Notes of Faith August 26, 2022

Notes of Faith August 26, 2022

Keep Fixing Your Eyes on Me

I, the Creator of the universe, am with you and for you. What more could you need? When you feel some lack, it is because you are not connecting with Me at a deep level. I offer abundant Life; your part is to trust Me, refusing to worry about anything.

It is not so much adverse events that make you anxious as it is your thoughts about those events. Your mind engages in efforts to take control of a situation, to bring about the result you desire. Your thoughts close in on the problem like ravenous wolves. Determined to make things go your way, you forget that I am in charge of your life. The only remedy is to switch your focus from the problem to My Presence. Stop all your striving, and watch to see what I will do. I am the Lord!

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all — how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? — Romans 8:31-32

But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. —Micah 7:7

Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. — 1 Corinthians 12:3

In Me you have everything you need

When things don’t go as you would like, accept the situation immediately. If you indulge in feelings of regret, they can easily spill over the line into resentment. Remember that I am sovereign over your circumstances, and humble yourself under My mighty hand. Rejoice in what I am doing in your life, even though it is beyond your understanding.

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In Me you have everything you need, both for this life and for the life yet to come. Don’t let the impact of the world shatter your thinking or draw you away from focusing on Me. The ultimate challenge is to keep fixing your eyes on Me, no matter what is going on around you. When I am central in your thinking, you are able to view circumstances from My perspective.

Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. — 1 Peter 5:5-6

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” — John 14:6

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

Heb 12:1-2

… let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

NASU

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith August 25, 2022

Notes of Faith August 25, 2022

Happy anniversary to my dear wife of 43 years. Amazing grace!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. — Jeremiah 29:11

I was at the gas station, staring off into the distance while the tank filled. The thought flitted across my mind, “It’s Tuesday…” and I remembered that I hadn’t asked Jesus to come with me. The realization washed over me. Leaving Jesus in the armchair in my living room was more of a common occurrence in the rest of my week than I’d like to admit. I left Jesus at home and just about everywhere else. Sometimes I left Him in the pews at church or at a Starbucks table, or in the prayer at dinner time. I acknowledged Him where I expected to see Him… and where other people expected me to see Him. Did He belong at a gas station on a Tuesday morning? He would have gone anywhere with me, even the places He didn’t seem to fit. I just didn’t invite Him.

Tuesdays reminded me that I needed to take Jesus with me everywhere.

Those Tuesdays with Jesus transformed me. Not only did I develop a habit of talking about Jesus, I became more confident talking with Him. What was most surprising was when I became more confident in my ability to listen to Him. What did He say, you ask? Well, turns out, Jesus has no tolerance for those negative thought spirals. I’d start dogging on myself for something, like being late for a meeting or distracted with my family, and He’d say, “Megan, you have a choice. You can either continue feeling guilty or be grateful for awareness.” Truth is, He wasn’t very sentimental about it. Or in the aftermath of a mistake, I’d consider His character and imagine Him saying something like: “You’re not perfect, but you’re Mine!”

I needed to take Jesus with me everywhere

The conversations went a lot like this: He’d remind me that I belonged to Him. Again and again, He affirmed my identity as His. And then He’d point me toward someone else who needed to know it too. Pretending to see Him next to me changed the way I heard from Him.

In my new awareness of His presence, I could discern His nudges. I could sense His elbows jabbing my side, making me less aware of myself and more aware of the people who needed to meet Him for the first time or needed to be reminded that He was with us. There were plenty of times when I wanted to ignore Him, and, honestly, many times when I did. But I’d look over at Him after the moment of obedience had passed, and realize that He had more chances for me, continually offering opportunities to step into His plans. Slowly but surely, I became aware of the fact that Jesus not only wants to speak, He wants to speak into every area of our lives. He wants a say in how we act, share coffee conversations, sometimes even dictate what or whom we listen to as we drive.

Tuesdays with Jesus reminded me that He is present — always. And His presence prompted me to listen.

1 Rich Ferreria was the first person I ever heard share stories from spending time with an imaginary Jesus. Thanks for the life-changing idea, friend.

2 Jesus shows up at a Pharisee party and calls the host out on not inviting the poor (Luke 14:12–14). He also shows up at the parties of tax collectors and sinners (Mark 2:13–17). And who could forget that wedding at Cana where he turned water to wine (John 2:1–11)?

Excerpted from Meant for Good by Megan Fate Marshman, copyright Megan Fate Marshman.

