Notes of Faith August 23, 2026

Notes of Faith August 23, 2026

When You Can’t Turn Back the Clock

Don’t let yesterday’s regrets keep you from faithfully stewarding today.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my half century of life, it’s that dwelling on the past doesn’t move you forward; it only prevents you from carrying on well in the present.

Ask me how I know...

Sometimes I idealize a more peaceful season.

Sometimes I get stuck rehearsing previous choices.

Sometimes regret threatens to steal my joy.

Sometimes I wish I could go back to the little years with my kids now that they’re grown.

Sometimes I can’t believe how much time I used to have.

Sometimes I get caught up in the “what ifs” of yesterday.

Do you ever wish you could go back and redo a certain season, or wish for a do-over? Does looking over your shoulder ever cause you to miss the opportunities today?

Nostalgia isn’t wrong. Neither is learning from the past.

We don’t dishonor the Lord when we miss the way it was, and we aren’t sinful to feel regret. But when remembering and considering the past turns into dwelling on what we don’t have or what is simply no longer ours to steward, we miss God’s call for stewardship of today. When these feelings about the past hinder us in our ability to live fully in the joy and peace that God offers us

today, we must ask ourselves, Have my thoughts about the past eclipsed my pursuit of faithfulness in the here and now?

You can honor the past and move forward in the present, friend. In fact, you need to move forward.

The apostle Paul was no stranger to change. He undoubtedly had regrets about his part in the persecution of Christ-followers before he became a believer. He had memories of accolades from a life that no longer held its charm. He lost friends, a more comfortable way of life, and the status he’d known in his past. If anyone could have a reason to dwell on the past, it would be Paul. So how amazing it is that he wrote to the believers in Philippi:

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 3:13–14 CSB

“Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead” is an active disposition. Paul kept his eyes on the prize of faithfulness in Christ and chose to move toward that goal. For someone who had a whole list of things he could easily be distracted by, Paul stayed focused by deliberately choosing to pursue Christ wholeheartedly, actively moving forward instead of lingering on the past.

So often the most burdensome meanderings of our minds keep us trudging through life like we’re walking in mud, stuck in a loop of what could’ve, should’ve, or would’ve been. What if, instead, the freedom we have access to through salvation in Christ is meant to propel us forward —unburdened by regrets, untangled from the nostalgia of the past, and purposeful in what lies ahead? What if I told you God has purposeful plans for your life that you can’t even imagine right now?

You can honor the past and move forward in the present, friend. In fact, you need to move forward.

Obedience today doesn’t mean pretending that yesterday never happened; rather, it determines to make the most of what is to come.

You and I don’t need to dwell in regret, shame, or what could have been. We can keep our eyes on the prize of glorifying Christ with what we have and where we are now, in this precious life God has given us, today.

Forgetting the past and reaching, straining, or stretching toward what lies ahead is a grand vision, yes. But it begins with your very next step to look ahead and not behind. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Your someday is made up of thousands of right now's, so begin today.

Steward the next step and run toward living for Jesus.

The wild wonder of God’s love is not merely that we are released from the weight of what we can’t change or redo but that we are freed to hope in what is not yet. Be encouraged. So much more is yet to come.

Excerpted from The Way of the Wildflower by Ruth Chou Simons, copyright Ruth Chou Simons.

Satan always wants us to remember the past…the bad past, the sinful past.  But God, through the completed work of Jesus on the cross and resurrection takes my bad/sinful past away and that leaves only the good to remember and focus on for honor and thanksgiving to God!

Let’s not dwell on the past that we cannot change, rather looking forward to the things that we can do in the days ahead through God’s power and authority living within us…His Holy Spirit.  He wants us to live intimately attached to Him as a branch thrives attached to its root.  Only in Jesus do we find salvation and eternal life and life abundant as we press on to what lies ahead!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith August 21, 2026

Notes of Faith August 21, 2026

Missed getting this out on Friday the 21st of August…enjoying time with the kids and grandkids at Great Wolf lodge in Ohio. 

Believing for a Miracle

More Than You Can Imagine

When all seems hopeless, what does it look like to believe for a miracle in faith? In the book of 2 Kings we read how this played out in the story of the prophet Elisha. (The following account is my creative paraphrase of 2 Kings 4:1–7.)

One day, the widow of a prophet came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.”

Elisha listened intently, opened his hands, and asked, “What can I do to help you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” The woman’s shoulders dropped, along with her gaze. She replied, “I have nothing at all. Nothing, except a flask of oil.”

Unwavering and with full confidence, Elisha’s energy surged. He said, “Go! Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it’s filled.”

The woman at once turned and did exactly as Elisha had instructed. Her two sons hurried around the neighborhood, gathering jars and bringing them to their mother. She filled one jar after another until each one was full. Soon, every jar was filled to the brim!

Excitedly, she turned to one of her sons and shouted, “Bring me another jar!” He replied, “There aren’t any more, Ima. That’s all of them.” Once every jar was filled, the olive oil stopped flowing. She ran out to Elisha and told him what had happened. He smiled kindly and said, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.”

Imagine the loss for this dear woman! Her God-fearing husband had passed into eternity and was no longer there to guard and guide her. Women in ancient culture were especially vulnerable without their men. If a woman lost her husband, she needed her sons. Imagine being a grieving widow who is facing the loss (and enslavement) of her two sons. Hebraic law allowed people to pay their debts by selling themselves or their children. But they were not to be treated as slaves. It sounds like this creditor’s threats defied the spirit of the law.

Did she just lie down and allow this misfortune and injustice? Absolutely not! She remembered her history with God! First, she went to God’s prophet and did what he told her to do. Then she called her friends and asked them to offer their jars in her time of need.

