Notes of Faith April 4, 2023

Notes of Faith April 4, 2023

Today’s Notes of Faith is a little long, but from a respected and admired man of god that has much wisdom. I pray that you will read to the end and be blessed by God through what is said.

My wife and I recently went to see the movie, Jesus Revolution. The same day we went to see that movie, the news media (or at least some of the media) were continuing to carry a story about a revival that was occurring on the campus of Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky.

Today, in this Praiseletter, we are going to attempt to get some clarity, perspective, and guidance concerning these kinds of events that have happened historically and are happening presently.

Even as I say that, it’s very possible that some of you are already choosing up sides (which always happens when these events occur) as to whether or not these revivals, awakenings, or so-called outpourings, are genuine, God-ordained, Spirit-empowered “happenings” or just emotionally charged and manipulated (by men) anomalies.

The best answer I can give is, I believe they can be both. This, of course, is where discernment comes in. But unfortunately, even discernment can be “muddied” by dogmatic opinions that have oftentimes been grounded in faulty doctrine, which inevitably leads to prejudiced or biased actions or reactions.

Our only hope of sorting these issues out is to go to God’s Word. So, first let’s consider the word revival in light of God’s revealed truth, as it relates to the aforementioned topics.

Revival definition: “restoration to life, consciousness, vigor, strength, an awakening, in a church or community, of interest in and care for matters relating to personal religion.”

I recently read a rather lengthy opinion piece by a highly regarded and well-respected theologian, dismissing any validity or credibility to the Asbury revival. In short, his opinion was that because revival is not a term found anywhere in the New Testament, we err in supposing that “these kinds of things” are to be anticipated or embraced today.

This line of thinking is rather like a particular denomination that allows no instruments to be used in the act of corporate worship in the church. Their reasoning is that nowhere in the New Testament are instruments mentioned, even though there are numerous mentions of varied instruments throughout the Old Testament.

There is music to be sure in this particular denomination, by way of acapella choirs, ensembles, and soloists. Beautiful music, I might add. The choirs and ensembles get their correct beginning note from a pitch pipe. A pitch pipe is akin to a harmonica but with fewer available notes. It is, by any definition, an instrument (though they’ll argue that) but that’s a topic for another time, not today. But you get the argument. If the word that defines the event is not mentioned, then the event itself cannot be credible or viable.

Many, it seems, who are the quickest to speak out against the possibility that God, in His sovereignty, might again do what scripture verifies He has done historically, say: “Such outpourings, awakenings, revivings, and the miraculous have all ended at the conclusion of the Apostolic Age.” Oh well, that settles it! But wait a minute...I’ve read my Bible from cover to cover many times and I don’t recall coming across the term “Apostolic Age” anywhere...not once!

Now relax, I believe the term Apostolic Age is most appropriate in defining that period of time from the Day of Pentecost (c. A.D. 30-33, Acts 2 to the death of John c. A.D. 100). There are some nuanced opinions on this, but I am comfortable with the previous definition. There are no more apostles! By the defined qualifications found in scripture, apostles were those who:

1) Were an eyewitness to the resurrected Christ.

2) Were directly called by Christ.

3) Demonstrated “Signs of a true apostle” (performed signs and wonders).

There are some who may have an apostolic-type ministry as it relates to “being sent out.” But, I do not believe there are apostles today who can meet the same criteria as those of the Apostolic Age. However, the point in all this is to be careful not to “throw the baby out with the bathwater,” as the saying goes.

Though the Apostolic Age has ended, we must be careful not to automatically suppose that all that the Holy Spirit was doing during that time has ended as well. The Holy Spirit is not still inspiring men to write words that are equal to or in addition to the Canon of Scripture. Of this we can be sure! However, I find it interesting that many who are so adamant about the sovereignty of God (I believe He is absolutely sovereign) are often among the first to say what He can or can’t, will or won’t, do anymore.

Has God ever revived? (Remember Nineveh?)

Has He ever poured out His Spirit? (Remember Pentecost and subsequent scriptural references.)

Has He ever awakened a church, a city, or a region? (Ask Johnathan Edwards and many others in both biblical and present times.)

If God has a history of reviving, pouring out His Spirit, and awakening people, all in accordance with the truth of His Word and the power of His Spirit, why couldn’t He or wouldn’t He do it now?

Many are quick to point out that all these revivals, awakenings, or outpourings are nothing more than emotionalism. There are (and unfortunately will continue to be) false revivals. There have been so-called “outpourings” that lacked little if any biblical precedent and should be avoided completely. However, any true move of God upon us by the truth of His Word and the power of His Spirit, will and should involve our emotions. That’s a good thing. A dear pastor friend of mine wrote recently: “Emotion. It’s an essential part of motivation. It’s also an essential part of spirituality. Without emotions spirituality is reduced to empty ritual and formality. It’s when the soul is stirred that authentic godliness becomes a reality.” (Dr. Richard Dressellhaus)

Let’s revisit the definition of Revival:

• Restoration to life (Rom. 6:10-11, Jeremiah 30:17)

• Consciousness (Acts 17:28, Isaiah 30:21)

• Vigor/strength (Philippians 4:13, Isaiah 40:31)

There are many, many other verses throughout Scripture that fit and support these defining words as well. It seems as though revival is a biblical concept. Revival also seems a most appropriate term to recount the lives and ministries of Zwingli, Luther, Calvin, and others of those centuries long ago. Wesley, Whitfield, Edwards, Finney, and Moody all gave testimony to the reviving, awakening, and transforming power of the preached Word of God, presented under the anointing of His Holy Spirit.

I think I would offer here a word of advice, and hopefully wisdom, on how we should consider the validity of some present-day revival or awakening. First of all, the Word must be the first and only means whereby we determine the authenticity of any revival, awakening, or movement. I don’t believe, however, that this means revival can begin only if the Word is preached. Some great revivals in history began because people sought God desperately in prayer. In the beginning process of people, churches, and communities, even nations being revived, there was by necessity, a need for the “revived” to be fed. A person being physically revived will soon and always need nourishment. No matter how a revival starts, it must soon and always be nourished by the preaching of the Word or it will become anemic and fade away, as many have.