Being away from home takes away the security of familiarity. We need Jesus there and just the same when we are away from home and feel more insecure. We are enjoying children and grandchildren, staying ever close to Jesus loving arms as we are loved and warmed by the arms and hearts of our family.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith August 24, 2022

Notes of Faith August 24, 2022

Hope and Healing

Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

— Luke 8:50

I am prone to lose hope. As a father of five children, I desire to see them all well adjusted and hungry for Christ. What happens when one of them wanders? The waywardness of a son is a deep grief. My wife and I have sought to love him, bring the gospel to him, and find resources to aid him in his struggles, but we have been met with deceit, distrust, and dangerous behavior. At night, he has risen from bed and vandalized the house, endangering us all. I am prone to fear. After seven years of heart-wrenching struggle, I cry out, “How long, O Lord?” I am prone to lose hope.

Do you believe that Christ can mend? Jairus’s daughter was dead, yet Jesus said, “She will be healed.” Not even the dead are beyond the reach of our Great Physician. No loss, no grief, no tragedy is beyond the power of Christ to restore, to console, to mend. Do your fears
steal away your sleep? Think on Him in the watches of the night. Does your heart ache with unbearable loss? This, too, will be healed. Jesus hears our griefs and knows them well, and He gives His sure words of comfort: “Don’t be afraid.”

~ CALEB

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. — 1 Chronicles 22:13

There was a time in my life when strep throat was the worst-case scenario. I was a seven-year-old girl who adored school and hated doctors, especially doctors who wanted to ram oversized Q-tips down my throat.

My younger brother held the same opinion about strep, but for him it was the antibiotics. I’m not sure who thought it was a good idea to flavor the already-terrible children’s medicine with sweetened hot-pink syrups, but my brother, who didn’t like desserts anyway, wasn’t fooled. So when sickness season came around and a nurse tried to soften the diagnosis with promises of “pink bubblegum!” and “strawberry milkshake!” we cried in unison.

One winter night the situation was especially bleak. We had
the misfortune of not one, but two cases of strep throat. My brother resisted the prescribed medicine like a champ, pulling out just the right number of tears and kicks to send our family’s dinnertime peace into an immediate nosedive.

“You’ll love the pink bubblegum!” my parents pleaded.

“Your favorite — strawberry milkshake!” they tried, knowing it was false.

He needed backup. Enter yours truly, his seven-year-old sister, to the rescue. I jumped into the middle of the spat, motioning for him to climb on my back. Piggybacked and void of socks, jackets, or plans, I opened the door and whispered, “We’re running away. I won’t let them get you.” We ran out the back door and into the woods, only to abandon our plans and return home after hearing the first noise we couldn’t identify.

I hated my little brother’s pain and wanted to help him find comfort as soon as possible. But finding temporary comfort wasn’t the same thing as healing.

God doesn’t like our pain either, but His plan for us is better than our just escaping it.

He wants to heal us and redeem us, providing each of His children with an active hope and eternal comfort. But we can’t always see the ways He’s doing this, and many times we may wonder
if we’re still on His agenda at all. This is why we need strength and courage too — to bridge the gap between hurt and healed.

God tells us to be strong and courageous because He knows we will want to listen to the pain rather than to His promises. He knows we will want to find our own solutions and escape routes, and He understands we will struggle to trust His plan is good when it feels anything but. Our fear is not a surprise to Him, which means He has anticipated it and prepared for it with the gift of His Word. Because of these promises, we can be brave.

~ KAITLIN

Excerpted from The Book of Comforts by Caleb Faires, Rebecca Faires, Kaitlin Wernet, Cymone Wilder, copyright Caleb Faires, Rebecca Faires, Kaitlin Wernet, Cymone Wilder.

1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your fear and anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith August 23, 2022

Notes of Faith August 23, 2022

Storm

/ˈstȯrm/ noun

1. a disturbance of the atmosphere marked by wind and usually by rain, snow, hail, sleet, or thunder and lightning

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

— Matthew 7:25

One early morning I began journaling in the middle of a storm. All around me the rain was pouring, the thunder was pounding, and the lightning was striking disconcertingly close to home. Between the flashes and claps, there were pauses of peace and calm.

As the rains came down, and I thought back to the way water cleansed God’s people in the desert, I meditated on my desire to live a pure, cleansed life, free from storms.

Unfortunately, storms do happen, and more often than not, they pop up suddenly and without warning. The night before this strong gale, I absorbed the most brilliant sunset, painted with God’s brushstrokes dipped in magnificent shades of pink, watching in awe as the sun sank into the horizon.

The storms are momentary, but His love and grace are eternal

There was no evidence of a storm coming. However, in the quick turn of a moment, the storm hit. As I lay awake and journaling, I wondered how equipped I am to weather these storms. How prepared am I for the onslaught of wind and rain coming without warning? Certainly, little squalls cross our path — soaking showers that give way to rainbows and brilliant sunlight. There are also those slow, gray drizzles that seem to settle in and saturate our spirits. Still others erode our hearts with their vicious violence and ferocity. In any case, I want to be prepared and equipped. I want to fortify the banks of my heart so they will stay firmly planted and not be washed away.

