Notes of Faith July 17, 2022

We are hosting a Red Cross Blood drive on Tuesday July 26 and still need volunteers to sign up to save lives! Please give if you are able. Make an appointment at www.redcrossblood.org and look for Community Grace Brethren Church, 5885 Downey Ave. Long Beach, on Tuesday the 26th!

Struggle and Chaos

Today's inspiration comes from:

God is With You Every Day

by Max Lucado

Struggle

He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” — Matthew 26:39

We all struggle. But did you ever think that perhaps God may be using your struggles to change you? To shape you? Even to heal you? For two years I have been asking God to remove the pain in my writing hand. Even as I write these words, I feel stiffness in my thumb, fingers, forearm, and shoulder. The doctors chalk it up to thirty-plus books written in longhand. Over the decades the repeated motion has restricted my movement, rendering the simplest of tasks — writing a sentence on a sheet of paper — difficult.

So I do my part. I stretch my fingers. A therapist massages the muscles. I avoid the golf course. I even go to yoga! But most of all I pray. Better said, I argue.

Shouldn’t God heal my hand? My pen is my tool. Writing is my assignment. So far He hasn’t healed me.

Or has He? These days I pray more as I write. Not eloquent prayers but honest ones. Lord, I need help… Father, my hand is stiff. The discomfort humbles me. I’m not Max, the author. I am Max, the guy whose hand is wearing out. I want God to heal my hand. Thus far He has used my hand to heal my heart.

So that thing you’re struggling with, that you’ve prayed about over and over and over again… could it be that God is using it to heal your heart?

Put the problem in the hands of the One who can solve it

Chaos

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. — 1 Peter 5:7 NIV

Imagine this scene. It is breakfast time, and the family is in chaos. The daughters are complaining about their brother who took too much time in the bathroom. As a result their hair isn’t brushed and makeup isn’t applied. Mom is doing her best to manage the conflict, but she woke up with a headache and a long list of things to do. The clock is ticking like a time bomb, ever closer to that moment when, boom! It’s time to go. Dad stops at the kitchen entryway and surveys the pandemonium. He weighs his options:

Command everyone to shape up and behave.

Berate his son for dominating the bathroom, his daughters for poor planning, and his wife for not taking control.

Sneak out before anyone notices.

Or he could turn to God with a simple prayer: Father, You are good. I need help. Reduce the frenzy in my house, please. Will the prayer change everything? It may. Or it may take another prayer, or two, or ten. But at least the problem will be in the hands of the One who can solve it.

Excerpted from God Is With You Every Day by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.

Give everything to God. Live your life with the One who can and will solve your every chaotic moment.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith July 16, 2022

Notes of Faith July 16, 2022

Borders Between Words

The borders between words like knowledge and wisdom and understanding are not like walls, not like fences that are real nice and clear and precise, with one field on one side and one field on the other. They’re more like the space where the fresh water of a river flows into the salt sea. You can’t draw a line between fresh water and salt water, but everybody knows there’s a huge difference between fresh water and salt water.

Words that refer to processes of knowing and words that refer to processes of feeling are inevitably more flexible and more imprecise than words that refer to objects, like dog or daffodil or peach. Acts of knowing and feeling are not like a dog or a daffodil or a peach. You can’t see them; you can’t touch them; you can’t hear them; you can’t smell them; you can’t draw them. How would you draw wisdom? How would you draw understanding? You can’t point to them with your finger; they’re a peculiar kind of reality. And so, when language tries to capture them or give expression to that peculiar kind of reality, we have to leave room for some overlap in meaning. So, that’s a preface to how difficult it is sometimes to do what Kyle is asking me to do.

Knowledge, Wisdom, Understanding

Colossians 1:9–10 says,

From the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge [that’s the first word, epignōsis in Greek] of his will in all spiritual wisdom [second word, sophia] and understanding [synesis, sometimes translated ‘insight’], so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God [same word, epignōsis].

So, Paul starts by praying that they would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, and he ends that prayer by praying that they would go on increasing in the knowledge of God himself.

“Knowing God increasingly and knowing God’s will increasingly are part of the same experience of knowing.”

I think in Paul’s mind, knowing God increasingly and knowing God’s will increasingly are part of the same experience of knowing, because to know somebody, when you think about it, is to know what they love, know what they hate, know what they desire, know what they will. That’s what it means to know them.

Knowing Versus Knowing

But to really grasp what Paul means by knowing God, which I think we must do here at the outset, it helps to look at Romans 1:18–23, where Paul talks about people who are outside Christ and yet have some kind of knowing of God. It says,

By their unrighteousness [they] suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse. For [this is the amazing part] although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him.

It’s an amazing statement: “although they knew God” — every human being outside Christ. So, there is a kind of knowing God that is absolutely useless — indeed, worse than useless. It makes you guilty. It takes away your excuse. This is not the kind of knowing God or knowing his will that Paul is praying for in Colossians 1:9. That’s not what he’s praying for. So, the question is, What’s missing? What’s the difference between the knowing God and knowing his will that he’s praying for and the knowing that will only get you damned?