On the other hand, Jonathan Edwards preached a sermon entitled, “Sinners In the Hands of an Angry God” to his congregation in Northampton, Massachusetts, and again on July 8, 1741, in Enfield, Connecticut, and what has come to be known as “The First Great Awakening” ensued.

When assessing revivals, awakenings, or movements, I think we would be wise to apply the wisdom of Gamaliel to the situation. When the high priest and his council wanted to punish some disciples, Gamaliel intervened and said: “Other movements have started and fizzled out. If this is not of God, it will fizzle also. However, if it is of God, you can’t stop it, and may even be found fighting against God.” (My paraphrase)

Good advice. Sound wisdom!

I mentioned earlier that Linda and I went to see the movie, Jesus Revolution. We enjoyed seeing a depiction of what was happening in those days, though I believe the movie got some things wrong. I have never really liked the term revolution to describe what God was doing amongst the Hippies and youth in the late 60s and early 70s. I prefer the term “Jesus Movement” because of the definition of revolution, as we know it. However, whether called a revolution, movement, or revival; I believe God was at work (even in the midst of much chaos, confusion, and counterfeit) targeting wayward, disillusioned youth, with the claims of the gospel. Linda and I lived in So. California in 1970 and 71, only a few miles from where so many new converts were being baptized in the Pacific Ocean. Most of my ministry at that time was with David Wilkerson. We ministered nightly in arenas, auditoriums, on the beaches in California, and across the country, preaching and singing the gospel, and always seeing many come to faith in Christ. Many didn’t.

Yes, there was craziness, bad theology in many corners, commercialism, and excess of various kinds. But what did you think...that Satan was going to stand on the sidelines and cheer? Whenever God moves, either on an individual or a culture, He’s never inactive, disinterested, or uninvolved. He’s always committed to mess things up!

But there are ministers in the pulpit today, missionaries around the world, and musicians still writing and singing the praises of God and the truth of the gospel because of the Jesus Movement. We still have many dear friends in Christian music, and elsewhere, who were brought from darkness to light and from sinners to saints during the Jesus Movement. Let’s be careful to never judge what God may be doing by any personal, biased, and prejudiced opinions.

When considering how God may be” moving” in an individual, a church, a community, or even a nation, let us always look to the “cover-to-cover” evidence in His Word, and believe in the present and unchanged power of His Holy Spirit. Let us pray that He would sovereignly move again in our churches, our cities, our country, and throughout the world. If ever there was a need for true spiritual revival, it’s now!

We praise Thee, Oh God

For the Son of Thy love

For Jesus Who died

And is now gone above

All glory and praise

To the Lamb that was slain

Who hath borne all our sins

And hath cleansed every stain

Revive us again

Fill each heart with Thy Love

May each soul be rekindled

With fire from above

Hallelujah Thine the glory

Hallelujah Amen

Hallelujah Thine the glory

Revive us again

(William P. Mackay 1835-1885)

In Christ,

Dallas Holm

As the Holy Spirit does His work, let us ride the wave of blessing and participate in He work as we are led by God!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith April 3, 2023

Notes of Faith April 3, 2023

Faith In the In-Between

It was a rare moment of public confession.

The day had been difficult, riddled with both emotional and physical pain. Months before I’d received my third diagnosis of cancer — squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, a notoriously difficult and painful cancer diagnosis. On this particular day, the cumulative impact of radiation and chemotherapy and the weight of so much grief and fear weighed heavy on me. Yes, I still believed in the goodness and presence of God. Yes, I still trusted Him and believed Him to be with me and for me. And yet, my pain — of body and soul — left me overwhelmed with despair.

That’s when I reached out to a few online friends, told the truth about my suffering, and asked for prayer. The vast majority responded with compassion, and I savored their encouragement and prayers. But one person didn’t. Although I want to believe she was well-intended, her sharp words cut me down like a knife:

“Come on now, Michele. You’re not in a wheelchair, you’re able to walk. It’s not as bad as all that.”

And with those few words, she added shame to my suffering. I needed compassion, not condemnation. But not only did she disregard and devalue my pain, but she also implied the journey of faith has no room for grief.

She couldn’t have been more wrong.

Nothing illustrates the juxtaposition of praise and pain in the life of faith quite like Passion Week.

Stretching from the joyful parade of Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday through to the glorious celebration of His resurrection on Easter Sunday, Passion Week is a journey of extreme highs and lows. Following the soberness of the Lenten Season, during which worshippers focus on our desperate need and Jesus’ devastating sacrifice, Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper and Jesus' posture as a servant, Good Friday honors Jesus’ arrest, conviction, and crucifixion, and Holy Saturday mimics the sobered silence following Jesus’ unexpected death. For three days, heaven and earth hovered in the tension of hope deferred. And when you and I sit in that silent stretch, we find we are not alone in our struggle.

Jesus understands our suffering. He doesn’t shame or reject us because of it. He comes closer still and sits with us in it.

God doesn’t ask us to stuff our pain or pretend we are stronger than we are. He doesn’t require us to put on a happy face and ignore our broken hearts. Instead, He urges us to bring our suffering to a Savior who understands.

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces

He was despised, and we held Him in low esteem.

Surely, He took up our pain and bore our suffering,

yet we considered Him punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted.

But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”

–Isaiah 53:3-5 (NIV)

Despised. Rejected. Punished. Stricken. Afflicted. Pierced. Crushed.

Jesus understands our suffering. He doesn’t shame or reject us because of it. He comes closer still and sits with us in it.