God promised me, just as He promised Noah — and you — that undoubtedly, no matter the intensity of the storm, He will cause the sun to reappear. He will stop the rain and silence the thunderous claps. He will push the clouds apart and reveal His peace and assurance over my life, if only I will cling to the hope that He gives us in Jesus, and the hope He spells out for us in His Word. When I cling, He quiets.

The storms are momentary, but His love and grace are eternal

Is there a storm or some sort of natural disaster that’s shaking up your life? Today I invite you to find shelter in God’s warm, sturdy embrace.

Dear God, thank You for calming the storms that assault my life. Thank You for Your promise to quiet the thunder. I ask today that as I brace for the storms ahead of me, I would look to You as my Captain and not be afraid of the lightning above me.

Excerpted from Anne Nielson’s Angels, copyright Anne Neilson Fine Art LLC.

Belief, faith, and trust, especially in the midst of the storm, are things God provides to His maturing child. Stay close little children to the One who loves you most and your eternal safety is guaranteed.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith August 22, 2022

Notes of Faith August 22, 2022

Before I Go to Bed Every Night

We’re learning that a key part in practicing forgiveness is keeping our hearts swept clean — staying humble enough to admit and confess where we need God’s forgiveness, and then daily forgiving whatever may have made us feel wronged. Keeping our hearts swept clean protects us from the enemy and from slipping into the bitterness that can take over our thoughts and actions.

After I began thinking about this more, I started to see God’s call to this task repeatedly in Scripture:

Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold… Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

— Ephesians 4:26-27, Ephesians 4:31-32

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you… Purify your hearts. — James 4:7-8

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith. — 1 Peter 5:6-9

Make a peaceful nightly ritual

I became aware that I must get intentional when I go to bed every night. Isn’t God gracious that He allows this teaching to be tied to something we see every night? As the sun is going down, I remember it’s time for God to clean me out. I do not want to go to bed with anger or other difficult emotions sitting heavy in my heart.

What exactly are we supposed to do instead?

Psalm 4:4-5 (ESV) says,

Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent… put your trust in the Lord.

When I lay on my bed and search my heart, I find all kinds of unsettled hurt. If I fixate on it, it could lead me to sin. Instead, if I turn my thoughts to God, He will work in my heart every time.

Psalm 36 lays out the specifics here. It warns us against overlooking our own sin, embracing what is wrong, plotting evil, and failing to act wisely or do good (Psalm 36:2-4). This is where harbored resentment and unresolved anger takes us.

The psalmist guides us to think instead about God’s love, faithfulness, righteousness, justice, abundance, delight, life, and light (Psalm 36:5-9). When we think on these things, God will take our mess of emotions and turn it into peace. He’ll shift our thoughts from our perspective to His.

I’ve been trying this each night. It’s making me more patient during the next day because I do not want the reactions of the day to become my regrets of the night. I’m having less anxiety and feelings of angst because I’m no longer stirring up my hurt and letting it consume me.

Make a peaceful nightly ritual of being silent before God.

Let Him search out your heart and ask Him to turn your thoughts to Him. Ask for His forgiveness and His presence. Ask Him to help you forgive others. Learn to savor the silence and welcome His renewal and rest.

I’m still not able to do it perfectly, but I’m getting better, and it’s making a difference.

Excerpted from The Forgiveness Journal, copyright Haven Place Ministries.

Matt 6:34

34 "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

NASU

I tend to have regrets at the end of the day. How about you? I think of things I am unhappy with concerning my failures of the day, maybe some hurts experienced, not feeling forgiven and not anxious to forgive. Staying awake all night or getting a poor nights rest is not helpful in preparing for the next day. Let us try to live more in the presence of Jesus and imitate His love, grace and mercy. We will be much better for it!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith August 21, 2022

Notes of Faith August 21, 2022

Take Every Thought Captive

I’m a college dropout. Not because I’m not smart enough. But because when I was eighteen years old I was losing the battle of my mind. The Enemy had gained a foothold in my life, and that foothold was called laziness. I could sleep through morning classes like a champ. If there had been an Olympic competition in skipping class and making excuses, I’d have gold medals hanging on the wall. Eventually, the letter arrived from the dean of my program requesting that I kindly take some time off from pursuing my university education.

No worries, I thought. I’ll enroll at the junior college in town.

Not long after, I received a similar notice from them. I had succeeded in failing out of two schools in the same year.

