilities are at work, but Sunday is the day when I get to see the gifts on clearest display.

3. We hear much-needed teaching.

I love Sundays because I love hearing God’s word faithfully taught by a pastor who knows and loves his congregation.

God has gifted his church with teachers to serve and bless the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11–12). As Whitney writes, “Bible reading and preaching are central in public worship because they are the clearest, most direct, most extensive presentation of God in the meeting” (Spiritual Disciplines, 42).

Certainly, we can find good teaching in other contexts, but nothing can equal a sermon preached by your local pastor, carefully tailored for your particular congregation.

I have spoken to many pastors about how their relationships with congregants shape their sermons. Often, as a pastor prepares, the faces of his people keep coming to mind. Why? Because the pastor knows his people. He knows their stories. He knows their struggles. He knows the unique temptations they face. That knowledge of his congregation shapes the sermon he crafts for them.

Faithful teaching from a pastor who knows and loves his people is the most nourishing diet a believer can consume.

4. We experience spiritual growth.

I love Sundays because on them I experience great spiritual growth.

Spiritual growth is wrought by the Spirit of God. We cannot control it or manufacture it. However, spiritual growth happens most often — and most intensely — in those moments when we come face-to-face with the goodness and beauty of Christ. So if we intentionally put ourselves in positions and places where we are more likely to see the majesty of Jesus, then we are more likely to experience spiritual growth.

Therefore, we sing, we hear testimonies, we confess our sins, we revel in the gospel, we sit under faithful teaching, and we participate in the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Table. And in no context are we more likely to encounter those types of activities than when Christians gather on Sundays.

5. We remember we’re not alone.

I love Sundays because they remind me that many others believe what I believe and follow the one I follow.

Life can be hard and lonely. The cares of this world have the potential to exhaust us. And in a society that often celebrates evil and believes in lies, during the week it can feel like you’re the crazy one. But come Sunday, when I gather with believers for worship, I’m reminded I’m not alone, and I’m energized.

In the Old Testament, Elijah experienced deep discouragement and distress. He felt alone, as if he were the only person left in Israel serving God. But God assured Elijah that there were still seven thousand people who worshiped the one true God, and he was greatly encouraged (1 Kings 19:18). The same happens within us when we gather. We are greatly encouraged, refreshed, and energized.

Sunday Is Coming

This list certainly is not exhaustive. There are more good and godly reasons to enthusiastically look forward to Sunday worship gatherings.

God pours out so many beautiful blessings on those who gather faithfully with their local church. Even now, as I think about those blessings, my anticipation and excitement for Sunday is building.

Praise God, Sunday is coming!

Today is Sunday! I am happy to be with the congregation that I have worshipped and fellowshipped and grown spiritually with for the last 30 years. Every day is a day to praise the Lord, but I love doing it in the community of the church with Jesus, our Lord and Savior as the Head! See you soon!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 25, 2024

Notes of Faith May 25, 2024

Today could be a dark day for our family as we lay our husband, dad, grand-dad, and great-grand-dad to rest. But we actually celebrate his home-going after the blessing of the life God gave him and the years we spent together. No more pain, sorrow, suffering…just the joy of being in the presence of his Savior forever. And, we look forward to joining him some day. That too, will be an eternal blessing. We are praising God today, for his love for us, his provision for us, through dad, William Dean Lawson. Services today, at Community Grace Brethren Church, 5885 Downey Ave. Long Beach, CA. 90805, 11:45 A.M.

To watch livestream follow these links

Facebook:

Facebook.com/cgbclb

Click on the picture of the livestream for a full screen viewing

Zoom:

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/77612737885?pwd=lZ4zyZb2plUb9GWbYq0hYbflhciqdv.1

Click on the link above to join the livestream on zoom. After 40 minutes you will be told the time for the meeting has ended, or it will just close your session…just click into the meeting again and it will continue. You might have to do this more than once because the host at the service will have to rejoin the meeting as well.

Thank you for your love and prayers of comfort for our family.

Todays devotion speaks of our dad who praised God in all circumstances!

Worshiping in the Darkness

I will praise You with my whole heart; before the gods I will sing praises to You.

Psalm 138:1

The nineteenth-century South African pastor and writer Andrew Murray was feeling unwell one day when he wrote down a few paragraphs in his journal. The last line he wrote was a summary: “I am here (1) by God’s appointment, (2) in His keeping, (3) under His training, (4) for His time.”1

In short, Andrew Murray wrote down four reasons for worshiping God even in times of trouble. If we are where we are by God’s appointment, in His keeping, under His training, and for His time, what could we possibly have to worry about? Those four points are usually what we think when things are going well, when we really feel like worshiping God. But if they are true all the time, even when things are hard, why wouldn’t we worship God in those times as well? We agree with Job: “Shall we indeed accept good from God and shall we not accept adversity?”