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle of spirit and you will find rest for your souls,” He said. — Matthew 11:28

Although I look forward to Easter Sunday and will shout “He is risen!” with true joy, my well-worn heart feels gratitude for the difficult days leading up to it. I am buoyed by knowing Jesus understands the pain of betrayal. I find comfort in Gethsemane as He wrestles with the fear of His impending suffering. And I find relief in my pain as I crawl up to the cross and bear witness to Jesus’ own.

Long before Jesus walked out of an empty tomb, He wept in a garden. And when I consider this, in tandem with His one-day return, I find new hope in my current battles. I can walk out each day of my own passion story holding both grief and praise in my two hands, knowing that faith in a crucified savior makes room for both.

When facing His own impending suffering, the Apostle Peter said it this way:

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, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. — 1 Peter 5:8-11, NIV

This is faith in the in-between, as you and I carry our crosses even while we cling to the hope of our one-day resurrection. Death still awaits us, and it’s tempting to allow the horror of today to eclipse the hallowed of our tomorrows. But there is One who descended into the depths of despair on our behalf, so although we may grieve today, there is glory awaiting us tomorrow.

He is Risen! He is risen, indeed.

Written for Devotionals Daily by Michele Cushatt, author of A Faith That Will Not Fail.

We all need compassion and encouragement in our suffering and pain. Jesus knows and understands all that mankind experiences. No matter what we are suffering today, pain-free glory is coming . . . soon! Our lives are but a vapor and then we (believers and followers of Jesus) will be made like Him (sinless) and be with Him forever in the glorious and wondrous place prepared for us. Though I am not looking forward to dying, I can’t wait to be with my Lord and Savior!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith April 2, 2023

Notes of Faith April 2, 2023

Palm Sunday: Who Is This?

It was only a matter of days before He would be crucified, and Jesus had just entered Jerusalem. The crowd had been waving palm branches and shouting His praise. The onlookers weren’t sure what was happening. In Matthew’s words,

When [Jesus] had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, ‘Who is this?’ — Matthew 21:10

“Who is this?” This question does not belong only in first-century Jerusalem. Throughout the centuries and continuing today, people have been opinionating and speculating on the identity of Jesus of Nazareth. Some say He was a sort of guru, a wise and gentle teacher of trite platitudes and object lessons. Others say Jesus was one in a long line of prophets. And more than one apologist has argued that there are only three possibilities as to Christ’s identity: He was a liar, falsely claiming to be God; He was a lunatic, bona fide crazy and delusional, out of touch with reality; or He was, in fact, who He said He was, the Son of God, Lord.

Jesus was not low profile when He entered Jerusalem. Matthew reported that when He entered the city on Palm Sunday, “all the city was moved” when He arrived (Matthew 21:10). in their puzzlement, they asked, “Who is this?” Do you desire to see God move in such a way that your own city is stirred and your neighbors begin to ask, “Who is this?” Who is this who put your life back together and made something beautiful of it? Who is this Who restored your family? Who is this who delivered you from addiction? Who is this Who turned your sadness into joy? Who is this?

What does it take for God to move, shake, and stir an entire city? We can learn from this singular day two thousand years ago. It happened when Jesus’ followers began to experience Him, to extol Him, and to extend Him to others. The result? The people around them began to ask, “Who is this?”

God does still have something to say to each one of us.

Experience Him

We come to know Jesus when we experience being in His presence. And the way to genuinely experience Him is to listen to Him and obey Him. Such was the case two thousand years ago. The stage was set for the city to encounter and experience Jesus when He instructed two of His disciples to go into a nearby village, find a donkey, and bring it to Him.

So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. — Matthew 21:6

No doubt. No defiance. No delay. They just “went and did” in obedience to Jesus, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy that

Your King is coming to you;… lowly and riding on a donkey. — Zechariah 9:9

These two followers who were sent to get a donkey could have decided that a white stallion would be much more appropriate for their Master. But they didn’t. They simply obeyed Him. Too many Christ-followers today, however, let what we think ought to be take priority over His actual commands. Yet one reason God moved the city that day to ask, “Who is this?” was the tremendous spirit of obedience among those who listened to Him. Jesus is still on His throne today, He is still speaking to us, and He is still commanding us to obey His commandments as set forth in His word. when we honor Him by obeying Him, when more of His own people begin to experience Him through obedience to His word, we will find that He is also still in the business of moving cities to ask, “Who is this?”

Extol Him

As Jesus began His descent into Jerusalem, the people began to honor and extol Him. They literally carpeted the road with their coats and palm branches as they shouted their praise:

Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! — Matthew 21:9

What brought about this outburst of praise? Put yourself in the crowd and you’ll soon find out. Look over there at Bartimaeus. Just last week in Jericho, he was blind and begging by the side of the road. But then Jesus noticed him, stopped, and gave sight to his darkened eyes with a spoken word. Now Bartimaeus was seeing everything around him. No wonder he was praising Jesus! And look over there at that man with tears of joy streaming down his face. Why, it’s Lazarus of Bethany, who not long ago was dead and in the grave… until Jesus gave him new life. And there, over there, is that formerly crippled man who for thirty-eight years could be found lying by the pool of Bethesda. But look at him now, dancing and singing and shouting his own hosannas to this King of kings.

Do you and I have any less reason to extol Jesus, to shout our own hosannas today?

We have seen His greatest miracle ever: His provision of new birth through His death and resurrection. We were dead in our sin until He brought us new life.

Yet, sadly, some of us have lost the joyful spirit of praise — and we desperately need to recover it. God will move in our cities and prompt those around us to ask, “Who is this?” when we, like those of old who have experienced Him — we who choose to obey Him — extol Him with our praise.

Extend Him

Those faithful followers lining the street on that original Palm Sunday did not only praise Jesus, they began to extend Him to others. They wanted others to meet their Savior and Lord. Nothing could keep them from sharing the good news that Jesus was their long-awaited Messiah and that they had found in Him their hope. Enthusiasm filled the day.