What’s missing is precisely what Paul is praying for in Colossians 1:9 — namely, that we would come to know God and know his will in or by spiritual wisdom and spiritual understanding. The word spiritual modifies both of those nouns — “spiritual wisdom and spiritual understanding.” The key word is spiritual, which in Paul’s language refers to something that is given by and formed by the Holy Spirit. It’s not just a vague feeling of mysticism or something like that. It’s a Holy Spirit–given, a Holy Spirit–shaped wisdom and understanding.

So, what needs to happen so that the man of Romans 1 knows God — the way Paul is praying for us to know God and his will in Colossians 1:9 — is for the Holy Spirit to take away his blindness to the greatness and the beauty and worth of God. And we can watch this happen in 2 Corinthians 4:6, where Paul says, “God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” So, the formerly blind man of Romans 1 now sees God as glorious. A few verses earlier, in 2 Corinthians 3:18, Paul had said in describing this very miracle, “This comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

So, this miracle of seeing God for what he really is, is what Paul means in Colossians 1:9 by “spiritual insight” or “spiritual understanding.” When the Holy Spirit removes our blindness, we don’t just know God as Romans 1 knows God — disapproving, suppressing. We know him as glorious, as infinitely valuable, as worthy of all our allegiance and trust and love. This is spiritual understanding to know him like that.

Harmonious Wisdom

Now, to stir in the word wisdom — and specifically “spiritual wisdom” — from Colossians 1:9, let’s go back to Romans 1, because Paul does just that; he stirs in the word wisdom.

He’s been describing the unbelieving person as knowing God and yet suppressing that knowledge and failing to thank God and glorify him, and now he describes the same failure in terms of foolishness and pretended wisdom. He says, “They became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” And then they do something that tells you what wisdom is all about: “[They] exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man” (Romans 1:21–23).

“Spirit-given understanding of the true worth of God leads to Spirit-given wisdom.”

So, in Paul’s mind, wisdom and foolishness relate not merely to whether we see things clearly, but whether we make choices or experience preferences that fit reality. If the darkened heart is not illumined by spiritual understanding, then the heart will act foolishly and make the absurd exchange of Romans 1:23, trading away God for something he made. That’s foolish. That’s crazy. And that’s what the lack of wisdom does. Spiritual wisdom would never do that. Spirit-given understanding of the true worth of God leads to Spirit-given wisdom in not making absurd choices that involve treating other things as more valuable than God.

Knowledge of His Will

So, in answer to Kyle’s question, one way to describe the difference between spiritual wisdom and spiritual understanding is that spiritual understanding is the work of the Spirit enabling us to see reality (particularly God and his ways, his will) for what they really are — namely, great and beautiful and valuable and wise — while spiritual wisdom is the effect of that spiritual understanding upon the way we evaluate things, the way we experience preferences in our preferring heart, and the way we make choices that accord with (or not), that are in harmony with (or not), reality and are not the result of our former blindness.

So, when Paul prays in Colossians 1:9 that we would be “filled with the knowledge of his will in [or by] all spiritual wisdom and [spiritual] understanding,” he’s asking God to pour out his Holy Spirit upon us, and that more and more the Spirit would remove our blindness and the dimness of our ability to see God for who he really is. Then, as a fruit of that spiritual understanding, we would have spiritual wisdom that experiences preferences and makes choices that are in harmony with reality. And then, when those two are operating the way they should, we will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will for our daily lives.

Keep seeking a deep intimate relationship with God and He will answer the prayer of Paul not only for the Colossians but for you as well!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith July 15, 2022

Notes of Faith July 15, 2022

Think About What You Think About

Today's inspiration comes from:

Anxious for Nothing

by Max Lucado

In her short thirteen years Rebecca Taylor has endured more than fifty-five surgeries and medical procedures and approximately one thousand days in the hospital.

Christyn, Rebecca’s mom, talks about her daughter’s health complications with the ease of a surgeon. The vocabulary of most moms includes phrases such as “cafeteria food,” “slumber party,” and “too much time on the phone.” Christyn knows this language, but she’s equally fluent in the vernacular of blood cells, stents, and, most recently, a hemorrhagic stroke.

In her blog she wrote:

This past week’s new land mine was the phrase “possible hemorrhagic stroke,” a phrase I heard dozens of times used by numerous physicians. Over and over and over that phrase filled my mind and consumed my thoughts. It was emotionally crippling.

This past Sunday our preacher, Max Lucado, started a very fitting series on anxiety. We reviewed the familiar Philippians 4:6 verse: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

I presented my requests to the Lord as I had so many times before, but this time, THIS time, I needed more. And so, using Philippians 4:8-9 as a guide, I found my answer:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true…” What was true in my life at this particular moment? The blessing of all family members eating dinner together.

“Whatever is noble.” The blessing of enjoying each other’s presence outside of a hospital room.

“Whatever is right.” The blessing of experiencing my two sons’ daily lives.

“Whatever is pure.” The blessing of all three children laughing and playing with each other.

“Whatever is lovely.” The blessing of watching Rebecca sleep peacefully in her bed at night.

“Whatever is admirable.” The blessing of an honorable team working tirelessly on Rebecca’s care.

“If anything is excellent.” The blessing of watching a miracle unfold.

“Or praiseworthy.” The blessing of worshiping a Lord who is worthy to be praised.

“Think about such things.”