(Job 2:10)

We don’t worship God because things are good or otherwise. We worship Him because of His sovereign oversight and care for our life.

Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light.

V. Raymond Edman

God is good all the time, and all the time God is good!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 24, 2024, P.S.

Notes of Faith May 24, 2024

P.S. I forgot to tell you that the Zoom meeting for Bill Lawson’s memorial service only allows 40 minute. Just re-click to join the meeting again. You may have to wait for the host at the church to do the same thing, but you should be able to see the entire service if you re-join the meeting. Sorry for this inconvenience.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 24, 2024

Notes of Faith May 24, 2024

Tomorrow, Saturday May 25 is the memorial service for William “Bill” Lawson, at Community Grace Brethren Church, 5885 Downey Ave. Long Beach, CA., beginning at 11:45 pacific time. We will have a graveside service at 9:45 (not live streamed) at the Westminster Memorial Park, 14801 Beach Blvd, in Westminster, CA. If you cannot attend but would like to view the service live, please watch on your computer or phone on either of the options below…

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/cgbclb

Click on the live picture to view full screen

Click the link below to join the zoom meeting

Zoom:

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/77612737885?pwd=lZ4zyZb2plUb9GWbYq0hYbflhciqdv.1

Today’s devotion is on heaven.

Putting On Hope

Hope is a golden cord connecting you to Heaven. This cord helps you hold your head up high, even when multiple trials are buffeting you. I never leave your side, and I never let go of your hand.

But without the cord of hope, your head may slump and your feet may shuffle as you journey uphill with Me. Hope lifts your perspective from your weary feet to the glorious view you can see from the high road. You are reminded that the road we’re traveling together is ultimately a highway to Heaven. When you consider this radiant destination, the roughness or smoothness of the road ahead becomes much less significant. I am training you to hold in your heart a dual focus: My continual Presence and the hope of Heaven.

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

But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. — 1 Thessalonians 5:8

God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. — Hebrews 6:18-19

I designed you to commune with Me face to Face

Grow strong in the Light of My Presence. As My Face shines upon you, you receive nutrients that enhance your growth in grace. I designed you to commune with Me face to Face, and this interaction strengthens your soul. Such communion provides a tiny glimpse of what awaits you in Heaven, where all barriers between you and My Glory will be removed.

This meditative time with Me blesses you doubly: You experience My Presence here and now, and you are refreshed by the hope of Heaven, where you will know Me in ecstatic Joy.

Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?” Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. — Psalm 4:6-8

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. — Revelation 21:23

But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new Heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. — 2 Peter 3:13

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

There is within the heart of a believer in and follower of Jesus that gives them an eternal perspective. It is the promise of God to be with Him forever basking in His glory and wonder. The new heaven and earth He creates will be more beautiful and awesome than we could ever imagine. There will be no sorrow, pain, suffering, or death. We will have glorified bodies as the risen Christ, no longer captive to the law of sin and death. May you live today with the sure hope of heaven, expecting God to fulfill His promise of bringing you into His eternal home prepared for you.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 23, 2024

Notes of Faith May 23, 2024

Believe Differently

The systems that leave you stagnant and ashamed are rendered powerless only when a stronger, more powerful belief is introduced. That new belief introduces an opportunity for a healthier, more powerful system to emerge. Failure to take advantage of that opportunity occurs because our new belief must compete with our old system.

God loves me whether I am in a relationship or not. God loves me whether I am successful professionally or not. God loves me whether other people like me or not. These statements are opportunities to believe differently, but until our choices reflect what we believe, we will not experience change.

The belief that I am loved, valued, and worthy of maximizing my life is not one that I grasped with ease. It is a truth that required me to see beyond what I think about my messy insides and to dare to believe that where I see mess, God sees material. Romans 8:28 says,

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

It’s a powerful scripture that has so much meat, but the word that stands out the most to me is know. Too many times we quote this scripture, replacing the word know with think, wish, or hope. There’s something to be said about being in relationship with God long enough that you move from the space of uncertainty about how things work together to a place of knowing.

I have learned that when God causes all things to work together, it’s because God is so holy that even the messes I make along the way in the pursuit of His purpose cannot contaminate His holiness. That’s not just my truth either. It’s yours too. When I fall into the trap of inadequacy because of my negative belief system, I have to remind myself that

God did not run out of grace when I messed up.

When I trust that I am loved beyond measure, it breaks me out of the system that cripples me. There is a power waiting to be released in you that is rooted in the knowledge that you are inescapably loved, valued, seen, and adored.