God is still a miracle-working God

There are certain benefits in walking with God and trusting in His name. We all want miracles, but who wants to experience the kinds of crises that call for them? We like to be self-sufficient, but we are not meant to attempt this journey alone, without our people. So what can we learn from her on our journey toward discovering our most redeemed selves through faith in desperate times? Let’s break down this story a bit.

First, the woman refused to settle in her day of crisis. She believed there was an answer for her. Far too many Christians settle in times of crisis. They either fight in the flesh or don’t fight at all. Certain privileges come with being a child of God. A perfect, suffering-free life is not one of them. But in our sorrow, in our hardship, we have an Advocate. We have a Defender. We have a

Provider. We have access to the presence of the living God. Scripture tells us that His faithful promises are our armor and protection (Psalm 91:4). We’re never without help in our times of trouble.

Even if you look at your situation and see no way out, know this: There’s always a way out, or through, or around. God makes a way where there is no way. He’s the Waymaker. Involve God in your process and you’ll see God intervene in a way that only He can.

Second, this dear woman refused to believe that her life would be marked by only loss and no miracles. Yes, her crisis was serious, but God ensured she had something to work with. Elisha asked her what she had, and what she had was a little oil. God multiplied the oil. In this story, we’re dealing with literal oil, but in the Scriptures, oil often represents the presence and power of

the Holy Spirit and the endorsement of almighty God.

But what else? Third, she didn’t do it alone (2 Kings 4:3). In this time of crisis, Elisha encouraged her not to isolate but to include her friends in the miracle. She needed their jars— their expectancy—that something was about to happen. God would fill the jars she gathered, and God will fill our hearts beyond our level of expectancy. Whatever you need in your crisis, you have in abundance in God, your Father.

But here’s an important point to remember: God gives us help, yes, and you can borrow someone’s faith in the short run (friends’ faith can carry us through the most difficult times). But to run your race, you need your own thriving, activated faith.

God will use circumstances, miracles, community, His Word, and the power of His Spirit to activate our faith. We grow and heal in community, but our faith must be our own.

Will you, like the widow in 2 Kings, refuse to settle in the day of crisis? Will you choose to believe right here and now that God is still a miracle-working God? Will you allow others into the vulnerable parts of your story, maybe borrow their faith if necessary, and watch God provide? Are you ready to make your faith your own? Reflect on those questions today.

Written for Devotionals Daily by Susie Larson, author of More Than You Can Imagine.

All too many have lost their hope in the miracles of God!  But God is still doing His miraculous work every day!  May you trust in His authority and power to do what only He can do and walk in faith and obedience each day!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith August 22, 2026

Notes of Faith August 22, 2026

Fives: The Fivefold Ministry

He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.

Ephesians 4:11

People took their seats and waited for the concert to begin. The musicians were world-class, and the music would be masterful. Suddenly each musician began playing their instrument with polished skill—violinists, flutists, percussionists. But the sound was a confusing set of grating noises. Then the conductor stepped onto the platform. With a single motion, the instruments began playing in a balanced and beautiful way.

In Ephesians 4, Paul tells us the Church is a group of people, each with their own gifts and role to play, and we must follow the direction of Jesus. Some are apostles, missionaries who are sent to plant churches. Some are prophets, taking the Word of God and exhorting. Some are evangelists with a gift of leading others to Christ. Others are pastors who shepherd the flock and teachers who feed the flock.

The end result? We will be built up with unity and maturity. Take your place, and remember when each of us follows Christ’s lead, our churches will not be a collection of noise but a symphony of grace sounding forth the truth.

Pastors and teachers are to equip the saints…to serve, to build the Body, to be the church in the world and do the work of ministry.

Charles Colson

Eph 4:11-16

11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Oh how the church needs all of it’s parts to do their work.  Otherwise, we are sick, lame, not able to function in all the needs of a healthy church.  May every member of Christ’s church seek to do their part in the work of ministry!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith August 20, 2026

Notes of Faith August 20, 2026

When You (think) You’ve Done Everything Right and Still Feel Empty

For years, as a therapist, I've sat across from people who had, by every measure, done the "right" things. They showed up for others. They studied the Bible, served their families and contributed within their communities. And still, they felt empty inside.

Here's what I've come to believe: you can have your outer life together and still never experience deep, soul-level belonging.

Think of a church with stained glass windows. From the outside, they look dull and unremarkable—you almost wonder why they're there. But inside, as the sunlight pours through they're transformed. Every fragment of colored glass glimmers and shines, dancing with the others to fill the room with light—a sanctuary that is warm, whole, welcoming.

So often our souls are the opposite.

That was my story. For years, I worked hard to keep a calm, capable, helpful exterior. But inside, I battled chronic loneliness, anxiety, and self-doubt, often feeling sidelined in my own life. I looked put-together on the outside but felt empty and fragmented within.

It was as if I lived as two people: the capable Christian woman the world could see, and the inner me, where the painful emotions were walled off and pushed down.

I had good tactics for keeping the two apart. I'd rationalize my way out of hard feelings:

You have Jesus.

Just focus on others.

You shouldn't feel this way!

When that stopped working, I numbed or distracted. I binge-watched television, disappeared into other people's problems, or reached for food. But one day those strategies failed, and the untended fragments of my soul broke to the surface—in the form of a series of panic attacks.

I was a therapist and a doctoral student studying psychology and theology. I genuinely wanted to follow Jesus and help others. And yet I had no idea how to tend to the fragments of my own soul.

I've since seen this pattern in countless people, stemming, often, from a neglected inner life. We're taught to focus on outer relationships—as parents, partners, and friends—but rarely how to build a secure connection within. We care for others, but do not know how to tend to our own souls, our own wounds, our own pain. confessed,

Put your hope in God.