I did. As I meditated on these things, I stopped the dreaded phrase “hemorrhagic stroke” from sucking any joy out of my life. Its power to produce anxiety was now rendered impotent. And when I dwelt on the bountiful blessings in my life happening AT THAT VERY MOMENT, “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,” DID guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. A true, unexpected miracle. Thank You, Lord.

Did you note what Christyn did? The words hemorrhagic stroke hovered over her life like a thundercloud. Yet she stopped the dreaded phrase from sucking joy out of her life.

She did so by practicing thought management. You probably know this, but in case you don’t, I am so thrilled to give you the good news: you can pick what you ponder.

You didn’t select your birthplace or birth date. You didn’t choose your parents or siblings. You don’t determine the weather or the amount of salt in the ocean. There are many things in life over which you have no choice. But the greatest activity of life is well within your dominion.

You can choose what you think about.

For that reason the wise man urges,

Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.

— Proverbs 4:23 NCV

Do you want to be happy tomorrow? Then sow seeds of happiness today. (Count blessings. Memorize Bible verses. Pray. Sing hymns. Spend time with encouraging people.) Do you want to guarantee tomorrow’s misery? Then wallow in a mental mud pit of self-pity or guilt or anxiety today. (Assume the worst. Beat yourself up. Rehearse your regrets. Complain to complainers.) Thoughts have consequences.

Healing from anxiety requires healthy thinking. Your challenge is not your challenge. Your challenge is the way you think about your challenge. Your problem is not your problem; it is the way you look at it.

Satan knows this. The devil is always messing with our minds.

He comes as a thief

with the sole intention of stealing and killing and destroying. — John 10:10 Phillips

He brings only gloom and doom. By the time he was finished with Job, the man was sick and alone. By the time he had done his work in Judas, the disciple had given up on life. The devil is to hope what termites are to an oak; he’ll chew you up from the inside.

He will lead you to a sunless place and leave you there. He seeks to convince you this world has no window, no possibility of light. Exaggerated, overstated, inflated, irrational thoughts are the devil’s specialty.

No one will ever love me. It’s all over for me. Everyone is against me. I’ll never lose weight, get out of debt, or have friends.

What lugubrious, monstrous lies!

No problem is unsolvable. No life is irredeemable. No one’s fate is sealed. No one is unloved or unlovable.

No problem is unsolvable

But Satan wants us to think we are. He wants to leave us in a swarm of anxious, negative thoughts.

Satan is the master of deceit. But he is not the master of your mind. You have a power he cannot defeat. You have God on your side.

So

fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. — Philippians 4:8 NLT

The transliteration of the Greek word, here rendered as fix, is logizomai. Do you see the root of an English word in the Greek one? Yes, logic. Paul’s point is simple: anxiety is best faced with clearheaded, logical thinking.

Turns out that our most valuable weapon against anxiety weighs less than three pounds and sits between our ears. Think about what you think about!

Here is how it works. You receive a call from the doctor’s office. The message is simple and unwelcome. “The doctor has reviewed your tests and would like you to come into the office for a consultation.”

As quickly as you can say “uh-oh,” you have a choice: anxiety or trust.

Anxiety says…

“I’m in trouble. Why does God let bad things happen to me? Am I being punished? I must have done something wrong.”

“These things never turn out right. My family has a history of tragedy. It’s my turn. I probably have cancer, arthritis, jaundice. Am I going blind? My eyes have been blurry lately. Is this a brain tumor?”

“Who will raise the kids? Who will pay the medical bills? I’m going to die broke and lonely. I’m too young for this tragedy! No one can understand me or help me.”

If you aren’t already sick, you will be by the time you go to the doctor’s office.

Anxiety weighs down the human heart. — Proverbs 12:25 NRSV

But there is a better way.

Before you call your mom, spouse, neighbor, or friend, call on God. Invite him to speak to the problem.

Capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.

— 2 Corinthians 10:5 NCV

Slap handcuffs on the culprit, and march it before the One who has all authority: Jesus Christ.

Jesus, this anxious, negative thought just wormed its way into my mind. Is it from You?

Jesus, who speaks nothing but the truth, says, “No, get away from here, Satan.” And as the discerning, sober-minded air traffic controller of your mind, you refuse to let the thought have the time of day.

Lay claim to every biblical promise you can remember, and set out to learn a few more. Grip them for the life preservers they are. Give Satan no quarter. Give his lies no welcome.

Fasten the belt of truth around your waist. — Ephesians 6:14 NRSV

Resist the urge to exaggerate, overstate, or amplify. Focus on the facts, nothing more. The fact is, the doctor has called. The fact is, his news will be good or bad. For all you know, he may want you to be a poster child of good health. All you can do is pray and trust.

So you do. You enter the doctor’s office, not heavied by worry, but buoyed by faith.

Which do you prefer?

Christyn Taylor discovered calmness. Recently she and her family went back to Rebecca’s doctors in Minnesota. Seven months earlier Rebecca was barely surviving. Now, one day before her thirteenth birthday, Rebecca was vibrant and full of life. She had gained a remarkable thirty pounds. Her health was improving. She was named the hospital’s “walking miracle.”

Christyn wrote: “I watched these interactions with a silent sense of awe. It is easy to praise God during seasons of wellness. But it was during my greatest distress when I felt the Lord’s presence poured upon me. And it was in those heartbreaking moments I learned to trust this God who provided unimaginable strength during unimaginable pain.”

