Notes of Faith February 16, 2024

Notes of Faith February 16, 2024

The True Easter Lamb

From Alpha to Omega, El Shaddai to Prince of Peace, the many names of God highlight His attributes, each lighting up a facet of who He is. As I have studied these names, I have been impressed with how many pairs of them stand in stark contrast to each other! God is the Lord and the Servant. God is the Lamb and the Lion and the Lioness. God is the Shepherd and the Lamb.

During the Easter season, I am especially drawn to the image of God as a Lamb. The lamb has a long history as a symbol of Easter, and continues to endure even in secular depictions of the holiday.

Scripture refers to God or Jesus as a lamb numerous times throughout the Old and New Testaments.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” — John 1:29

[You were redeemed] with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. — 1 Peter 1:19

He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. — Isaiah 53:7

They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd. — Revelation 7:15, Revelation 7:17

Can it be that the Creator of all the galaxies was also named the Lamb? The gentle creature of whom the poet asked:

Little lamb, who made thee?

Dost thou life, and bid thee feed

By the stream and o’er the mead,

Gave thee clothing of delight,

Softest clothing, woolly, bright;

Gave thee such a tender voice,

Making all the vales rejoice?

Little lamb, who made thee?

Dost thou know who made thee?

Little lamb, I’ll tell thee,

Little lamb, I’ll tell thee.

He is called by thy name,

For He calls Himself a Lamb.

He is meek, and He is mild,

He became a little child.

I a child, and thou a lamb,

We are called by His name.

Little lamb, God bless thee!

Little lamb, God bless thee!

~ William Blake, Songs of Innocence

The Creator of the galaxies became a Child, who became the Lamb of God.

The lamb, even today, symbolizes innocence and purity. Only a pure unblemished lamb could be a sacrifice. A spotted lamb was not acceptable. The sacrificial lamb could not have any flaw or deformity. It could not harbor a parasite or suffer from any ailment. It had to be the firstborn of its mother.

The offering of a lamb had to be from an obedient heart in order to be acceptable. This was true of the very first offering mentioned in Scripture – Abel’s offering of a lamb from his flock (Genesis 4) – and continues to be true for every offering thereafter. King Saul’s proposed offering was rejected because he had been disobedient (1 Samuel 15). He was told

To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

— 1 Samuel 15:22

The offering of the Lamb was an offering of obedience. The writer of Hebrews says of Christ, the Lamb,

Although He was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered.

— Hebrews 5:8

For the offering to be complete, the blood of the Lamb had to be shed.

And without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. — Hebrews 9:22

All the animals sacrificed in the time of the Old Testament were object lessons, pointing toward the one sufficient, worthy sacrifice. We celebrate Easter today because of the ultimate sacrifice that was made on Good Friday. Because all of us have sinned, the only One who could provide an acceptable sacrifice was God himself. Abraham was more right than he knew when he told Isaac,

God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering. — Genesis 22:8

God’s lamb, holy, pure, perfect, and altogether worthy, shed His blood as an offering to atone for our sins. For us, the Creator of the galaxies became a Child, who became the Lamb of God.

The wonder is that “we are called by His name”! What does it mean for me, today, that I am called a lamb? What does it mean for me, in light of Holy Week, that Jesus is the Lamb?

Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! — Revelation 5:12

Worthy Lamb of God, receive our praise and gratitude today for your great sacrifice on our behalf.

Adapted from All the Glorious Names by Mary Foxwell Loeks.

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” — John 1:29

Nothing could take away our sin but the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus the Christ. In Him we have forgiveness and salvation, blessed and secure for all eternity. May you have a true saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith February 15, 2024

Notes of Faith February 15, 2024

His Eye Is on the Sparrow

Do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.

— Luke 12:7 NASB

I come from a family of artists. My grandmother was an artist; she traveled from continent to continent, painting. My mother is an artist; she had a scholarship to college on her talent. My sister sings like an angel, and my brother is a blues singer.