David said,

But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content. — Psalm 131:2

How is it with your soul today?

Part of you might feel lonely, even though you're surrounded by people.

Part of you might feel anxious, running a mental list of everything that could go wrong.

Part of you might be harboring anger or resentment, and you don't know how to change it.

And somewhere beneath it all, there is a tender, young part of you that got hurt somewhere and never fully recovered.

If a friend came to you hurting in any of these ways, you’d show up, offering

encouragement or care. But when your own inner world reaches out, you do the opposite.

Maybe you shame yourself. Or criticize yourself into change. Or pray whatever you’re feeling away, pushing it down into the basement where—you hope—it won’t surface again.

But here's what I've learned, as a therapist and in my own life: exiling a part of yourself never makes it go away. It only makes you lonelier. The parts we banish don't leave. They just come out sideways.

There is another way. And Scripture showed it to us long before psychology ever gave it a name.

Listen to the psalmist in a moment of real anguish. Instead of scolding himself or pretending he's fine, he turns toward his own hurting soul and speaks to it:

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? — Psalm 42:5

He doesn't shove the ache down. He turns toward it—gently, with curiosity, the way you might show care for a frightened child. Only after connecting in this way does he speak the truth his soul most needs to hear: Put your hope in God.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. — Psalm 139:23

He is throwing open the exact rooms of his soul he most wants to keep locked. And he can do that because he already knows what he'll find when God walks in. Not contempt or disappointment but loving presence.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. — Psalm 34:18

This is the God who runs down the road toward the son who squandered everything, before he can finish his apology (Luke 15). The God who calls you by name and says, you are Mine (Isaiah 43:1). God does not stand at a cool, aloof distance, waiting for you to fix the frightened, wounded parts of yourself. God moves toward those very parts of you.

In my new book, The Secure Soul, I call this internal attachment—learning to recognize the wounded parts of yourself and returning to God’s love right there. Not to fix yourself, nor to exile what you don’t like. But to bring compassion into the places that have felt most alone.

Because here is the tender truth underneath all of this: the part of you that you keep trying to silence is not your enemy. It almost always reflects a tender, young place inside that has carried something heavy for a very long time—waiting, sometimes for decades, for someone to finally draw near.

God is already drawing near to this place… and inviting you to do the same.

You don't have to be at war with yourself anymore. You can stop managing your soul and start meeting it with compassion, in the presence and kindness of God. You can come home—to Love, and to the soul that Love so carefully made.

Written for Devotionals Daily by Dr. Alison Cook, author of The Secure Soul.

Saving faith and intimacy with God is not just knowing about God, or even agreeing with the truth about God, but living in faith, obedience and trust in God!

Satan and his demons know about God and believe the truth about God…but do not have faith, obedience and trust in God.

Where do you see yourself … knowing about God … will not save you… agreeing with the truth about God… will not save you…  or living a growing faith, being obedient to His commands, precepts, principals and statutes, and trusting His will for you, to lead, guide and direct all the days of your life, and take you to be with Him to the glory that has been prepared for you?

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith August 19, 2026

Notes of Faith August 19, 2026

Seeking a Courageous Heart: Do Not Be Afraid

Could you use some courage like David had? Are you backing down more than you are standing up? If so, let the Master lead you out into the valley. Let Him remind you why you should “fear not” when it comes to your foe. Listen to the time Jesus scattered the butterflies out of the stomachs of His nervous disciples in Matthew 10:5–31 and see if His words help you.

Remember, the disciples were common men given a compelling task. Before they were the stained-glassed saints we see in the windows of cathedrals, they were somebody’s next-door neighbors trying to make a living and raise a family. They weren’t cut from theological cloth or raised on supernatural milk. But they were an ounce more devoted than they were afraid and, as a result, they did some extraordinary things.

They would have done nothing, however, had they not learned to face their fears. Jesus knew that. So He spoke words of courage to them.

Jesus was about to send the disciples out on their own. For a limited time, they were to go into the cities and do what He had done—but without Him. Jesus assembled them to give some final instructions. Perhaps the disciples looked nervous. They had reason to be nervous. What Jesus was about to tell them would raise the pulse rate of the stoutest heart.

First, Jesus tells them not to take any extra money or extra clothing on their journey.

“No money?”

Then He assures them that they are being sent out like sheep among wolves.

“Uh, what do you mean, Jesus?”

His answer is not reassuring. He tells them they will be taken before the authorities (uh-oh), flogged (ouch), and arrested (groan). And it gets worse before it gets better.

Jesus goes on to describe the impact their mission will have on people:

Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm in the end will be saved.

— verses 21–22

Some eyes duck. Some eyes widen. Someone swallows. Feet shift. A brow is wiped. And though no one says it, you know someone is thinking, Is it too late to get out of this?

That’s the setting for Jesus’ words of courage to His disciples. Three times in five verses He says,

Do not be afraid. — verses 26, 28, 31

Read the words and see His call and cause for courage. See the reason you should sleep well tonight:

So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. — verse 26

"Do not be afraid.” These words Jesus spoke to His disciples He speaks to us today.

On the surface, those words would seem like a reason for panic rather than a source of peace. Who of us would like to have our secret thoughts made public? Who would get excited over the idea that every wrong deed we’ve ever done will be announced to everyone?

You’re right, no one would. But we’re told over and over that such a thing will happen:

Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. — Hebrews 4:13

He reveals deep and hidden things; Je knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him. — Daniel 2:22

He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. — 1 Corinthians 4:5

To think of the disclosure of my hidden heart conjures up emotions of shame, humiliation, and embarrassment in me. There are things I’ve done that I want no one to know. There are thoughts I’ve thought that I would never want to be revealed. So why does Jesus point to the day of revelation as a reason for courage?