Caught up in the excitement of this moment, the people began to ask, “Who is this?” And the crowd lining the street responded with,

This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee. — Matthew 26:10-11

The people who had gathered not only experienced Jesus that day, they not only extolled Him, but they extended Him to others. “This is Jesus!” was their cry.

When we do the same — when we praise Jesus for what He has done in our lives and share our stories with others — the people around us will also ask, “Who is this?” Who is this… Who transformed your life? Who is this… Who put your family back together? Who is this… Who brought you peace in the midst of such tragedy? Who is this… Who enabled you to be victorious over your addiction? Who is this… Who gave you hope in the darkness of your circumstances? Who is this?

Who is this? “This is Jesus!” You have experienced Him, so now extol Him and extend Him to others.

Q & A: “Who is this?” Ultimately, each of us must answer this question for ourselves. Who is Jesus to you? Was He a liar — a figure out of history who made some outrageous and completely untrue claims about Himself? Was He a lunatic — some crazed prophet from the middle of nowhere with illusions of grandeur and delusions of deity? Or is Jesus Lord? Your eternal destiny rests on your answer. May you join with the crowd in exclaiming, “This is Jesus!”

Excerpted from The Jesus Code by O.S. Hawkins, copyright O.S. Hawkins.

This is the day that Jesus let the people proclaim Him King! He is their Lord and Savior. He is their redeemer! Knowing what was going to take place after this momentous day, He did not let them proclaim who He was until this very day. Let us rejoice in the truth and proclaim forever more that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith April 1, 2023

Notes of Faith April 1, 2023

Freedom from the Bondage of Sin

Pray First

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” — Joel 2:12

“But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

— Matthew 6:17–18

No one wants to remain an infant sustained on milk when they can grow and mature and feast on the solid food of the Spirit. It’s important to know where you are spiritually so you can have a starting point. If you’ve been on a diet of spiritual milk for some time, you’re likely ready to take your faith to the next level and experience greater intimacy with God. To do this, you need to move past the trap of perpetual sin.

Otherwise, your faith will merely revolve around your mistakes and your need for forgiveness. Throughout life in this fallen world,

you will still have moments when you sin and need to ask for forgiveness, but you don’t have to stay stuck in a daily rinse-and-repeat cycle. God has so much more for you than that.

Knowing where you are spiritually is the starting point regardless of your struggles. And if you’re not struggling, then praise God! You’re likely more than ready to take your faith to the next level and experience more intimacy with Him. Because once you enter into relationship with Christ, you can have freedom from the bondage of sin...

While we have been set free — free indeed — by the Son, we remain spiritual beings in a body of flesh. Even though our salvation is secured and the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we are still works in progress capable of making sinful choices — even when we know better and don’t want to do so. Paul expressed this frustration in a way we can all relate to at some level:

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do... For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

— Romans 7:15, 18 NIV

Paul went on to conclude,

Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. — Romans 7:20 NIV

I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a better spiritual description of addiction than in the paradox Paul described. Basically, addiction reflects the pattern of doing something you really don’t want to do and/or not doing something you really do want to do.

What causes this ongoing tension? The Bible tells us that we are tripart beings comprised of body, soul, and spirit. Because our bodies are the tangible, visible part we see and feel, we tend to let our bodies, including our emotions, rule our hearts — which is why fasting is so essential for refocusing on God and strengthening our spirit. Fasting weakens the body and its appetites so that we can keep our eyes on Jesus. Simply put, fasting is about less of us and more of God.

In stark contrast to the constant messages in today’s society, fasting denies the things that our flesh craves — food, alcohol, and anything we use for pleasure and distraction. When we suppress those cravings and appetites and force our bodies to yield to our spirits, we create space for drawing closer to God and aligning our hearts with His. And when we’re aligned with Him, we have full access to His unlimited power through the Holy Spirit, including the power to overcome those stubborn, sinful areas that continue to hold us back in our faith...

You will still have moments when you sin and need to ask for forgiveness, but you don’t have to stay stuck in a daily rinse-and-repeat cycle.

Fasting is mentioned in the Bible not a couple times, not a dozen times, but more than seventy times! In fact, Jesus said that His people would need to fast to remain connected to Him in His absence, once He had left earth and returned to Heaven:

Then John’s disciples came and asked him, ‘How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?’ Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast’. — Matthew 9:14–15 NIV, emphasis added

Fasting was a vital part of life in the New Testament church, in both big decisions and daily moments.

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

— Acts 13:2–3 NIV, emphasis added

We also find that the apostle Paul fasted as a regular discipline:

...in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often. — 2 Corinthians 11:27 NKJV

I sincerely believe fasting is not an optional habit or an only-if-you-feel-like-it spiritual discipline. It is essential to our spiritual lives.

Keep in mind that fasting encompasses much more than food. I realize that some people are unable to fast from food due to physical conditions or medications they take. In fact, I urge you never to fast without checking with your doctor first and other health professionals you trust. You want to use wisdom when denying yourself fleshly desires, not jeopardize your physical, mental, and emotional health...

Fasting isn’t something that should intimidate you or make you nervous and that it also isn’t something you should ignore or neglect. Fasting is an essential spiritual practice that will strengthen your spirit in a powerful way as you dull your appetites for the things of this world. As you lean into fasting, you will supercharge your prayer life with a stronger, more focused connection with God and a looser attachment to the world.

Excerpted from Pray First by Chris Hodges, copyright Chris Hodges.

Have you never fasted? Might you be missing the deep things God has prepared for you because you have not forsaken some things of this world to draw close to Almighty God? Discover the intimacy God gives when we focus our entire being on Him! Let us consider spending time fasting and praying throughout the days and weeks of our lives. Let us draw close to the throne of grace to receive help in our time of need…every moment of my life is a time of need! How about you?