He will help you as well, my friend. Guard your thoughts and trust your Father.

Excerpted from Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.

Prov 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

6 In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

ESV

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith July 13, 2022

Notes of Faith July 13, 2022

The Bible’s Last Words on Earth’s Final Days

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. — Isaiah 41:10

I’m convinced a phenomenal pattern is about to unfold. World events aren’t lurching into chaos; they are moving toward culmination and consummation. There’s hope for tomorrow, and there’s hope for you and yours. The cascading flow of crises is merging with the outlines of Bible prophecy, like two mighty rivers crashing into each other and coalescing into an unstoppable flood. For the children of God, this isn’t a flood that will sweep us away. It will lift us up!

We need this kind of uplifting hope.

Everyone I know seems to have a lot of unexpected stress. Looming over the demanding details of daily life are gathering clouds of worldwide cataclysm. We are living in perilous times. The world has always been in a mess, but not since the days of Noah has our fragile planet faced such imminent and existential dangers as now. The threats — nuclear, economic, technological, philosophical, moral, political, biological, viral, environmental, and a host of others — imperil the earth with calamities of biblical proportions.

God knows exactly what’s going to happen in the future.

He has already painted the picture, and the history of the world is moving along a preordained route toward its total fulfillment. He knows everything to come, which we could never foresee by our own intuition. In the book of Revelation, God lifts the cloth and shows us His plan for tomorrow.

The last half of the very first verse, which sums up the book in one phrase and serves as its statement of purpose, says:

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.

The information in Revelation isn’t for the world, which disregards it. It’s for us — for Christ-followers — who value its message and long for our Lord’s appearing. It’s for those who know Jesus as their Savior and who are eager for details about His return. This is information for the saints, for those who realize they are citizens of Heaven traveling through this troubled earth as ambassadors for the King.

Beginning in verse 12, we have the foundational vision of the book — a glimpse of the Lord Jesus Christ as He now appears in all His glory. This was the first time John had seen Jesus since the Lord ascended into Heaven sixty or so years before. John now saw Jesus, enthroned, resplendent in glory and his view of Jesus was heart-stopping:

When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. Then He placed His right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!” — Revelation 1:17–18

God knows exactly what's going to happen in the future

Jesus opened His book of revelations to us by telling us on the first page about the two responses we should have:

don’t be afraid and

remember Jesus died for us and is now alive — forever!

We don’t know what tomorrow’s headlines will bring, nor can we anticipate what will befall us today or tomorrow. But one reality overrides everything else — Jesus is alive, so we needn’t fear. When He rose from the dead, He overcame every challenge, overthrew every enemy, and overturned every affliction. He stripped away any reason for sleepless nights or fretful days. He set the stage for the righteous consummation of all His intentions and paved the way for the new heaven and new earth.

The Lord told John in Revelation 1:19,

Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.

There, amid all your loneliness and uncertainty, your dearest friend, Jesus, makes a special visit in His resurrected and glorified state, and He tells you, in essence, “Don’t be afraid. Remember, I was dead but I’m now alive — and I’m alive forever. Everything will end as I intend, and My intention is to bless you. Let Me give you the details. I’m going to show you what must soon take place. I will unveil the world of tomorrow. I’m going to fill you with hope for the coming days — for both time and eternity.”

Jesus was speaking not only to John but to us as well. We have the book of Revelation — all twenty-two wonderful chapters — because we need its message in times like these. How sad to have this book but not study it. How sad to study it but not understand it. How sad to understand it but not obey it.

On the other hand, how wonderful to trust its message, look forward to its fulfillment, and prepare for the sensational events about to engulf the world and lead us into eternity!

At that moment when all seems lost and the world is engulfed in total chaos, Jesus Christ will return, put a swift end to the battle, and save His people Israel, both spiritually and politically (Revelation 19). He will reign on earth a thousand years from Israel’s capital, Jerusalem. At the end of this period, the unsaved dead will rise to be judged and condemned (Revelation 20).

And finally, at last, Jesus will be with His people forever in the new Heaven, the new earth, and the city of New Jerusalem, where righteousness dwells — and so shall we be with the Lord forever (Revelation 21–22).

Are you ready for these events? Is your family? Are your loved ones?

The final invitation in the Bible says,

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. — Revelation 22:17

I encourage you with all my heart to come to Jesus today. Take His free gift of eternal blessings and an everlasting inheritance. In prayer, confess your sins and be willing to turn from all that’s evil and unhealthy in your life by God’s grace and with His strength. Acknowledge Jesus Christ as your living Savior, and give your life to Him today.

And don’t be afraid of the world tomorrow. God’s grace is aggressive, available, and immeasurable. His plans are outlined in His Word. His love is everlasting, and His truth endures forever. He loves you more than you know, and He is eager to be your Savior and your Sovereign forever.

We have so much ahead of us — an inheritance unending, a life everlasting! Don’t look around you and be distressed. Look ahead and be blessed!

Hallelujah! Maranatha!

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Lord Jesus, thank You that I don’t need to be afraid of the future. Your sacrifice and Your grace secure my place in eternity.

Written for Devotionals Daily by Robert J. Morgan, 50 Final Events in World History.