The answer is found in Romans 2:16. Let out a sigh of relief as you underline the last three words of this verse:

This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ.

Did you see it? Jesus is the screen through which God looks when He judges our sins. Now read another chorus of verses and focus on their promise:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. — Romans 8:1

Through Him everyone who believes is set free from every sin. — Acts 13:39

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.

— Hebrews 8:12

If you are in Christ, these promises are not only a source of joy. They are also the foundations of true courage. You are guaranteed that your sins will be filtered through and hidden in the sacrifice of Jesus. When God looks at you, he sees the One who surrounds you. That means that failure is not a concern for you. Your victory is secure.

Picture it this way. Imagine you are an ice skater in competition. You are in first place with one more round to go. If you perform well, the trophy is yours. You are nervous, anxious, and frightened.

Then, only minutes before your performance, your trainer rushes to you with the thrilling news: “You’ve already won! The judges tabulated the scores, and the person in second place can’t catch you. You are too far ahead.”

Upon hearing that news, how will you feel? Exhilarated! And how will you skate? Timidly? Cautiously? Of course not. How about courageously and confidently? You bet you will. You will do your best because the prize is yours. You will skate like a champion because that is what you are! You will hear the applause of victory.

Hence, these words from Hebrews:

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus... let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings. — 10:19, 22, emphasis added

The truth will triumph. The Father of truth will win, and the followers of truth will be saved. Earthly fears are no fears at all when you are focused on your heavenly Father.

The Heart of the Matter

Following Jesus at times can feel scary, intimidating, and unsettling.

All truth will be revealed. What was in the dark will be brought into the light.

We will be judged through Jesus Christ, so we have no reason to be afraid.

“Do not be afraid.” These words Jesus spoke to His disciples He speaks to us today.

Deut 31:6

6 "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you."

After God’s Own Heart

In our world, there is no shortage of reasons to fear. Job insecurity, health scares, children going down a path you didn’t expect. And if there aren’t enough fears in your own life, just hop on the internet. There you will be flooded with hundreds more reasons to feel afraid of the world you live in and where it is headed.

You need the comforting words Jesus spoke to His disciples: “Do not be afraid.” Do not be afraid, for He is with you. Do not be afraid, for He hears you. Do not be afraid, for He sees you. Do not be afraid, for He forgives you.

In the same way you would assure a child who is afraid of monsters under the bed, God assures you when it comes to your fears. What you are afraid of is no match for His strength, power, and wisdom. You are in Christ, and because you are in Christ, you are safe.

Excerpted from Seeking After the Heart of God for 52 Weeks by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.

Josh 1:8-9

8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

The Word of God gives us courage for every victory but we must be in it to hear God speak to us and assure us of His presence with us.  If God is for us, who can be against us!

The only good fear is the fear (reverence, awe, belief) in God Himself!  And it is only the beginning of an intimate relationship that leads to eternal love, righteousness, holiness, with God in the home He is preparing for us!

Fear Not!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith August 18, 2026

Notes of Faith August 18, 2026

Jesus Is Returning Soon!

“Concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourself know perfectly.” How can you know perfectly if your church doesn’t teach it? How can you know perfectly if no one is telling you about it? The truth about God and His relationship with Israel has been completely revealed in the scope of the Bible. Like Paul wrote to the church in Thessaloniki, there is no need for us to be reminded of this, if we are students of the Bible.

Understanding the Times and the Seasons

In an age where the majority of churches do not deal with the subject of Bible prophecy, or study prophetic books like Daniel or Revelation, Paul highlights the importance of the subject in his letter to the church at Thessaloniki:

Acts 17:1-2

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures.

Later in this chapter, we’re told that, because of the stir this caused in the city, Paul and Silas were “sent away by night.” By this we know that Paul’s visit to Thessaloniki lasted less than a month, and he would later write to them about what he taught them during his visit.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?

Though his visit to Thessaloniki was brief, Paul taught the infant church Bible prophecy. For this reason the church was aware that the coming of the Lord for His church was to be expected at all times, which is why he could say “that day” won’t overtake them by surprise, i.e., like a thief in the night.

It is a sad truth today that only a small percentage of people who call themselves Christians know the lateness of the hour and are expectant of the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). While it is true no one is saved by their eschatology (the study of last days things), knowing what is coming does create in us an urgent burden for lost souls and a comfort in knowing that one day, in a twinkling of an eye, these bodies will be conformed to the image of His glorious body and we will forever be with the Lord (Philippians 3:21 and 1 Thessalonians 4:17, respectively).

Why would any Christian want to live without those things? How can any pastor avoid teaching those things when 27% of the Bible is prophecy? While there is much to be cautious of on the internet, it is also of a great benefit as it relates to our subject. If, for whatever reason, a pastor chooses to to skip prophetic portions of scripture, at least the people in the church can find truth online through a pastor who teaches the whole counsel of God.

John 14:1-4

Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.  2 "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.  3 "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

Matthew 24:44

Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Expectancy of the Lord’s coming is at an all-time low, which means we should be expecting Him to come for us one day soon!

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith August 17, 2026

Notes of Faith August 17, 2026

When God Flexes His Muscles

Who doesn’t love a “my dad will show you” story? You know the type. A kid is cornered by creeps who are twice his size. Then from behind them comes a deep voice: “Leave my son alone.”

The bullies turn, and to their horror there stands an enormous dad: nine feet tall in his stocking feet, biceps as thick as tree trunks. “You mess with my boy, you mess with me,” the father bellows. The bums don’t stay around for details. They scatter like scared mice. We love those stories.