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith March 31, 2023

Notes of Faith March 31, 2023

See the Seahorse

I wait for the Lord to help me. I trust His word. — Psalm 130:5

The seahorse (or Hippocampus, if you want to be scientific!) is a tiny fish that lives in the oceans.

It’s called a seahorse because its head looks like the head of — you guessed it — a tiny horse. This unusual creature often swims with another seahorse, and they link their tails to stay together. It also swims “standing up” and tries to blend in with nearby plants so it doesn’t get eaten.

Because of its body shape, the seahorse isn’t a very good swimmer. So rather than go out hunting for food, seahorses use their tails like anchors, holding on to a piece of sea grass or coral. They then wait for food — plankton and tiny crustaceans — to drift by so they can suck it up with their long snouts.

With its poor swimming and its tendency to stay in one spot, the seahorse isn’t going to win any races. But God has given it everything it needs: a way to get food, someone to swim through life with, and something to hold on to. God promises the same to you. The Bible says,

God will use His wonderful riches in Christ Jesus to give you everything you need. — Philippians 4:19

God provides you with food and shelter, Jesus to swim through life with, and the promises of His Word to hold on to. Like the seahorse, you may sometimes have to hold on and wait for God to deliver His promises — but He always will, and at just the perfect time.

Help me, Lord, to wait for Your perfect timing. And while I wait, teach me to live the way You want me to. I will follow You!

Seahorses are one of the few animals for which the male bears the young for the female. A female seahorse lays her eggs — sometimes hundreds of them — in a pouch on the male seahorse’s tummy. The pouch is very much like a kangaroo’s pouch. The eggs stay in the pouch until they hatch about 45 days later. A baby seahorse is only about the size of a jelly bean and must start finding its own food as soon as it’s born.

*

I wait for the Lord to help me. I trust His word. — Psalm 130:5

A Tool for God

Encourage one another and build each other up. — 1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV

Scientists have long known that some animals use tools to help them get what they need.

But they have only recently discovered the most unusual way one animal “builds” its house — and they found this animal scurrying across the sands of the ocean floor.

The veined octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) builds its home using coconut shell halves that people have thrown into the ocean. Stacking one on top of the other, it crawls between the two halves — the perfect underwater armor for this soft-bodied octopus. When the octopus needs to travel, it simply stacks the shell halves under its body — much like stacking two bowls. It then “stilt walks” on its eight legs, dragging the shells with it. Scientists have even spotted veined octopuses digging buried coconut shells out of the sand and squirting them with jets of water to clean them before moving in.

God gave some animals the ability to use tools, but did you know that He made you to be a tool? God wants you to be His tool in building up others and leading them to Him. How can you do that? He tells you in His Word:

Go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything that I have told you. — Matthew 28:19-20

What an amazing thought — that God uses you to build His Kingdom and to help others know Him!

Lord, I want to be a tool in building Your kingdom. Help me live a life that tells the world about You.

The veined octopus is just one of several animals that uses tools. There’s a group of bottlenose dolphins in Shark Bay, Australia, that carries sea sponges in their beaks to stir up the ocean sand and uncover their prey. Also, sea otters use stones as hammers to crack open abalone shells to get to the food inside.

Excerpted from Indescribable by Louie Giglio, copyright Louie Giglio.

God has created and provided for everything that He has created. Only mankind was created in His image. He has given all provision for us in Christ and has made us to be used for His glory. Let us respond in faith and tell our story, how God has and is providing all that we need and giving us opportunity to live and serve our Savior and King!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith March 30, 2023

Notes of Faith March 30, 2023

A Message Precisely for You

When was the last time you heard God speak to you in your spirit?

I believe God desires to communicate with each of us on a daily basis — in fact, as often as we need to hear from Him, which may be several times in a day. He always has a message for us that is more timely than the daily news and more important than the message that any person on earth can give.

A woman once told me that her mother-in-law had died a few weeks earlier after a very painful experience with stomach cancer. I began to offer my sympathy when the woman interrupted me and said, “I’m glad this happened.”

I was a bit taken aback. “You are?” I asked.

“Oh, yes,” she said. “This wasn’t a negative thing at all. It was the most positive experience in her life and certainly one of the most positive experiences in mine.”

Most people would consider stomach cancer to be anything but positive. I was interested in hearing more of her story, which she was happy to tell.

“My mother-in-law was one of the most bitter, spiteful, difficult women I have ever met. I knew from the first minute she laid eyes on me that she was determined to be my enemy,” she began. “In fact, my husband and I eloped so we wouldn’t have to deal with her at our wedding ceremony. During the fifteen years that I knew her before her diagnosis with cancer, I never heard a kind word from her lips — except to our daughter. She had a soft spot in her heart for our daughter, but not for anyone else. She wasn’t mean only to me, but to my husband, to her other two sons, and to everyone she encountered. Repairmen told me that they dreaded a call from her home, and even the kindest clergyman we know had a difficult time with her rebukes and sarcasm.”

“She must have been a woman with a great deal of inner pain,” I said.

“Yes,” she replied. “I didn’t realize how much inner pain she had, however, until after her diagnosis. Up to that time, I just figured she was a hateful, mean woman. I didn’t take the time or make the effort to see beyond her façade.”

“She may not have let you see inside her,” I said.

“I believe that’s right,” she agreed. “She had a stone wall around her heart. And she kept this stone wall in place for several weeks after her doctor told her she had cancer. Initially, she was given only a few weeks to live. It was amazing to everyone who knew her and knew her condition that she lived nearly five months.”

“And you believe that was the grace of God?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said. “What happened was this. She refused all offers of help except those from my husband and me. We were the only ones she would allow to enter her home to fix meals for her and to change her bed and do her laundry. When the pain was intense, she’d ask us to read to her or to stay and converse with her to help take her mind off the pain. As the days went by and she saw that I was caring for her with love and concern — not with criticism or hate — she began to tell me her story. I began to understand why she was filled with such anger.”