We watch, we wait, we live for Jesus until He comes. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith July 12, 2022

Notes of Faith July 12, 2022

Everything is Spiritual

So, you have a calling. There’s someone God made you to be. Something God made you to do. All you have to do is dig it out from under the rubble of your fear and insecurity and upbringing and culture and consciousness. It’s there. Waiting to be found.

But I know what some of you are thinking, Really? I know that God calls people to church stuff, but I’m an IT specialist for a cell-phone company — how is that a calling from God?

To get to a robust, deep, rich, charged theology of work, and for that matter, rest, we have to cross the chasm that is the sacred/secular divide.

And I forewarn you; it is a deep, wide, ominous chasm. So put your boots on…

The sacred/secular divide is this erroneous idea that some things are sacred or spiritual, and they matter to God; but other things are secular or physical, and by implication, they don’t matter to God, at least, not all that much.

The problem with this widespread, ubiquitous, domineering, destructive way of thinking is that, well, by this definition, most of life is secular.

The sacred stuff is a dinky slice of the pie — going to church, praying, reading the Scriptures, evangelism. What is that, 5% of our lives? Max? If you’re really “spiritual”?

Most of life — the other 95% — is spent grocery shopping or walking the dog or cutting your toenails or reading at the park or doing yoga with your wife or eating a burrito and then feeling bloated afterward — but less so if you just finished doing yoga.

This is the stuff of everyday life.

And so most of us feel a little bit frustrated because we think that what we do every day — our work and our rest — how we play and unwind and enjoy God’s world — is meaningless and pointless and ephemeral and doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of heaven and hell and eternal life because it’s not sacred.

Everything matters to God

So much of life is just mundane. There’s nothing glamorous about it. We don’t feel like we’re changing the world; we’re changing diapers or answering emails or tweaking an Excel spreadsheet. So we feel frustrated, or maybe even empty and aimless, because every night as we lie in bed, we think, Does any of this matter?

Or we feel a twinge of guilt because even though our job as an IT specialist isn’t sacred, we really enjoy it and are proud of what we do. And every time we come home from work and drink a glass of really good wine or watch a great film or eat a delicious meal, we feel this nagging sense of shame because we enjoy it so much — it feels good and right and earthy and human — but it’s not “spiritual.”

This entire paradigm of the sacred and the so-called secular is seriously out of whack. And not only is it untrue, but it’s also dangerous. Let me make my point…

To start off, let’s talk about the word spiritual. It’s one of those words we use all the time, but as a wise Spaniard with a sweet mustache once said, “I don’t think it means what you think it means.” (That was my mandatory Princess Bride quote.)

Did you know there’s no word for spiritual in the Hebrew language? Hebrew is the language of the first three quarters of the Bible — what we call the Old Testament. Look up the word spiritual in Genesis to Malachi — the Bible used by Jesus. It’s not there. Why? Because in a Hebrew worldview, all of life is spiritual.

Even when you get to the New Testament, the word spiritual is really only used by Paul. In his writings it means “animated by the Holy Spirit.” And for Paul, every facet of our life should be spiritual.

1. I think if you had asked Jesus about His spiritual life, He would have looked at you very confused. My guess is He would have asked, What do you mean by My spiritual life? You mean My life? All of My life is spiritual.

Jesus didn’t buy into sacred/secular thinking. Not one bit. To Him, the God He called Father is as close as the air up against our skin. To Him, life is a seamless, integrated, holistic experience where the sacred is all around us. And for Jesus and His way, God wants to be involved in every square inch of our lives.

2. Because everything is spiritual. Everything matters to God.

The word pnuematikos, or “spiritual,” does show up in the New Testament, mostly in the writings of Paul. But it’s not used how most of us use it. Most people think spiritual means esoteric, immaterial, otherworldly, enigmatic or deep, mystic experiences with God. But in Paul’s theology it means “animated by the Spirit of God.” It’s from the root word pneuma, where we get the word pneumatic. It’s this driving, empowering presence in us to do what we’re called to do — on Earth. It has nothing to do with material/immaterial. That’s why in 1 Corinthians 2 he puts all humans into two categories. The “spiritual” are all followers of Jesus who have His Spirit; everybody else is not spiritual. Fascinating.

* This language comes from the Everything Is Spiritual tour DVD by Rob Bell (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007).

Adapated from Garden City: Work, Rest, And The Art Of Being Human by John Mark Comer, copyright John Mark Comer, published by Zondervan.

Life is indeed spiritual, from eternity past to eternity future. This earthly existence is part of our LIFE! We, believers, and followers of Christ, are to be like Him, in communion with God at all times . . . THAT is living a true spiritual life. Let’s pursue that life, for it is who we are.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith July 11, 2022

The Best Medicine

A happy heart is like good medicine. — Proverbs 17:22 ICB

Whether you giggle, tee-hee, or guffaw, laughter is one language that everybody speaks. You don’t have to learn to laugh either. It’s a skill you’re born with. Babies start to laugh when they’re only about three months old — long before they learn to say mama or dada.

Real laughter is one of those things that just happens. Something seems funny, and before you can even think That’s funny, your brain has you laughing. But you can’t make yourself really laugh. (Go ahead, give it a try.) Laughter is also contagious. If you hear someone laughing, chances are, you’ll soon be laughing too. Some people even claim laughter can heal you — like medicine. Scientists aren’t sure about that, but we do know that laughter is fun, helps you make friends, and makes you feel good inside.