Talk about the Enemy sitting at your table and eating your lunch!

All the while, I still had huge dreams. Through a powerful experience of being called to ministry, I knew God had big plans for my life. I could clearly see my future. But I had lost sight of what it was going to take to get there. I was pumped about eventually going to graduate school for further ministry training. I had just lost interest in the undergraduate grind necessary to get there.

Once the light bulb came on and I connected the two steps, I literally took the next exit on the freeway and within an hour was sitting in that same dean’s office, begging him to let me back into Georgia State. He was gracious, and I was awakened to my future plans and what it was going to take to get there. My identity wasn’t being a college strikeout. I was called by God to preach His Word. I had the capacity to sleep through class, for sure. But, as I demonstrated, I also had the ability to crush two years’ worth of classes (crush in the very best way) in a little over a year. I graduated with my original freshman class and enrolled in grad school on schedule.

I won the battle of my mind. I woke up every day convinced God was going to accomplish through me all He had called me to do. I believed I could be who He created me to be.

Can you see where you want to be?

I’m not only talking about where you want to be in some personal accomplishment, business success, sports endeavor, or financial goal. I’m talking about where you want to be in your soul. I’m talking about being in charge of your thoughts, attitudes, and actions. I’m talking about moving into purpose and living the life God has designed you to live.

Perhaps the Enemy has convinced you that you can’t move from where you are to where you want to be. You’ve listened to the voices of fear. You’ve been caught in the spiral of sin and temptation. You’ve convinced yourself you have no value. Your mind is clouded by worry and uncertainty. The Enemy has accomplished this by sitting down at your table, but you don’t need to let him stay there and get comfortable. You do not have to entertain the Enemy’s voice.

Through Christ, you can move to a place of victory in your life.

This happens when you learn to win the battle for your mind. The Enemy knows this. One of his main ploys is to go after your thought life. He’s patient too. In the garden of Eden, the serpent didn’t shout his temptations to Eve over a loudspeaker. He planted seeds in her mind and waited. He prompted her to question God’s goodness. He coaxed her to wonder if God was withholding something good from her. Eventually Eve relented and let those seeds take root. Eve acted out what she had been thinking about.

That’s how the Enemy works. If he can win the battle for your mind, then he can win the battle for your life. In Numbers 13, when Moses dispatched the twelve spies to explore the land of Canaan in preparation for Hebrew conquest, ten spies returned with a fearful, faithless report. “We can’t attack those people,” the ten spies said, shaking in their boots. “They are stronger than we are…. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them”

(Numbers 13:31, Numbers 13:33).

Hang on. How did the ten spies know what they looked like in the Canaanites’ eyes? Did the spies ask their enemies, “Hey, what do you think of us? How small and puny do we look to you?” No, a seed had been planted in the spies’ minds. They tended that seed and let it grow and acted on it, and as a result, they wandered in the desert for the next forty years. They never tasted the promises of God for their lives.

It didn’t have to be that way, in the wilderness never tasting God’s promises — not for them, and not for you and me today.

Victory can be yours. Right here. Right now. Victory is about examining the seeds that have been scattered in your mind and not letting them take root. It’s about pulling up and throwing away the thoughts that do not coincide with the heart of God. It’s about changing the way you think. And one prayer helps in particular.

Victory is not about something you do

Readiness for the Power Prayer

Maybe one of the seeds planted in your mind is doubt. You don’t know if any of this teaching is going to work for you. You’ve tried other ways to change before, and none of them worked, so why should this? Or maybe some change will come, but it won’t last because it’s never lasted before.

Already the Enemy has influenced your mind. Seeds can be scattered in your mind anytime, anywhere, and particularly when you read a book such as this. Before the truth can set you free, you need to see the lies that are holding you hostage. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you which lies you’re believing. Ask Him to be specific. Are you having any of the following thoughts?

I’ll never change.

I’ll feel better if I sin.

The gospel doesn’t really work.

I’m not worth much.

No one loves me.

No one believes in me.

I deserve to be bitter.

I deserve to be filled with rage.

I am my failure.

I am my addiction.

I’ll always be this way.

None of those thoughts came from God! Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd of John 10 and Psalm 23, did not tell you that you’re a failure. He doesn’t prompt you to worry. He doesn’t provoke you to fear. He provides clarity, not chaos. He doesn’t stick your nose in the vomit of sin. He provides green pastures, not dry wastelands. If any of these things are in your life — fear, worry, temptation, feelings of worthlessness, feelings of confusion — guess what? The Enemy has shown up and dropped a seed in your thinking. He knows that if he can lodge a deceptive thought in your mind that goes unchecked, it will eventually take root and settle into your heart. If you harbor a deceptive thought and let it take up residence within you, in time, you will act on that thought.