“Was it something from her childhood?” I guessed.

“Actually from her teen years,” she said. “A woman in her church accused her of stealing funds that the youth group had collected for a ski trip. The accusations were made in a very hurtful and public way, and my mother-in-law was given little chance to defend herself or to reply to the charges. She hadn’t taken the money, but ironically, about the same time she had found twenty dollars in a small coin purse in the gutter of a street near her home. She had spent the money, figuring that she was the beneficiary of finders, keepers. When she offered this explanation as the reason she had had more spending money of late, the woman refused to believe her story and not only called her a thief but a liar.

“My mother-in-law became so angry that she dropped out of church and turned her back on God. For years she had told me she was an atheist. After her diagnosis she modified that to say she didn’t believe in God because if there was a God, He should be just and righteous, and there had been no justice on her behalf in this unfortunate situation.”

“So she had been angry and bitter for decades,” I said.

“Yes, for forty-nine years. The more she suffered with her disease, the more she concluded that there was no God of mercy or kindness. She couldn’t explain away, however, the peace that my husband, daughter, and I felt in our hearts — or the kindness and love that we showered upon her. Bit by bit, she began to soften. She even started asking us to read some of the Psalms to her when she was in pain. We had a couple of conversations about Heaven too.”

“Did she accept the Lord as her Savior before she died?” I asked.

“Yes, but it happened in a way that I would never have anticipated,” she said as tears welled up in her eyes.

“One day when I went over to fix dinner for her, our daughter went along. She said, ‘Granny Lou, I love you. And Jesus told me to tell you that He loves you too.’ I froze in my tracks. I steeled myself for what I felt sure would be my mother-in-law’s reply, probably something like, ‘That’s nice for you to believe.’ Instead, she said, ‘I know He does, dear. He told me so Himself last night.’

“She looked up and I’m sure she read my face, which no doubt expressed great surprise and pleasure. She said, ‘I saw Jesus last night. He came to the foot of my bed in a pool of bright light and said, ‘Lou, I’m here to tell you that I love you. I want you to come live with Me.’”

“Wonderful!” I said.

She continued, “I was so stunned, all I could stammer was, ‘That’s great, Mother Lou.’ She said, ‘I know you probably think it’s strange He would come calling on me like that, and I was pretty surprised myself. I asked Him, “How could You love an old hag like me?” He said, “You won’t be an old hag when you are living with Me.” And then He was gone.’

“Not long after that, she asked my husband to pray the sinner’s prayer with her. And about a week later, she died. Just before she died, she said, ‘I wasted a lot of years railing against God. Instead of my doing all the talking against Him, I should have done a little more listening to Him.’”

“What a tremendous testimony!” I said.

“My mother-in-law isn’t the only one with a testimony,” she said. “The Lord did a great thing in my own heart through this. I discovered in caring for my mother-in-law that I had failed to love as Christ loved. I repented of the hatred I had held toward my mother-in-law and asked God to forgive me and to help me love her as He loved her. He softened my heart and gave me compassion and tenderness toward her that I would never have believed were possible. I find myself looking at difficult people with new eyes. In fact, I’m considering taking a volunteer position with the hospice program. I believe the Lord still has things to teach me and ways to use me.”

“I feel certain that He does,” I said.

“One thing I know with certainty,” she said as our conversation drew to a close, “God can cross any barriers we might put up. I’m grateful that He still had something to say to my mother-in-law. I have a new faith that He still has something to say to me too.”

Yes, a thousand times yes! God does still have something to say to each one of us. He never reaches the place where He doesn’t have a message that is precisely for us.

Excerpted from Can You Still Trust God? By Charles F. Stanley, copyright Charles F. Stanley.

Most people in my experience are not good listeners. They are not good talkers either, they just like to be the one talking. You have probably not had an experience like the mother-in-law in the story above who received a special visit from Jesus, but you may have missed His attempts to speak to you because you are always doing all the talking. We have much to learn from the One who created and sustains the entire universe including us. Let’s learn to be better listeners and receive the love and grace that Jesus is offering daily!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith March 29, 2023

Notes of Faith March 29, 2023

Influencer: Salt and Light

Massive shifts are occurring in our culture and godly influence is declining. We see it slipping away before us in all arenas of life: government, business, media, education, sports, the church, the home! The erosion was subtle for decades, but it seems like a landslide is now under way.

As the church, how do we respond? As Christians, how do we influence the culture for Jesus Christ again?

God’s timeless solution lies in everyday believers. Jesus said to His followers,

You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world. — Matthew 5:13-14

As God’s salt and light, ordinary Christians have the potential to season society with godliness and shine bright in a dark world. That’s a natural, bottom-up godly influence rather than top-down. That’s authentic influence regardless of what the buzz phrase “being an influencer” means in many circles today. It’s not an important title, position, expertise, mood, qualification, great wealth, and so on, that determines whether you can influence or not. God has a knack of using ordinary people to accomplish His extraordinary purposes in the world. Everyday believers can saturate the culture with God’s flavor and light and so influence it for good. But this is only possible if they too are formed Christ’s way. It is lives shaped by God today that produce cultures re-shaped for God tomorrow: in government, business, media, education, and on and on.

God gives us a role model in the Scriptures to see exactly how this natural influence can occur through you. He stands in sharp contrast to the role models we tend to parade when following the world’s view on “being an influencer.” His name is Barnabas.

Barnabas shows you rather than tells you how to shape society for Jesus. He is God’s choice role model for everyday believers—from ministry leaders to stay-at-home parents to corporate CEO’s. He only pops up in the Book of Acts on a number of occasions but is described as “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith,” (Acts 11:24). We don’t have any books he wrote nor sermons he preached. Barnabas doesn’t write pieces that become parts of the Bible like many of his close colleagues in the early church. At times he simply emerges as a part-farmer and part-parishioner in his local church. On other occasions he is a part-pastor or part-missionary taking on more formal duties. Overall, Barnabas was just an ordinary Christian like us who knew God personally and loved whoever was around him fully. How he did that helps us!