Laughter is a gift from God.

It heals our heart and gives us joy. God even tells us there is a time to laugh (Ecclesiastes 3:4). But there’s a huge difference between laughing with someone and laughing at someone. Don’t use laughter like a weapon to hurt others or to tear them down. Always try to treat others the way you want them to treat you (Luke 6:31) — and nobody likes to be laughed at!

Laughter is a gift from God

Laughter is a gift, and it’s meant to be shared. A funny story and a good laugh might be just the medicine a friend needs during a tough day. Remember, words and actions — yes, even laughter — should always be loving and kind… and that’s nothing to joke about!

Lord, thank You for the gift of laughter. Help me to use it in a way that makes You smile and brings the joy You’ve given me to others.

There’s nothing like a tickle fight to get the laughter and giggles going. But here’s a question: Can you tickle yourself? As it turns out, the answer is no. A big part of the reason you laugh when tickled is because you’re surprised. If you try to tickle yourself, your brain knows what’s coming. You’re not surprised, so you’re not tickled!

Excerpted permission from How Great Is Our God by Louie Giglio, copyright Louie Giglio.

No joke needed. Look at children. You will smile, laugh, giggle and enjoy whatever it seems brings them happiness. Start your day with a good laugh with God.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith July 10, 2022

The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi: Beginning the Journey

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. — Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV

Before I (Kathie Lee) began my new job as co-host of the fourth hour of The Today Show in 2008, I felt the Lord tugging at my spirit with the words of Matthew 6:33: Kathie, seek first My kingdom and My righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

I remember responding, “Lord, You know that’s what I am trying to do — put You and Your kingdom first in my life.”

Then I felt Him gently rebuke me: You’re not listening. I said to seek Me first!

“Lord,” I questioned, “do You mean first thing in the morning before anything else?” In my heart, I sensed His clear answer: Yes.

Wow. I already got up earlier than most — usually right before dawn. “Really, Lord?” I said. “Before I go into work?”

Yes. I felt Him tenderly remind me, As you begin your day, so goes your day.

So I began to wake up before 4:00 am and pray for an hour for my family members, friends, colleagues, world situations, and personal concerns. Then I would open the Bible and study God’s Word for an hour more, with my puppies and the birds outside my window as my only company.

Seek me first

This new discipline soon became the best part — and my favorite part — of the day. Changing my morning routine has changed my life. I began not only to study the Word but also to memorize as much as I could so that Scripture would become a living, breathing part of me. No textbook needed, no study guide necessary — just the pure, life-giving, sustaining Word of God settled deep in my soul.

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 18:30:

As for God, His way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless.

Friends, this is either a fact or a lie. There is no middle ground. This is why I have grown so passionate about learning what the Bible really says. If I am going to base my life on something, it has to be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me, God! But how can we live the truth if we don’t even know it?

The word truth occurs in the Bible over 200 times. God places immeasurable value in it, and He longs for each of us to seek it, find it, and apply it to our lives. All too often we are so overwhelmed by technology, our personal dramas, and our endless ambition that we neglect to study God’s Word. Imagine how it breaks the heart of our heavenly Father, who loves us, when He sees us putting our energy into everything but the one thing that can bring us life.

You have the exciting opportunity to discover the truth of the Bible and learn what many passages in the Bible really mean. You can experience the Rock (Jesus), the Road (the Holy Land), and the Rabbi (the Word of God) in a way you might not have done before. So come deeper as we explore the land of Israel and mine the treasures of God’s Word!

Adapted from The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi, copyright Kathie Lee Gifford.

The Word of God always lights a fire within me. I am excited when I hear of others, reading, listening, studying, meditating on the Scriptures. It is alive and speaks to us today as it did 2,000 years ago. Take a look at it this morning and every morning!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith July 9, 2022

Deception and Delusion

So let’s get the text in front of us. It really is a sobering text, and in some ways a surprising one in the way it talks about deception and truth and pleasure. At least, I’ve learned a lot about the nature of saving faith and the nature of deception in this text. So, here are the few verses:

The coming of the lawless one [that would be the final manifestation of antichrist just before the return of Christ] is by the activity of Satan with all power and lying signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception [of unrighteousness] . . .

(2 Thessalonians 2:9–10)

Now, that’s not yet the strong delusion from God, but rather the deception from the lawless one, because we haven’t even gotten yet to God’s kicking in with deception. Here you have the Satanic deception for those who are perishing.

. . . because [that’s important, because this is happening before God’s strong delusion] they did not welcome the love of the truth in order to be saved. Therefore [and that’s crucial], God sends them a strong delusion so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:10–12)

Refusal to Love the Truth

Now, let’s see if we can put some of these pieces together. It’s true that there are passages in the Bible that ascribe to God the right and the power to decide from eternity who will believe and who will not. But this is not one of those passages. This passage only traces unbelief back to the resistance of the human heart to welcome a love for the truth. Now that’s a strange phrase, “welcome a love for the truth.” But it’s a literal translation. Verse 10 says they are “perishing because they did not welcome a love [or ‘the love’] of the truth in order to be saved.”