I have one. The details are fuzzy as it has been nigh on six decades since it happened. The story has suffered from a case of apocrypha, for sure. But here is what I recall. We middle schoolers played football in a large field near the high school. It was cleaned and mowed so the band could use it for marching practice. On Saturdays we turned it into a football field.

Inevitably, a gaggle of high school-age punks would show up, swaggering onto the field, interrupting the game, and stealing the ball from us. They snatched our caps, stole our football, and tackled us to the ground. Thugs, they were.

I remember a friend warning the bullies: “One of these days my dad will show up and show you a thing or two.” The chumps laughed at him.

Boy, were they in for a surprise. One Saturday amid a hazing, the dad appeared. (Here is where the years may have embellished the moment.) He roared onto the field in a big truck outfitted with mud tires, fog lights, and a rifle rack. (Or did he walk on the field wearing boots, jeans, and a baseball cap?) He dared the older kids to pick on someone their own size. They turned and ran. We scurried over and stood by the dad.

It’s a good thing when the heat shows up.

Do you know the names of a few bullies? What trouble-making scalawags breathe down your neck? If only yours were just high school punks. But your tormenters are diseased cells that threaten to take your life. Your punk is bad news that threatens to take your peace. Your ruffians are a horde of godless politicians who, in your mind, are taking over. You can relate to the psalmist who asked,

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?.. How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? — Psalm 13:1–2

That question could have been asked in ancient Israel. Remember, the land was special to God by covenant. He would bless the world through a descendant of Abraham, Jesus Christ. Consequently, Satan targeted Israel from the get-go. Like a bully who zeroes in on his victim, he set his sights on God’s children. Destroy the people and destroy the redeemer, right?

By the ninth century BC it appeared that Satan had succeeded. Monarch after monarch wanted nothing to do with God’s plan. They turned away from Him and embraced a satanic religion that called for prostitution worship and celebrated the sacrifice of infants. How far the people of God had fallen!

But then Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a duel on Mount Carmel. He dared them to call on Baal to send fire. From morning to evening they cried. Riff upon ridiculous riff. As pointed out in the last chapter, this was Satan, the fallen angel, versus Jehovah, the living God. Our Maker was proving his point. Any thought of Satan’s power was doused the day that Satan had no response on Mount Carmel. With the prophets of Baal exhausted and defeated from a day of unrequited frenzy, the stage manager of this drama spoke up:

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come forward to me.” So all the people came forward to him. — 1 Kings 18:30 NASB

He had nothing to hide. There would be no trickery. No sleight of hand. No drama. Elijah didn’t shout. He didn’t cut himself. He didn’t dance himself into a frenzy. “He repaired the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down” (v. 30).

The altar, constructed in days past to honor God, was in rubble. Its scattered rocks reflected the collapsed faith of Israel. So Elijah rebuilt it. Thousands of Israelites and hundreds of exhausted prophets watched as he reassembled the place of worship. Rock by rock. Stone by stone. Twelve stones. Not eleven. Not thirteen. The twelve stones symbolized the twelve tribes of Israel, not divided as they were, but united as God intended. One boulder at a time. Then,

Elijah dug a fairly wide trench around the altar. He laid firewood on the altar, cut up the ox, put it on the wood, and said, “Fill four buckets with water and drench both the ox and the firewood.” Then he said, “Do it again,” and they did it. Then he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. The altar was drenched and the trench was filled with water. — 1 Kings 18:32–35 MSG

The real offering of this sacrifice was not the bull but the precious water the crowd wanted to drink rather than offer to God. They saturated the altar three times so Elijah could make sure that everything was soaked: the wood, the bull, the platform. Why douse the altar with water if you want it consumed by fire? Because God was about to drive a truck onto the field.

We’ve seen this tactic before. It’s one of God’s favorites—showing up and showing off in a way that leaves no doubt who has the power. When the Israelites stood before the towering walls of Jericho, God took the city with a marching band (Joshua 6:1–5). When Gideon faced an army “thick as locusts” (Judges 7:12), God won the victory with three hundred men, a troop of trumpets, and some flashlights. And when the whole universe buckled under the weight of sin, God rescued you and me through a dirty manger, a homeless Rabbi, and a horrible death on a cross.

When it was time for the sacrifice to be offered, Elijah the prophet came up and prayed, “O God, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, make it known right now that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I’m doing what I’m doing under your orders. Answer me, God; O answer me and reveal to this people that you are God, the true God, and that you are giving these people another chance at repentance.” — 1 Kings 18:36–37 MSG

Elijah didn’t even request fire. But the Lord sent it.

Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood, and the stones and the dust; and it licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God!” — 1 Kings 18:38–39 NASB

Heaven opened, and a blaze from Heaven fell. It consumed the water, the rocks, the wood, even the dust. All that was left was a charcoal-colored oval on the ground.

The people responded with repentance. Voices echoed off the rugged cliffs and rocky slopes. For the first time in three generations, the nation of Israel cried out to Jehovah. “The Lord—He is God!”

We’d move too quickly if we did not pause at this point and pray, Do it again, Lord. Let the fire of glory fall and convince all people that You alone are God! Soften our hard hearts. Bend our stiff necks. Purge us with Your cleansing flame yet again.

Then there is this: “Elijah commanded them, ‘Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!’ They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there” (1 Kings 18:40).

I do not know how a person could read that text without a wince. Most of the popular books on Elijah sidestep this moment. One can understand why. It does not sit well in our modern, westernized mindset to see a man of God brandishing a sword and executing several hundred men.

Except for the fact that these weren’t just men; they were disciples of the devil. They were demonic in their devotion to the cause of hell. They slaughtered infants and stole the purity of teenage boys and girls, all in the name of God. Under their leadership the people of God had abandoned their call. Any hope of a Messiah would soon be lost. God intervened. He wasn’t going to let the ship called Israel crash into the rocks.