Maybe you’re saying, What’s the big deal? It’s just a thought. Nobody sees it except me. It’s harmless. No. All the thoughts we entertain in our minds eventually get played out. Either our attitudes will reflect those deceptive thoughts or our behaviors will.

As he thinks in his heart, so is he. — Proverbs 23:7 NKJV

One way or another, those thoughts will harm us.

That’s why it’s so important for you to step into your new identity in Christ immediately. Jesus is already in the story of victory, and He has invited you into this story with Him. The way you step into that story is by reminding yourself of these truths:

I was a sinner saved by grace who is now a new creation. I do not have to sin.

I am in Christ, and Christ is in me. Christ has all victory, and His victory is mine too.

God is always faithful. He will always provide a way out. I can always take the way out.

Stepping into these truths changes your mind. All twelve of the spies knew that the promised land was good. They all viewed the abundant milk and honey. They all saw a single grape cluster so big it took two men to carry it on a pole (Numbers 13:23). But ten of those spies didn’t believe they could get to the promised land.

How about you? Do you believe you can live in victory? If the answer is no, the deceiver is winning the battle for your mind. He’s real, and he has a real plan. He’s circling your table, ready to sit. So keep this in mind: the stakes are high. This is your life we’re talking about. This is your now. This is your future. This is your family. This is your sanity. Your peace. Your success. Your calling. Your destiny. This is everything God has made you to be. The Devil wants to destroy you. He has no mercy, and he has all the time in the world.

Fortunately, any seeds the Enemy scatters in your mind don’t need to remain for more than a millisecond. Seeds do not need to take root. Any new seeds can be immediately removed. Even seeds that have been there for years can be removed. And it’s not about you using your superpowers. I want to drive this point home. Victory is not about something you do. That’s not the message here. The message is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s about what Jesus does for you.

Jesus won the total victory Himself. God makes the way.

Excerpted with permission from Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table by Louie Giglio, copyright Louie Giglio.

We all too often give the devil a seat at our table and allow him to eat our breakfast, lunch and dinner. He fills our mind with things that are not true and draws us away from God…his ultimate desire.

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 your paths straight

NASU

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith August 20, 2022

Notes of Faith August 20, 2022

Loving Those Who Hate

Are there things you want to tell God in your prayers but don't have the words to say? 100 Days of Prayer is a unique journaling book, with devotions and sample prayers to Jesus, written as letters, with room for you to write your own. These prayers are honest and speak straight to the heart, reminding you that you can always call on Jesus.

Dear Jesus,

Sometimes it’s really hard to love people, particularly when You ask me to love those who hate You and do evil things. Please show me. How can I hate evil and still love the haters?

Isn’t that what Paul did when he was in prison? In the worst of circumstances, he hated evil but continued to love. And You did the same, Jesus. When You were beaten, mocked, and crucified, You asked God to forgive Your enemies because they didn’t know what they were doing. That is pure love.

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Jesus, You are always in my heart, guiding me and leading me to be more like You. And for that reason, I have to pray for those who hate You and do evil things. I don’t love what they do, Lord — but I want them to know You, so I pray for them. I love them enough to ask that You will save them. Please, Lord Jesus, come into their hearts. Open their eyes to see You. They need You so much.

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

— Matthew 5:43–44

When Jesus was on the cross, He prayed for His enemies and asked God to forgive them. Can you love someone who hates the Lord or who willingly inflicts suffering? Love doesn’t mean that you accept acts of hatred and evil, but love requires that you pray for those most in need of salvation. Remember them when you pray.

Excerpted with permission from 100 Days of Prayer, copyright Zondervan.

Though this is one of the hardest things to do, it proves spiritual maturity, becoming like Jesus . . . isn’t that what you truly seek?

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith August 19, 2022

Notes of Faith August 19, 2022

Jehovah Elohim: Creator God of Everything We See

Rabbi Jason

Being around creative people lights my fire. Painters, actors, singers, and musicians, to name a few, use their gifts to reach deeply into our emotions, touching those hidden spots within our souls, causing us to cry, laugh, and remember. They inspire me. They encourage the world.

As a small child, renowned composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein wasn’t interested in music until his aunt gave her piano to his family. When Leonard sat down at the keys, things just clicked. With a natural ear for music, he could hear a song on the radio and immediately recite the tune on the piano. It was a rare gift.