In other words, this is a worse indictment than saying, “They did not welcome the truth in order to be saved.” They were not just resistant to the truth; they were resistant to a love for the truth. This is a love issue in the human heart. They didn’t want truth in their head. They didn’t want love for truth in their heart. They were totally resistant. It reminds us of Ephesians 4:18, where Paul traces unbelief down, down, down to the bottom of the human problem, which is not ignorance, he says, but hardness. This is what Ephesians 4:18 says: “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from life of God because of the ignorance that is in them [and then he goes deeper], due to their hardness of heart.”

“They were not just resistant to the truth; they were resistant to a love for the truth.”

So here in 2 Thessalonians, Paul is describing that hardness as a refusal to welcome a love for the truth. It’s as if love for truth is being offered, and the human heart says, “No, no. Not only do I not want truth, I do not want to love the truth. I don’t want truth in my mind. I don’t want love in my heart.” And that condition — that deep resistance to truth, to God, to gospel, to reality, and to love for truth, and love for the gospel, and love for God — is described as the reason for both Satan’s deceiving and God’s deluding. It says that Satan, in the form of this lawless one, comes with “deception of unrighteousness for the perishing.” And then it says, “because they refused to love the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:10). And verse 11 says, “God sends a strong delusion” because they refuse to love the truth.

Handed Over

Now, Paul doesn’t explain how God does this — that is, how he sends this delusion. It may well be that God does it by means of removing all the barriers to that satanic deception. There are many places in the Bible where God governs the acts of unrighteous men and demons in order to achieve his righteous purposes. So this is not unusual. It’s as if God would say, “Okay, if you want to love falsehood and love unrighteousness instead of loving the truth, I’ll see to it that your delusion is overpowering.”

In other words, God gives them up to their own mind, just like Paul says in Romans 1:28. He says, “Since they did not approve of having God in their knowledge . . .” That’s so close to what 2 Thessalonians is saying. They refuse a love for the truth. They don’t want God in their knowledge. They don’t want to love God. Therefore, “God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done” (Romans 1:28). That would be a great delusion.

So their deception comes not only as their crime, but also as their punishment for the crime.

Our Pleasure in Sin

I said a minute ago that this text is surprising to me in the way it talks about deception and truth and pleasure. Looking at this idea of pleasure helps get at David’s question — his other question that we haven’t touched on yet about whether we can pray to God to deliver us from deception and delusion when up till now we haven’t welcomed the love of the truth. We’ve been resistant to it. Are we hopeless?

What’s surprising is the way pleasure figures into this text. Verse 12 says that the reason people are condemned is because they “did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” What an interesting contrast: believing versus pleasure. It’s full of implications. Back in verse 10, their deception is called “deception of unrighteousness.”

So I put it together like this. Their unwillingness to welcome a love for the truth was owing to their love for — that is, their pleasure in — unrighteousness. “I love it. I love it. I find pleasure in it.” This was their most basic condition: deep, deep heart love, heart delight, heart pleasure in unrighteousness. And since the truth stands over against unrighteousness, that more basic love for unrighteousness prevented them from loving the truth.

“At the root of our human condition is a strong pleasure in sin — a strong preference, gladness, delight.”

So, at the root of our human condition is a strong pleasure in sin — a strong preference, gladness, delight. Oh, how delectable is selfishness and self-exaltation and pride. Sin feels good at the depth of our being, and that pleasure in unrighteousness prevents a welcome of a love for the truth, and surprisingly prevents belief in the truth, as he says in verse 12.

Our Hope in the Sovereign Savior

So here’s David’s question. Can a person pray in that condition? Can a person pray for deliverance from deceptive bondage to pleasure in unrighteousness, which prevents love for the truth and belief in the truth? And my answer is yes. In fact, the bondage is so great that God is the only one who can cause a reversal of this dreadful bondage. That’s what has to happen. And so that’s how we ought to cry out in desperation for God to act in our lives and in the lives of those we love who are blind to this.

Remember in the book of Lamentations — oh my goodness, this is encouraging. Lamentations is the most horrible book in the Bible in one sense, because of the descriptions of the devastation of the apple of God’s eye, Jerusalem. It says in Lamentations 1:5, “The Lord has afflicted [Jerusalem] for the multitude of her transgressions.” So you would think this is hopeless. She’s under judgment. But here’s how the book ends: “Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored!” (Lamentations 5:21). What a prayer! That’s the same way people pray in Jeremiah 31:18: “Bring me back that I may be restored.” Same thing in Psalm 80:3: “Restore us, O God.”

Ultimately, I don’t think it matters whether Satan is deceiving or God is deluding. It’s not hopeless to cry out, “O God, I cannot change my heart. It’s hard. It’s lifeless. It’s cold. And it takes pleasure in unrighteousness. O God, do anything — do whatever you have to do to take out my heart of stone. Cause my heart to find pleasure in your truth, your gospel, yourself. If you don’t do it, O God, I am undone.” I don’t think that’s a hopeless prayer.

John Piper (@JohnPiper) is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The end is coming for a world that hears the truth but will not believe in God or the need for a Savior! God knows those that He has chosen from before the foundation of the world and will bring only those who belong to Him to their and His eternal home!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith July 8, 2022

Find Your People: Stay at the Table

Throughout history, breaking bread together around the table has always represented reconciliation and healing.