Can you imagine such a moment today?

It will happen. In the final days God will lay “hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and [bind] him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:2 NKJV).

All of creation will watch as an angel lassos old Lucifer and hog-¬ties him so he can’t lift his bony finger. And God will “cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more” (Revelation 20:3 NKJV). The unique feature of a bottomless pit is that it is bottomless. The devil will fall for a thousand years, never landing, ever spinning. The fallen angel will be the falling angel.

Those of us who gave our worship to God will reign with Christ. And we will see a world as God intended. No curse on earth. No chumps or bums from Satan’s cavern. And after a thousand years, Satan and his minions will be cast out into the lake of fire, never to be seen again (Revelation 20:10). History, yes, our history, is headed for triumph. Satan may seem to succeed; he may seduce some prophets here and there. But he is no match for the living God.

Elijah believed this.

Do you?

Mark it down: The truck is coming. The muscle is on the way. The Father, our Father, will read the riot act to our accuser. You and I will witness the moment in which he is cast into the bottomless pit.

Won’t we shout at that moment? Won’t we celebrate the incarceration of this cosmic punk? He masterminded your addiction. He conjured up all this division. He mapped out your seduction. He is the culprit who created the temptation, the frustration, the utter confusion that contaminates our planet.

Please hear me as I say this: Satan is our foe.

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. — Ephesians 6:12 NKJV

Your enemy is not your Ahab. Your adversary is not your competition. Your foes are not the people who forgot or abused you. Your antagonist does not work in the Oval Office or a Hollywood movie studio.

Our enemy is the devil. And at the end of this age, his time will end. Until then expect our Father to show up. Don’t think for a moment that He will sit still while Satan seduces and harms His creation.

Can’t a Mount Carmel moment happen in our day? Our days are as dark as were the days of Elijah. Our God is as alive as He was in the days of Elijah. Dare we dream of a renewal that silences the stewards of Satan and reveals them for the frauds they are?

Then let’s imitate our hero:

“Serve the Lord only”!

Excerpted from Unbreakable Courage by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.

I dream and pray for a Mount Carmel day today!  What a courageous call to victory and stand for the One True God!  May the world we live in be made fully aware of the only living God, know the truth, feel the fire of His rebuke for their folly and sin.  May we always stand firm in the faith given us, calling on our Father to meet our every need in times of fierce battle, meeting the enemy face to face, trusting God for protection, and victory!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith August 16, 2026

Notes of Faith August 16, 2026

Grains of Sand, Ocean Waters, and Skies of Blue

The Beach is Calling

How precious to me are Your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.

— Psalm 139:17-18 NIV

What, or who, is consuming your thought life today? The answer will determine what kind of day is ahead. If there’s a problem that looks insurmountable, a struggle to forgive someone, a feeling of loneliness, an endless list of things to do, the first thing to do is to keep putting Jesus first! If we put every thought in line behind Him and remind ourselves that He thinks about us constantly, our soul’s sigh of relief comes.

We’re on His mind and there isn’t a single thing we can do to stop the avalanche of love coming into our lives right now.

God’s love is the only thing we should allow to overwhelm us. It’s unstoppable and all- encompassing. It’s constant and comforting. It’s in every thought He has of us, and those thoughts outnumber the grains of sand. And what does love do? Love does what is best, love does whatever is patient and kind, love does everything it can and more than enough. YOU are what Jesus is thinking about! He sees any turmoil going on in your heart, mind, and life, and He has loving truth to cover it all:

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. — John 14:27 NLT

Peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

- Philippians 4:7 NLT

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. — 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

We can’t let fear have the last say today because we’re loved higher, wider, and deeper than it can ever go. The grains of sand, the ocean waters and the skies of blue can’t come close to measuring God’s love for us. When our thoughts begin with Him, our days begin to get better. The only thing mandatory is letting Jesus manage everything, allowing His love to keep our hearts and minds at peace.

Father, let Your love come and overtake me today, so that all of my thoughts turn to You.

*

God is the master of our days.

Turning Our Thoughts

He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in Him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! — Isaiah 26:3 TLB

Beach sounds woo our hearts and minds into a quiet, restful state. The waves and the breeze are constant, like the peace of God constantly inviting us to rest in Him. Every day won’t go as planned. Our lives won’t be free from pain. Our journey will not look exactly the way we dreamed it would. But God’s peace will keep us. It will be constant on the days when unexpected news comes and fills our heart with fear. It will be constant when we lose someone we deeply love. God’s peace will keep us and guide us through the steps of our lives even though we don’t see things unfold when or how we imagined.

We can have a steady, constant peace when life goes up, down, or sideways because God is the master of our days. He’s also the One who knows us best and loves us most. There’s no one in our life more trustworthy. Even on the disappointing, difficult days when it’s nearly impossible to believe, He’s in the center of our being doing what it takes to make the painting of our lives more beautiful than we imagined. That’s what God’s love does. It brings out the breathtakingly beautiful parts in all of us and produces a fulfilling, faithful life that reflects His glory.

We have a lot to think about from day to day, but if our everyday lives don’t have us turning our thoughts often to our only hope, we won’t be able to enjoy His perfect peace. God is in constant listening mode when it comes to His children. He’s never too busy or distracted or tired. He can keep us steady and peaceful if our thoughts become prayers. “Show me how to handle this, it’s not going to be easy. Help me stay calm and be kind. Lord, give me wisdom for the conversation I need to have and give me the courage to speak what needs to be said.” Our need for our Father is all day long, in all things. There’s perfect peace in turning often to Him—and it’s always worth it.

Father, give me the courage to keep my trust in You as I keep turning to You throughout my day.