Leonard Bernstein was a creator. He wrote several musicals, including his most famous West Side Story (1957), and he conducted world-famous symphonies for which he won countless awards and accolades. But nothing he created compared to the works of God.1

There are two primary names for God in the Creation account. The first is Elohim. “In the beginning [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). In Jewish thought, Elohim is associated with God as the Creator who providentially cares for His creation. As the Maker and Master of the universe, Elohim is revealed in and through nature. “The heavens declare the glory of God [El, which is the singular form of Elohim],” wrote the psalmist, “and the sky shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:2). He is the all-powerful God who exercises complete authority over all creation.

Elohim is also associated with God’s attribute of strict justice, or middat hadin in Hebrew. Elohim is both the First Cause of Creation and the Supreme Judge and Ruler of the universe. Initially God wanted to create the world according to strict justice but knew the world wouldn’t be able to endure it. The divine attribute of strict justice, middat hadin, is connected to God holding the world accountable and judging people according to His general revelation in creation and special revelation in Scripture. For this reason, Elohim is the name of God used in the account of the giving of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). Judgment is the natural result when God withdraws His grace and kindness and allows people to reap what they sow. When God’s divine quality of strict justice deals with a person or nation, measure for measure, that person experiences the expected consequences for their actions apart from God’s attribute of mercy.

The heavens declare the glory of God

The Powerful Name of God

The Hebrew word for “name” most often means “sign” or “distinctive mark.” It’s the idea that a person’s name carries with it the nature of the person, describing their essential character. For example, “‘Noah’ means ‘one who brings relief and comfort’ (Genesis 5:29); ‘Jesus’ means ‘savior’ (Matthew 1:21).”2

Elohim derives from the Hebrew word El, which can mean “power” or “might.” For example, we find its use in Genesis 31:29 when Laban confronted Jacob, saying, “It is in the power [b’el] of my hand to do evil with you.” Elohim describes God as an all-powerful Omnipotent One who has absolute power and control over everything. This thought is underscored because, in the alphanumeric nature of the Hebrew alphabet, both Elohim and hateva (nature) have the same numerical value of 86 in their letters.3 Elohim/86 is the One who created and has complete power over all creation (nature/hateva/86).

One Bible encyclopedia says, “Elohim is best understood as expressing intensity. God makes Himself known by this name as the Lord of intense and extensive glory and richness as He exercises His preeminence and power in the created cosmos.”4

There is another significant connection between Elohim/God/86 and nature/hateva/86. The Ten Commandments state, “I am the Lord your God... You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:2–3 niv). Strangely, the word used for “other gods” in this verse is also elohim. This doesn’t seem to make sense until one understands that those who worshiped idols in biblical times ascribed divinity and power to them (connected to the El and Elohim/86) of nature/hateva/86.

At the root of all this is the numerical connection between nature and God. The power/86 of God/86 is concealed in creation, nature/86! Creation demonstrates the power and goodness of God our Creator, but sin impacted the ability to distinguish between the Creator and the creation. As Paul wrote,

The wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. In unrighteousness they suppress the truth, because what can be known about God is plain to them — for God has shown it to them. His invisible attributes — His eternal power and His divine nature — have been clearly seen ever since the creation of the world, being understood through the things that have been made. So people are without excuse — for even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. Instead, their thinking became futile, and their senseless hearts were made dark. Claiming to be wise, they became fools. They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image in the form of mortal man and birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things.

— Romans 1:18–23

Here again, there’s a connection between the name Elohim, God as Creator, and God as Judge, as Paul related in the above passage. In Jewish thought, Elohim represents God’s attribute of justice, and YHVH/Jehovah/ Lord represents His attribute of mercy and kindness.

Arnold Cheyney, Legends of the Arts: 50 Inspiring Stories of Creative People (Culver City, CA: Good Year Books, 2007), 16.

Gerard Van Groningen, “God, Names of,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1988), 880.

“Here’s how the Hebrew numeric system works: the first ten Hebrew letters increase in value by a factor of one (aleph is 1, bet is 2, and so on). The next ten Hebrew letters increase in value by a factor of ten (kaf is 20, lamed is

30, and so on). The final Hebrew letters increase in value by a factor of one hundred (kof is 100, reish is 200, and so on) through the final letter, tav, with a value of 400.” Rabbi Jason Sobel, Mysteries of the Messiah: Unveiling Divine Connections from Genesis to Today (Nashville: W Publishing, 2021), 195.

Van Groningen, “God, Names of,” 881–82.

Excerpted from The God of the Way by Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel, copyright Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel.

One of the things left out in the excerpt above is that Elohim is plural which clearly speaks to our God existing in community of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is most understood in English when God creates man…”Let us” make man in our image… Our God lives eternally in perfect love and unity as three in One. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith August 18, 2022

Notes of Faith August 18, 2022

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

— Isaiah 40:30-31

You might fall down, but you don’t have to stay down. If your hope is placed firmly in God, you will find the strength in Him to get back up. God doesn’t want you to live life beaten, demoralized, and hating yourself. He loves you, and He wants you to love yourself. He has faith in you and wants you to have faith in Him. He has good things planned for your life, so you can trust Him when you’re down.