Jesus is betrayed by Judas. The events leading to His crucifixion are set in motion. Jesus will be betrayed and hurt by nearly every one of his closest people sitting around the table and later He will die. But in the midst of the hurt and rejection He must have been experiencing, He pulls out bread and breaks it. He pours wine; He and His friends drink it.

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’. — Matthew 26:26-28

The ultimate table of reconciliation had been set. Built on the broken body and spilled blood of our Savior. It’s why we can forgive. It’s why we can come to the table together with other sinners. We can, because He did. We can, because He made a way for us to be right with Him and right with each other.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation

for those who Christ are in Jesus.

I have community. My biggest issue with community is usually that I hurt someone or that they hurt me. It is a regular storyline. I mean, weekly the conflict has to be resolved in my life, and it’s because that’s just part of healthy community. The hurt is part of the health — it’s weird to think about, but it’s true.

I’m part of a huge church that has small groups within it. We’re trying to make it so the parts of the Body of Christ all know each other and work together. It’s hard. It’s messy. But we have to keep coming back to the table, because we know that Jesus had a vision for this. He’s redeeming us individually and as a church.

We’re looking toward eternity described in Revelation, and we want to model Heaven here. Pastor Halim pointed out that there is value to gathering as a big church — a massive group of people. That’s the picture of Revelation: a crowd and multitude upon multitude shouting and praising God. It’s a rehearsal of the heavenlies. The kind of worship that we’re going to give to God, and He’s going to call us into from every tongue, tribe, and nation in a number that no one can number (Revelation 7). That’s the whole point.

Then when you sit down with your missional community or your inner circle, or your village, and you’re crying and sharing things, and you really do know each other, that’s the other side of the coin. Big table, little table. We know one another. We carry one another’s burdens. We need both. They’re tastes of Heaven. We are called to set tables of all sizes and return to them again and again. We’re called to stay and enjoy the feast.

Excerpted from Find Your People study guide by Jennie Allen, copyright Jennie Allen.

Our 3-fold communion celebrating the eternal ministry of Jesus on our behalf is one of the most inspiring and motivating gatherings we share . . . This opportunity was hindered during Covid protocols but by God’s grace, we have begun again to enjoy these precious times around the table!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith July 7, 2022

Fighting the Enemy Through Prayer

Jesus’ reminder to pray regularly against temptation reminds us just how prevalent and dangerous the appeal of sin can be in the Christian life. Once again the issue of kingdom and kingship is front and center.

Sin and temptation are harsh masters.

As the story of Cain reminds us, sin doesn’t just want to play a minor role in our life; it wants to “rule” over us (Genesis 4:7). Asking to be delivered from sin and temptation is a cry that emerges only from the heart of a citizen of God’s kingdom. We desire to submit to the rule and reign of God, not the dominion of sin. This petition is one of kingdom warfare, asking that God conquer the powers of sin, Satan, and the demons so that we might live for His heavenly Kingdom.

This petition also reminds us of several other very important points. First, Christians must recognize that temptations are a real and daily threat to communion with God and life with Christ. The most dangerous thing a Christian can ever do is believe that he is somehow immune to temptation. In fact, failing to account for the dangers of temptation betrays a severe misunderstanding of the gospel. In the gospel we come to recognize both the depravity of our hearts and the freedom of God’s grace in Christ.

He is the deliverer; we are the delivered

If we, at any point, think that we are somehow freed up from fighting temptation, then we have both overestimated our own spiritual state and grossly underestimated our need for God’s grace. Second, this petition reminds us that we are not able to resist temptation by our own power. Most people know by experience that our willpower is not quite as strong as we would like to think. Anyone who has ever struggled to keep up with a diet plan knows just how weak-willed we can be. Even as we work to achieve our goals through sheer willpower, we find ourselves incapable of willing more willpower! The Gospel, however, and this petition in the Lord’s Prayer turn our attention away from our own strength to the strength of another. Jesus does not teach us to pray, “Lord, give me more willpower in the fight against sin.” He teaches us to ask for shepherding and deliverance —

“Lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil.”

These words express a heart of dependence, not self-sufficiency.

In fact, consider the phrase “deliver us.” These are words of desperation and powerlessness, not self-sufficiency. Jesus does not teach us to pray that God might “help a bit” or “give strength.” We do not meet God halfway and trust Him to do the rest. Rather, God does it all! He is the deliverer; we are the delivered. He is the savior; we are the saved.

The Bible does not teach that God helps those who help themselves; instead, God helps those who are at the end of themselves.

The Gospel teaches that only by God’s grace can we truly overcome the temptations of the world, the wickedness of our own hearts, and the power of the Devil.

Third, Christians must pray for endurance in the fight against temptation. Remember, Jesus is giving us a model prayer, which means these are the types of petitions that should characterize our prayer life every day. Christians should pray this petition, as well as for the grace to overcome temptation all the way to the grave.

Excerpted from The Prayer That Turns the World Upside Down by Albert Mohler, copyright Fidelitas Corporation, R. Albert Mohler Jr., LLC.

When we pray we should not be declaring our independence, but rather our absolute dependence on God. We cannot win the war against Satan and his army without God. I believe that we would lose every time without the power of God on our side. Draw near to the throne of grace and receive help in time of need. All the time!

Pastor Dale