Excerpted from The Beach Is Calling, copyright DaySpring Cards, Inc.

I don’t live near the beach any more.  I rarely went when I did.  I love the open spaces of country farms and forests left untouched.  They are more beautiful to me than the beach that I lived near for most of my life. 

These two meditations, one from Psalm 139 and the other from Isaiah 26 provide opportunity to remind us of God’s love and protection through anything in life.  May we learn to trust more in the love, authority and power of our Father in heaven, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the gift of God living within us, the Holy Spirit!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith August 15, 2026

Notes of Faith August 15, 2026

Pray It Through

Rebecca has spent the last two years in pain. “On a scale of one to ten,” the doctor explained to me, “she is a twelve every day.” Pretty tough challenge. But Rebecca is a tough kid. She is ten years old. She has fudge-brown hair, eyes that sparkle, a weatherproof smile, and a Book of Miracles.

Homemade sketches hung on the hospital room walls. A covey of stuffed animals took up the couch. Someone had sent a cookie bouquet. I eyed it.

Rebecca’s pancreas has shut down. After a dozen operations and changes in medication, no solution is in sight.

Rebecca needs a miracle.

According to her, she has enough to fill a book.

“Mommy.”

Her voice was groggy.

“What, honey?”

“Can you show Pastor Max my Miracle Book?”

It’s a spiral notebook with weathered edges and adorned with crayoned flowers, stars, and an occasional clown. In the handwriting of a child, miracles:

I slept all night last night.

Daddy snuck a puppy into the hospital.

Mommy is going to place a Christmas tree in the corner.

If I were in her place, I’d catalog the misery, discomfort, and difficulties. Her body is in revolt. Her parents are concerned. The doctors are confused. But not Rebecca. She itemizes the miracles and thanks God for each. She is going to pray it through.

•

Long after the kids are bathed and put to bed, Sara stares at the bills. The water payment was due last week. Rent is due next week. The electric company threatens to disconnect the power if the money isn’t received by Tuesday.

Tuesday is tomorrow.

Sara’s salary from her day-care job covers her monthly expenses. But doesn’t something always happen? The brakes go out. A pipe leaks. The kids get sick. So tonight she looks at the bills and then at the checkbook balance. Too many of the first. Not enough of the second.

She stares out the window of the small apartment and wonders where to turn. She used to turn to drugs. The guy in the apartment two doors down sells oxycodone. Ten dollars a pill. One pill is all she needs. Ten dollars is all she has. But pills caused this mess. Her drug abuse caused her husband to leave and her former boss to fire her. Sara weighs her options and makes her decision. She dials the number.

“I know it’s late,” she says.

“Never too late for you,” her friend replies. “I told you to call, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did. Well, here’s the deal. I’ve got bills I can’t pay. I’m feeling really weak tonight. You think we could...” Her voice trails off.

“Pray? That’s my job, right?”

The old Sara numbed the pain. The new Sara is learning to pray about it. A woman she met at rehab has pledged to pray with her. She takes the lead. “Lord, we need help tonight.” The prayer wasn’t long or fancy, but it was enough.

Sara fell asleep without pills.

•

No verse in the Bible promises the absence of struggle. Quite the contrary. Scripture is stained with tears, problems, injustices, immorality, and wars. Tough times come with life.

But troubling times don’t have to take the life out of your life.

God gives us this invitation: “Pray it through.”

“It” is what troubles you, fatigues you, shames you. “It” is the future you can’t control, the disease you can’t heal, the job you can’t stomach, the rage you can’t tame, the economy you can’t boost, the lawmaker you can’t stomach.

“It” won’t have the last word. God will. And God’s Word tells us to pray it through.

Prayer slaps handcuffs on the culprit. Prayer marches the problem into the presence of the One who can solve it. Prayer faces “it” by facing God immediately, consistently, doggedly, and hopefully. Prayer confesses: “God can handle it. I can’t. But He can. Since He can, I have hope!”

Elijah modeled this. Our prophet is remembered as an example of radical prayer.

He prayed that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years! Then Elijah prayed again, and the rain came down from the sky, and the land produced crops again. — James 5:17–18 NCV

He is living proof that

when a believing person prays, great things happen. — v. 16 NCV

Our study of the power of the prophet resumes with sad news.

Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse and finally stopped breathing. — 1 Kings 17:17

There is so much about the story we do not know. How long had Elijah lived with the widow? What was the boy’s illness? We are not told. But the detail we are told is heartbreaking. The boy had “no breath left in him” (NKJV). Maybe it began with a headache or a sore throat. His mother sent him to bed to rest. When she checked on him, the boy was ablaze with fever. She tried every remedy but couldn’t cool him down. She sat at his side all night. He groaned. She mopped his brow. His breath became labored. She held him close. She’d already lost a husband; she couldn’t bear to bury a child.

But he began to drift from her. He didn’t respond to her voice. His limbs grew limp. His breath became shallow and skin pale.

She implored, “Don’t go! Don’t go!” But he did. He had no breath left in him.

Maybe you can relate. You didn’t lose a child, but you lost a dream, a parent, a dear friend. Her son had no breath in him. In your case your future has no hope in it. Your career has no potential in it. Your marriage has no joy in it. Have you felt what she felt? If so, you won’t judge her reaction. Even though the prophet had done nothing to warrant her anger, she faulted him.

The woman said to Elijah, ‘Why did you ever show up here in the first place—¬a holy man barging in, exposing my sins, and killing my son?’ Elijah said, ‘Hand me your son.’ He then took him from her bosom, carried him up to the loft where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. — 1 Kings 17:18–19 MSG

I see a metaphor in this moment. What if Elijah holding the dead boy is a picture of you and me in the midst of a sick society? Think about it. So much has died. Integrity among our leaders. Morality in our movies. Fidelity in our families. And meaning: Did you know that nine out of ten young people in Great Britain believe that life has no meaning?1 Nine out of ten! What happens when 90 percent of a generation find no reason to live? Anxiety happens. Anger happens. Depression and despair happen. Suicide happens.