Have you ever fallen flat on your face? Did it feel like things would never be good again? Maybe you’ve wondered if things were ever good to begin with. But those thoughts are not based in truth. God has blessed you… made previous dreams come true… brought the people you’ve needed into your life. He has always been working for you, always loving you.

Being knocked down hurts, so take the time you need to heal, but don’t stay down so long that you begin to believe that you belong there. You don’t. You belong out there in the world making a difference. Remind yourself of that, multiple times a day if you need to. It might help to create a mantra you can say to yourself when you need that reminder. Something like, “I’ve been down, but I’m never out with God.” Or “I learn every time I fall, and I get back up stronger than ever.” Use these examples to create a mantra that works for you. Write your mantra down so you can refer to it as needed.

All you have to do is ask

Ask for Help

I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.

— Psalm 119:147

When we mess up or fail, our natural inclination is to try to hide our mistakes and fix the issues ourselves. This is nothing new. From the time Adam and Eve hid from God in the Garden of Eden, we’ve been trying to hide our messes from God. But it wasn’t a good plan for Adam and Eve, and it isn’t a good plan now. Hiding a mess doesn’t make it go away, and shouldering a crushing burden alone will eventually crush you.

Make no mistake, God can clearly see that mess you’re trying to hide. You aren’t fooling Him. But in hiding and turning away from Him, you’re only hurting yourself more. God wants you to turn to Him for help when you need it (and even when you don’t). He’s ready to make things happen on your behalf, to provide comfort and healing, or to inspire you with new dreams. All you have to do is ask.

It isn’t just God that you hide from, though, is it? You try to hide your missteps from people too, even from your loved ones. Maybe you’ve closed yourself off from the people who love you most and want to help you because you’re embarrassed or ashamed. But don’t forget the truth that everyone fails. Those who sincerely love you will understand, and they will be ready to support you and help you however they can.

What are some problems you are facing right now? How can you ask for help from God and from those who love you?

Excerpted from Live Your Dreams, copyright Thomas Nelson.

There are those in your life who love you, pray for you, and would help you with everything in their power and strength to share a burden, ease your pain. Be blessed by their giving heart and ask for help! God will bless them too!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith August 17, 2022

Notes of Faith August 17, 2022

The Prophecy Against Elam

Nathan Jones: Iran has declared that they now have enough nuclear material to build a nuclear weapon, though they might not use it on Israel. Rather, they’re threatening to use their missiles on the United States!

We have finally reached the red line that the former Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, so direly warned the world about a few years back. He solemnly warned that if Iran was left to continually build their nuclear enrichment they would eventually achieve a nuclear weapon. Iran’s leaders have announced that they finally have enough fissile material, but as Amir Tsarfati reveals, when Iran announces something it usually means they are already on the next step. So, we have to assume that Iran — a hostile nation that funds terrorism throughout the world — already possesses a nuclear weapon.

Where does a nuclear-capable Iran fit into Bible prophecy?

Tim Moore: This question weighs heavy on a lot of Christian’s minds. In one of our recent annual conferences, a guest asked about Iran relative to the prophecy against Elam found in Jeremiah 49. In that chapter, the prophet Jeremiah foretells the destruction that will befall Elam. Elam covers the area of south-western Iran. It’s located very close to the Persian Gulf, just across the Euphrates River, from Iraq and Kuwait. The prophet says that God is going to bring judgment against this portion of what today is called the nation of Iran.

But, I think the principle of God’s judgment applies to all of the nations that in the Old Testament were called out by Him for destruction and judgment due to their idolatry and hatred of Israel. Even the nations of today are going to come under God’s judgment for rejecting God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and for continually cursing His Chosen People, Israel.

And, wow, Iran has really multiplied its curses on Israel over the last 50 years! And, so too, their judgment.

Nathan Jones: Right now Iran’s been waging a proxy war against Israel by supporting the terrorist groups Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip, and others. Iran funds their ongoing skirmishes against Israel by providing missiles and materials of war. Every time Israel has to go in and clean out the missiles from Gaza, it’s not too long before these terrorist organizations are restocked within a year or two, and all of this weaponry has been coming from Iran.

Why? Iran wants Israel destroyed and the Islamic Mahdi ushered in. Iran says they’re doing this for the Palestinians, but if they drop a nuclear bomb on Israel, how is that helping the Palestinians? Of course, it won’t. The Palestinians will die at the hands of their supposed benefactors.