If you are able to grasp this as truth, it will grant you the courage to change your mind about who you think you have to be in order to be palatable. Even more powerful is that it will change what you believe is possible. You will have to learn to confront the ugly strongholds of your systems with the knowledge that God’s not finished with the masterpiece of you.

I want you to start defining the parts of your systems that make you who you are. This will require some introspection, so I’ll guide you through it. I want you to consider a most recent outcome, whether it was the outcome you desired or one that left you feeling disappointed. Then ask yourself what attributes you possess that directly contributed to the way things play out.

This is when it gets easy to begin listing negative qualities. Try not to focus exclusively on the ingredients that are frustrating, like ignoring red flags. There are some parts of your system that you should be proud of too. Besides, this is about building you up, not beating you up. Here are just a few to help get you started:

Initiative

Focus

Pursuing perfectionism

Determination

Doubt

Stubbornness

Fear of isolation

Discipline

Anxiousness

In what sequence did these things come to the surface? If you take the time to look at the stages you go through when meeting new people or starting a new project, you’ll begin to see some of the mechanics of your system that have played a role in your being successful, stuck, or somewhere in between. What belief fueled positive outcomes? Which ones wore you down? Taking the time to identify the ingredient that sabotages your outcome is how we begin to petition God for a new way of believing. I’m adding my faith to yours with this quick prayer:

God, please help my reader to believe what You believe and to rebuke what has not come from You.

Until you decide that you do not deserve the debilitating results that your system constantly produces, you cannot break out of your system. And you can’t break out of your system if you don’t acknowledge where you keep getting stuck. Advocates for criminal justice reform are engaged in the work of dismantling a legal framework that has negatively affected the future of individuals because they believe those individuals deserve better results than what the system provides.

Those who’ve dedicated their lives to serving individuals in the legal system understand that each case that is revisited sets a new precedent, and with a new precedent, power moves away from endless oppression to a reason for optimism.

Every time you make a choice opposite of what your negative systems dictate, you are serving notice to them that they no longer have power.

If you want to know whether your system is healthy, you’ve got to look at the outcome you consistently produce. Even if the outcome is not what you desire, it can help you to better understand what system may be at play in your life.

I want to broaden your perspective on what you need at this stage of your life. You don’t just need a different outcome. You need new convictions. A system that is rooted in love, compassion, worthiness, and the pursuit of heaven touching Earth through you. I’ll be honest and let you know that heaven doesn’t touch Earth through anyone who hasn’t first faced off with hell.

The worst thing you can do when you’ve gone through hell and back is to repeat the same cycles and habits that bought the ticket to struggle in the first place. There is an authority that comes with surviving that must be enacted so that you no longer live trapped.

The old system doesn’t relent because you wake up one day and say the season is over. No, you get a revelation and when that revelation becomes consistent with your declaration and presentation, you will experience transformation. It’s beyond being viewed differently because you put on a power suit so that others can treat you with esteem.

Real transformation is when what’s taken place on the inside of you becomes so evident that the external must adjust.

The negative thought process that has left you feeling like a shell of who you think you have the potential to become is operating as designed. It’s the same old system that started in the garden. It’s the same lies I’ve had to face and likely the ones that have run rampant in your family.

The template for that system was formed in darkness and seared as an imprint on humanity the moment Adam ate from the tree, but it cannot have your future. It cannot have your community. It cannot have your children. The system has to end with you.

Since the system is functioning as designed, that means you have to get out of line. You must be willing to break free from the system that is trying to break you. If you don’t break free from the system, you will never experience the power that is available to you. I know firsthand how difficult it is to break free. I also know the joy that awaits on the other side of freedom.

Soon you will understand that the system wanted you to believe it was more powerful than you could ever be. The system is wrong.

Excerpted from Power Moves by Sarah Jakes Roberts, copyright Sarah Jakes Roberts.

The “system” that holds power over you is sin, your human nature, acquired through the first disobedience of God by mankind through Adam and Eve. God provided freedom through the power of His Son Jesus and the indwelling of His Spirit given to those who believe in Him and His sacrifice for their debt of sin. The power of God is the only overcomer against sin. You can have it through faith and relationship with God the Father, through believing in His Son, and the Holy Spirit to guide and direct each day to defeat the power of the “system”! May you earnestly seek and find Jesus and be set free from the power that holds you captive.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 22, 2024

Notes of Faith May 22, 2024

Running on Sand

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. — 1 Corinthians 9:25 NIV

Ask any runner — the beach offers challenging terrain.

Some run barefoot while others wear shoes, but those who appear to stride effortlessly have been at it a while. They have had to train and build up strength to make it look so easy.