In watching Barnabas shape the lives of those around him, we all learn how to shape those around us too. Barnabas understood how to find, form, and launch another life in Jesus Christ. He mentored the Apostle Paul. He mentored John Mark. Both go on to become great Christian leaders. And both write much of the New Testament! Barnabas poured his life into both men. That’s how governments, businesses, and homes are changed: through the people that step into those spheres. Those people need formed Christ’s way. Barnabas understood that the most powerful influence to shape a human being by God’s design is exposure to another human being!

People shape people.

And people are everywhere to be formed.

So, every follower of Jesus is to influence those around them for Jesus. Government, corporations, even church policies and programs are often good. Pastors preaching sermons is important. But historically, it’s been regular, everyday Christians like you living out the gospel in the daily ruts and routines of life that have shaped society for God most. And most did so anonymously. Most found it hard too. Most Christians never preached a sermon nor wrote a book. But they knew they were personally responsible for the Great Commission of Jesus to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). And they knew they — not their pastor for them — would one day stand before Jesus accountable for the lives of the people around them. So, they stepped out into their little patch of the world to be salty and bright for Jesus. They became part of God’s timeless solution to shape their family, friends, work colleagues, and neighborhoods. You can too! Barnabas models how.

Written for Devotionals Daily by Jonathan Murphy author of Authentic Influencer.

We are influenced by TV, various media streams on our phones, friends, employers, even if we do not realize the effect they have on our lives. We must be prepared to focus on the right influencers, those that lead us and keep us close to God. He is our perfect influence, the One we pursue to be like. Stay in His Word and His influence will guide and direct you in His perfect path.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith March 28, 2023

Notes of Faith March 28, 2023

You Can Love Them, But You Can’t Change Them

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. — Hebrews 4:16

Relationships are wonderful... until they’re not.

All relationships can be difficult at times, but they should not be destructive to our well-being. If you have relationships in your life where you know something is wrong, but you can’t for the life of you figure out what to do, I understand. I know what it feels like to have your body tense and your pulse quicken while your mind is begging the other person, Stop doing this!

Most of us aren’t equipped to know what to do when we know things need to change but the other person isn’t willing to or capable of cooperating with the needed changes. Your challenge may be with

someone who personalizes everything and is prone to being offended, so you can’t figure out how to address something this person repeatedly does that is not acceptable to you. You know you need a boundary, but you don’t know how to communicate this need.

a person in authority over you, and boundaries don’t feel like they would work.

a family member who lives in your home, and though you need some distance, setting a boundary doesn’t feel realistic.

You’ve prayed about this behavior or situation. You’ve tried to navigate it. You’ve made changes. You may have even tried to stop it. You’ve listened to wise advice and done everything you know to do. But in the end, nothing has worked.

You’ve finally realized if they don’t want things to change, you cannot change them. This is a terribly hard truth to accept, but it’s one of the most freeing truths I’ve learned to embrace.

The only other option is secretly wondering if you are the crazy one. Friend, you may be brokenhearted. You may be sad. You may be afraid and possibly angry. You may be focused on trying to fix what isn’t within your ability to fix. And you may even be fixated on trying to figure everything out.

But you are not crazy. If you are smelling smoke, there is fire. And the only reasonable option at this point is either to put out the fire or get yourself away from the fire. Drawing boundaries can help put out fires before they become all-consuming. But if the fire keeps burning with increasing intensity, you’ve got to get away from the smoke and flames. Sometimes your only option may be to distance yourself from this person and say goodbye.

Boundaries aren’t going to fix the other person. But boundaries will help you stay fixed on what is good, what is acceptable, and what you need to stay healthy and whole.

I don’t know what boundaries you may need to consider; I challenge you to process this situation with the Lord and prayerfully think through what changes may be necessary alongside a trusted Christian counselor or wise friend. Maybe for today, it’s just enough to sit and think through the truth that the only sustainable change you have control over is making a sustainable change for yourself.

I know this isn’t easy, but it is good.

A statement to remember as I walk into today:

Boundaries will help you stay fixed on what is good, what is acceptable, and what you need to stay healthy and whole.

Even though we may be powerless to change someone else, this doesn’t mean we’re powerless to experience change in our own lives. Boundaries give us this gift.

I want to close considering some questions that could help us implement some necessary boundaries in our lives:

What events or conversations have occurred that make you feel as if it’s not acceptable to put relational parameters in place in this relationship?

Are there certain behaviors this person exhibits that makes setting boundaries with him or her seem unrealistic or impossible?

What good might be possible in this relationship if you set boundaries?

What is and is not acceptable behavior?

What are your deal breakers that would pull you from a place of health into unhealth?

What are you actually responsible for? What are you not responsible for? (Example: “I am responsible for showing up to my job on time.” “I am not responsible for my coworker’s harsh reaction or response in a conversation.”)

What are some of the qualities you like about yourself that you want to make sure the people you love experience when they spend time with you? How can boundaries help make your best qualities more and more apparent?

Remember, friend, if someone is unwilling or unable to stop misusing the personal access we’ve given them in our lives, then we must create healthy boundaries.

Lord, it’s a humbling truth to realize I can’t change another person; I can only change myself. As I process these questions and consider where setting healthy boundaries may be necessary, give me discernment, wisdom, and courage. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Excerpted from You’re Going to Make It by Lysa TerKeurst, copyright Lysa TerKeurst.

Some people try to change others through manipulation, bullying, or other hurtful relational stance. But godly relationships will build up, encourage, be truthful, even in the midst of conflict and disagreement and keep a proper and healthy ongoing relationship. It is impossible to truly change others. It is impossible to change ourselves without the power of God through His indwelling Spirit. May we grow in the wisdom of God and respond in all relationships appropriately. Some of us need to work on our family relationships, others work relationships, still others just need to work on not waking up grumpy, angry, mean and hurtful. This is indeed the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith March 27, 2023

Notes of Faith March 27, 2023

Loving Those Who Hate

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 requires that you pray for those most in need of salvation.