When we turn to Jeremiah 49, we can read about God’s judgment against Elam where the Lord Almighty declares, “See, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might” (Jeremiah 49:35). What’s interesting about Elam, this southwestern section of what has long been know as Persia, sits along a fault line. Strangely enough, this faultline is also where Iran has been building their nuclear facilities. So, the prophecy could be saying that God will bring destruction to the area of Elam, particularly where their nuclear might — their bow — is positioned.

The Prophecy of the Gog-Magog Invasion

Nathan Jones: In Jeremiah 49:36, God promises, “I will scatter them [Elam] to the four winds, and there will not be a nation where Elam’s exiles do not go.” An Iranian exile is where this prophecy can get confusing in the overall biblical picture, for could God destroy Elam and yet Iran remains to fight Israel in the Gog-Magog War of Ezekiel 38-39? After all, we know Iran will be at its peak of power when it unites with Russia, Turkey, Sudan, and the other Islamic ‘Stan nations.

We’re seeing very recently all over the news Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Erdogan and Iran’s Ebrahim Raisi meeting and conspiring together. The relationship between Russia and Israel has soured greatly as of late, to the point where Russia has been joining Israel’s enemies in holding war games in Syria. Russia’s rhetoric as of late has been constantly threatening to Israel. It appears the Gog-Magog proto-alliance has already formed.

Because Iran cannot be in exile and still fight the Gog-Magog War, I don’t think that God’s going to supernaturally destroy the nuclear reactors and poison the Iranian people so that they flee to the four winds. It’s pretty obvious in Ezekiel 38-39 that God is going to show Himself great to the world by defeating the invaders, and one of those nations is Persia dwelling in their land. The prophetic timeline really does not allow for a long gap to permit an Iranian exile.

Tim Moore: It certainly does not. There’s a reason why Iran hates Israel so much. Every despotic regime tries to distract its people from the terrible conditions and the repression they live under by pointing to a foreign enemy, somebody else whom they can blame for all of their troubles. That’s been happening in the Middle East in most of the Arab nations since Israel was founded. It may be bad in these Islamic nations, but “just look at the terrible things the Jews have been doing to the Palestinians in Palestine.”

Many Arab nations are starting to realize that this blame-game strategy is a fool’s errand. Instead, they’ve been allying with Israel in the Abraham Accords because they recognize that Iran is an even greater threat due to the difference between Sunni and Shiite Islam.

Let’s identify the core of the problem — Iran’s hatred of Israel is satanically inspired. That’s the reason exactly why God is calling out Iran and other nations in these prophecies. Jeremiah 49 is a prophecy not only against Elam but against Ammon and Edom and against any other nations that would dare come against Israel for the purpose of making the Jewish people become extinct.

And so, the Genesis 12:1-3 principle still applies to the nations today. If we do not bless Israel then we will come under the curse of God. What a warning, for America has been a very fickle friend. Even in regard to Iran’s acquiring nuclear material, we have not as a nation kept our eye on the ball or used our influence and clout to stop some of these potential horrors. Our administration’s appeasement will create an arms race throughout the Middle East that will result in an eventual cataclysm.

Nathan Jones: The Middle East nuclear arms race has already begun. Most people don’t talk about Saudi Arabia having bought nukes from either North Korea or Pakistan, for they actually paraded these missiles down their streets a few years ago. So, yes, the race is definitely happening.

What’s amazing is that it doesn’t matter how powerful these nations get, or how much of a threat they become to Israel, God promised through the prophet Ezekiel that when the time comes when the Islamic world becomes an existential threat to Israel, where Israel’s IDF, as powerful as it is, can’t hold its enemies at bay, that God Himself will step back into history. Ezekiel 38-39 foretells how God will send down fire upon the Gog-Magog invaders. Iran and Russia and Turkey’s armies will all turn on each other and then be swallowed up by devastating earthquakes. God will then send fire back on their nations to destroy them so that only a ninth of their people are left alive. So, when a nation comes against Israel, expect the wrath of God.

Now, we know that the Israel of today is a secular nation. But, God still has a plan to bring a remnant out of its people to salvation, and that’s who we’re trying to bless. That’s who we’re trying to protect. We would be called Christian Zionists because we know that one day Jesus Christ is going to return to defeat His enemies. And once He returns in victory, King Jesus will set up His kingdom with the capital located in Jerusalem. That glorious Millennial Kingdom is what we support, and that’s what we look forward to.

Keep your eyes on Israel and you will be current with God’s plan for mankind. Our world seems to be giving itself to Satan and his evil against God and man. But God will use even Satan to complete His work and bring in His glorious kingdom on earth.

Your kingdom come, Your will be done one earth, as it is in heaven! Amen!

Pastor Dale