We, like Elijah, have been handed a corpse. (The unbelieving all around us) Heartbeat? Gone. Pulse? Undetectable. Something needs to be done.

Elijah shows us what to do. [He] carried him to the upper room where he was staying and laid him on his bed — 1 Kings 17:19.

Note what he didn’t do. He didn’t react to the widow’s reaction. He didn’t question her behavior. He understood that she was hurting and gave her grace. We’d be wise to do the same. We Christians tend to point fingers. We tongue-lash the entertainment industry. We look down on unbelievers when they behave like unbelievers. Might we do better if we imitated Elijah?

Grace was his gift to the mother. Prayer was his strategy for the tragedy.

Then he prayed,

“O God, my God, why have you brought this terrible thing on this widow who has opened her home to me? Why have you killed her son?” Three times he stretched himself out full-length on the boy, praying with all his might, “God, my God, put breath back into [the boy’s] body!” — v. 21 MSG

Elijah was silent before the mother, but he was resistless before God.

He stretched himself out on the child — v. 21 NKJV. He extended his adult body over the lifeless form. Let this child’s soul come back to him — v. 21 NKJV. Elijah had no precedent upon which to base this prayer. Up to this point in Scripture, no person had been brought back to life. He didn’t learn to pray like this in Prophet Training 101. He did this because he believed the Lord God of Israel lives (1 Kings 17:1 NKJV).

Elijah believed in a living God.

Everywhere else, death. The land was dead from the famine. Livestock were dead from the drought. Crops were dead from thirst. The hope of the mother was dead. The boy was dead. But Yahweh was alive! Since God was, in Elijah’s book, alive, and since the boy was, in Elijah’s bed, dead, he took the case of the latter to the former. “He stretched himself out on the boy three times” (1 Kings 17:21).

There are occasions in which we rest in prayer. There are other occasions in which we wrestle in prayer. Elijah wrestled. Once was not enough. Twice was inadequate. Three times he pleaded.

Moses prayed in this manner. He beseeched God to change His mind and not destroy the Hebrews.

Moses begged the Lord. — Exodus 32:11 NCV

I see him striding back and forth before God like an attorney before the bar, pleading his case.

So the Lord changed His mind and did not destroy the people as He had said He might. — Exodus 32:14 NCV

Let’s not miss the profound lesson that Elijah and Moses teach us.

Both did first what mattered most: They prayed. Not only did they pray; they prayed passionately.

Dramatically. Emotionally. Thunderously. Elijah on the boy. Moses on the ground. Begging. Pleading.

For many people this is a new concept of prayer. We think of speaking softly before God or “talking to the man upstairs.” But agonizing before God? Storming Heaven with prayers? Pounding on the door of the Most High? Wrestling on our knees with God? Isn’t such prayer irreverent? Isn’t such prayer presumptuous?

It would be had God not invited us to pray as such.

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. — Hebrews 4:16 NLT

We do not swagger into God’s presence, but neither do we cower. We are not bossy in our prayers, but neither are we mousy in our requests. We take courage and step confidently into the front door of the throne room of God, having been invited by Him and escorted in by his Son.

We embrace God as Father, kneel before Him as Lord, and earnestly make our requests known, not because of what we have achieved, but because of what Christ has done.

Jesus spilled His blood for us. We can pour out our hearts before God.

Excerpted from Unbreakable Courage by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.

If you have not seen the movie “War Room”, I highly recommend that you watch it soon and be prepared to become a powerful prayer warrior!

https://youtu.be/mIl-XY9t_Lw

Let’s praise God who can do all things… “Because He Lives”!

https://youtu.be/LB3un06HUSY?list=RDLB3un06HUSY

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith August 14, 2026

Notes of Faith August 14, 2026

Rod of Discipline and Correction

He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.

Proverbs 13:24

Thomas Watson is one of the most quotable of all the Puritans. About divine discipline, he wrote, “Afflictions to the godly are medicinal.” Let that quote linger in your mind when you read about parental discipline in the book of Proverbs. You’ll find many verses exhorting parents to use appropriate correction to create self-discipline in the lives of their children.

Hebrews 12:5-11 says the Lord does the same to His children. Not every negative thing that befalls us is a direct chastisement, but every situation in life is an opportunity for growth. When we encounter sickness, layoffs, thwarted plans, and various other problems in life, let’s learn to ask: “What can the Lord teach me through this? How can I grow throughout this experience?”

Solomon wrote that to discipline your children is to show your love for them. In the same way, our Heavenly Father disciplines His children. When you receive discipline from God, take time to consider what He is trying to teach you, and give thanks that He loves you enough to do it.

Be chastened of the Lord … not condemned with the world.

Matthew Henry

Heb 12:4-11

4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

"MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,

NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;

6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,

AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."

7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

God is holy, righteous, and does only that which is good!  Therefore, discipline is good!  I was spanked, not only by my parents but at school too.  Imagine a school allowing such physical contact between a teacher or administrator toward a student.  God says that those responsible for the children should administer physical punishment when it is needed to train the child toward actions that are correct and right.

God loves us more than we completely understand and rebukes and punishes us to lead us toward righteous and holy living.  Let us respond with confession and repentance for our sinful choices and run to the loving arms of God, turn away from our earthly temporal pleasures and seek the face of God every moment, that we might be pleasing to Him and receive blessing after blessing for obedience.  May you find grace and mercy as you walk with God day by day.

Pastor Dale