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 from 100 Days of Prayer, copyright Zondervan.

It is pretty easy to love those who love us. But those who are critical, mean, or violent toward us are hard to love. We most likely will not love them without the power of the Holy Spirit within us. Pray for your own heart to be like Jesus. He created even those that hate in His image, but free will took them down a dark path. Let us desire God’s love for all people and try and try again to love those who so desperately need the love of God.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith March 26, 2023

Notes of Faith March 26, 2023

When Confidence Is Required

Lord, as we begin this new week, give us fresh eyes. Through the life of Deborah and her calling, empower us to see our own calling and to confidently take Your hand and follow. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

‘So may all your enemies perish, Lord! But may all who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength.’ Then the land had peace forty years. — Judges 5:31

Judges 4:1 begins by setting the backdrop, “Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord.” Cold toward God, the Israelites “again” chose their way against God’s.

This is not the first time the Bible records such a description of God’s people. Earlier in this same book, Judges 3:7 (ESV) tells us, “And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.”

So like us, the Israelites were easily distracted. Their cravings cried out for a physical god they could touch, see, and smell. They wanted what the other countries had: a god they could carry into war. Yet no matter how hard they sprinted from Jehovah, they never found what they were looking for in the other direction. Every time they ran, their cravings only created more captivity.

In this oppressing climate, we are introduced to Deborah. The judge most committed to honoring God and following His ways explicitly, her obedience prepared her for the unique work God had gifted her for.

First Corinthians 12:18 tells us,

But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be.

God reassures us that He knew exactly what He was doing when He created us, giving each of us the particular gifts He has chosen for us to fulfill His purpose.

Knowing our spiritual gift(s) is an important block in building our confidence. Knowing and then using our spiritual gifts reassures us of our purpose and place in God’s plan.

Have you come to recognize the spiritual gifts God has given you? If so, what are they?

To know that we belong, that we have a place, is a universal craving. When we know and begin using our spiritual gifts for “the common good,” as Paul calls it, we increase our understanding that we belong. The body of Christ is the place God designed for each and every one of us to have a place where that longing to contribute can be fulfilled. When we know, deep in the places that no one sees, that we belong and have a purpose, we can say no to the urge to compare. Because when I know what God has called me to, I can more easily celebrate what God has called you to.

There is no reason for me to compare myself to you. We’re simply different, and our diversity is a beautiful thing!

Comparison is a one-way road to resentment.

Yes, some spiritual gifts get more applause than others. We can do our part, though, to safeguard the church from lifting up other brothers and sisters to a place God never intended them to be elevated. We must not confuse gifts on the forefront for gifts that are foremost. One gift is not more important than another. I learned this on Sunday mornings at 5:30 a.m.

As the rooster crowed, Greg and I would climb out of our car and make our way to the high school every other Sunday morning. (What a rooster was doing crowing in the middle of a major metropolitan city, I have no idea, but that’s another thing entirely.) The rooster’s noisy welcome always reminded me that Greg and I were up working before most people were considering moving.

The big box trucks already in place were evidence that another team had begun serving even before we did. It was time for us to turn the public school into a sanctuary. Being a part of a “portable church,” our congregation rented a local high school each week to meet. Our team, the set-up crew, did everything we could to try to change the atmosphere from academic to worshipful each week. Hanging drapes, setting up chairs, and transforming classrooms into children’s church rooms were all part of our volunteer description.

Most mornings, I was happy to be serving with my man. This type of physical work was a welcome change from the type of roles we each played during the week.

Other mornings, when my alarm went off at 4:45 a.m., my thoughts were not that positive. Sundays are for rest, so why am I not resting? And still other times it wasn’t my alarm tempting me to take my thoughts in the wrong direction. Hearing an invitation to a leaders’ meeting we were not a part of, or others receiving visible recognition, would try to root discontentment or jealousy in my mind. Greg and I have so many other talents and gifts that our church doesn’t know about. We’re serving when others are sleeping. It’s like we’re invisible.

I knew my thoughts didn’t come from a good place. For sure it wasn’t the Holy Spirit telling me I needed to be seen! Those on my team had no idea that right there in that high school cafeteria, the enemy and I were having a knock-down brawl most weeks as I fought not to allow these thoughts any space in my mind and heart. I couldn’t stay caught in comparison because I knew if I did I would keep right on going all the way to resentment.

I knew in my head that the service Greg and I provided at church was not less important just because it was less visible. Paul’s words make this clear: “The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable” (1 Corinthians 12:22 ESV). He lets us know that comparison and competition have no place in the church. But we know that the battle against comparison is real!

Two of my gifts are serving and teaching. Your gifts are probably different than mine. While I might have the gift of teaching, you’re probably way better at hospitality, praying, or leading worship. The difference is how we see the gifts we do have rather than what we don’t have. Jesus gives us these gifts, and we have each been given gifts simply because we belong to Jesus. “But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as He chose”

(1 Corinthians 12:18 ESV).

We need to see the gifts God has given us as our assets rather than allowing comparison to call out our deficits.

Have you also struggled with comparison and/or competition? What might this struggle say about where our confidence lays?

Excerpted from Fearless Women of the Bible by Lynn Cowell, copyright Lynn Cowell.

Comparison and competition in spiritual life and work will not lead to greater blessing but rather chastisement and loss. Focusing on others rather than the work that we have been given will cause us to be unfaithful in our efforts of love and service to Christ. Working together brings Him glory and all receive blessings from God for doing their part. Give thanks for being different, having different gifts and being able to glorify God because you use them for His glory not your own!

Pastor Dale