Running on a softer surface requires better balance and more energy from the muscles involved. There are plenty of risks too, such as sprains, strains, and puncture wounds. So why do it?

The payoff is worth it! These runners improve their strength, they experience less impact on their joints, and they burn more calories per mile. Training on a beach can literally put more spring in their step when they run on a hard surface like asphalt.

At times, running the race God sets for each of us seems more difficult than living a mediocre, milquetoast life.

But if the races of faith were easy, everyone would be running them.

As Paul explained, our race centers around one goal — a life that’s pleasing to God, achieved by “strict training” — and one prize — “A crown that will last forever.”

Challenging terrain aside, aren’t God’s pleasure and an everlasting reward worth everything?

Father God, help me to persevere when I’m weary and to keep my eyes on the end result.

Excerpted from Devotions from the Beach, copyright Thomas Nelson.

I grew up in West Torrance, CA., and used to run cross country and track in high school. Unbelievable, I know, looking at me now, but it is true. We ran from the school to the beach, one mile, then from the Torrance beach to the El Segundo pier and back, somewhere between thirteen and fifteen miles total. If we did well running on the soft sand, the coach let us run back on the harder surface near the water, and even let us go in the water, if we desired. Unfortunately, I was not a top contender and found myself running on the soft sand the entire way. But having done the work, I was usually in the top seven of our competitive races… and the coach was pleased! I am still trying to run the race of life, but to please my heavenly Father, my Savior, my Comforter, my Coach. He lovingly leads, guides, and directs my heart, my mind, my decisions and actions that I might be pleasing in His sight and receive a reward beyond all earthly treasures. Run well with me. Keep running, and trust your heavenly Coach, who loves you and sacrificially gave His best for your sake!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith May 21, 2024

Notes of Faith May 21, 2024

Armor Up!

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. — Ephesians 6:11 ESV

Woman sitting in a beach chair

Scuba diving is a popular beach excursion, and every diver wears the appropriate equipment in order to survive while exploring underwater worlds. The mask protects your eyes and clarifies your view. The scuba regulator transfers air from the scuba tank to your mouth. The fins or flippers help you swim and navigate efficiently, and the wet suit warms and protects your skin. Each piece of equipment helps ensure a successful visit to under-the-sea wonders.

Don’t take the Gospel into the world without the armor of God.

Similarly, each part of the armor Paul described in Ephesians 6:14-17 is necessary to help us successfully complete God’s mission in our lives.

God has made us the ambassadors of His redemption story — a bold move, as we are often weak on our own. Our personal inadequacy alerts us to armor up, so we put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation. This precious covering, these spiritual tools, aid us in deflecting the darts of the enemy so we can bring forth God’s plans and kingdom.

This armor doesn’t weigh us down; it enables us to thrive in our mission to minister the kingdom of light. Like scuba divers jumping into watery depths, we use the proper gear so we can thwart evil “schemes” and reveal God’s plan of redemption. Just as you would never travel underwater without scuba equipment, don’t take the Gospel into the world without the armor of God.

Father, give me the tools I need to be an effective part of Your good plan for creation, prepared to outplay the evil one.

Excerpted from Devotions from the Beach, copyright Thomas Nelson.

The Cushion of the Sea

Be still, and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10

A number of years ago, a submarine being tested had to be submerged for several hours. Upon returning to harbor, the captain was asked, “How did that terrible storm last night affect you?” Surprised, the captain exclaimed, “Storm? We didn’t even know there was one!” Their submarine had been so far beneath the surface that it had reached what sailors refer to as “the cushion of the sea”—a depth in the ocean where the waters below are never stirred despite any commotion on the surface.1

In our fast-paced world, it is a challenge to slow down and remember that God is in control. We are a society of “do-everything,” “go-everywhere,” “get-it-done” people who mistakenly believe we can handle everything if we just keep going. In reality, we need to become so submerged in God’s peace that no matter what’s happening in our life, we are able to remain as calm as “the cushion of the sea.”

If you feel overwhelmed, bogged down, or burnt out, add one more activity to your daily schedule: Spend time with Almighty God. It is the only way to reach the depth needed to find true calm in the midst of any storm.

In the name of Jesus Christ, who was never in a hurry, we pray, O God, that You will slow us down, for we know that we try to live too fast.

Peter Marshall

The more intimate our relationship with God, the more prepared we are for any circumstance this life, world, the devil, or anything else that comes our way. Speak often with God. Read His Word daily and again, hear Him speak to you. Allow His Spirit within you to lead, guide and direct your thoughts and actions. You will be at peace in all things, no matter what is going on.

Pastor Dale