I am all of these, and yet as a young woman, I never felt confident enough to pursue my gifts wholeheartedly. So I became a dental hygienist, met a Southern hunk, and moved to Memphis, Tennessee. I spat out four kids faster than lightning and loved being a stay-at-home mom, thriving in the normal joys of everyday life. One thing I always wondered, though, is why the Lord spared my life in a horrible car accident in high school. “Can’t I do something great for Your kingdom since you left me here?” I would ask Him. Mothering my children is my number one calling, but for whatever reason I knew something else was coming.

One day when my four children were little, I needed extra money so I revived my dental hygienist skills. While cleaning a woman’s teeth, she told me her kids had just been diagnosed with, and wouldn’t survive, a rare, genetic neurological disorder called Batten disease. I silently prayed over her that day. I went home and tucked my kids into bed that night and wept. I told my husband, “I think I need to try and help — maybe I should paint?” After all, God had given me this gift, which wasn’t being used. Time went by. I was so busy changing diapers and wasn’t brave enough to try.

A few years later, my husband called me with panic in his voice — our child had just had a seizure. I was scared to death and got a bone chill when asked if we had ever tested our child for Batten disease. We spent months trying to get a diagnosis. In that time at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, the uplifting art decorating the walls grabbed my eyes and made me feel better in between moments of worry.

I was especially emotional one day at home while cleaning the toilets (we had a house full of boys!), and I cried out to God, “Father, what is all this for?!”

I heard in that moment, Help families. Find that mother. I knew whose voice it was, and I knew it was time for me to come out of my insecurities and give Him my gifts with all my heart. My music, my art; it all belonged to Him. I then heard, Paint!

Don’t hide your gifts!

That is how my art started. I studied my grandmother’s art sketches, and I painted my way through tears of worry for my own child and grief for the mother I had met years before. In between brushstrokes I stared at a painting that my grandmother had made of birds, and the Lord whispered, The birds of the air don’t worry. I take care of them. Paint.

I finally did what God told me to do: I found the mother whom I had prayed over many years ago. I took her the very first bird painting I ever made.

“I can’t believe it’s birds!” she said. “Do you know I had a sparrow tattooed on my wrist in honor of Milla’s life? She loved birds so much, but it’s also a reminder that God’s eyes never leave me. So I am just floored that you have a painting of birds for us.”

I was told Milla had lost her vision, but she could still hear the birds chirp.

Given how special birds were to this family, this moment was the first of many experiences God had planned where I saw Him use art as a way to bring healing and bring Himself glory.

God blew my mind, but that was just the beginning of how He would use art as a way to bring comfort. I now sell my art in galleries and interior design stores, and I send 10 percent of every piece I sell to a foundation in memory of that little girl and her sister, who is now with her in heaven. Kids are able to receive free grief therapy from this foundation, Milla’s House, in Memphis. I also send paintings in the mail to mothers who have lost their children, along with a children’s book written about Heaven.

I’ve seen God pay for shipping. I’ve seen God deliver a painting for a grieving mother I had been called to paint for but didn’t know. In this instance, a friend of mine from Austin, Texas, randomly went to a Bible study, and the mother who was to receive the painting unexpectedly sat down right next to her. When they exchanged names, I know she was surprised when my friend said, “Umm… don’t think I’m crazy, but I have a painting in my closet that is intended for you that was sent all the way from Tennessee. We just moved here.”

These stories go on and on as God continues to allow me to paint for others. The spiritual lesson He imprints on my heart each time He calls me to paint is this: don’t hide your gifts! You never know why God placed them in you. My goal is to keep high-fiving the Lord as He sells my art, leaving me the ability to keep giving to more grieving parents and to the foundations that help them. My child is seizure- free today, and we continue to be grateful for healing.

I mainly paint church scenes now, to represent healing in relationships and my love for the South. My mother painted them when I was growing up. She wanted to see diversity in the churches of the South. Her wish is coming true. I have never stopped painting bird scenes, however, always remembering Milla and her family. I send them into the world to spread the news that God’s eyes are on the sparrow, and I know He watches over us.

~ Amy Carlisle, wife, mother, and artist

Excerpted from Entertaining Angels by Anne Neilson, copyright Anne Neilson.

You may not have the gift of painting, I am sure that I do not. Stick figures is the best that I can do. But God has placed within every believer gifts to be used for His glory. I pray that you know the gift(s) that you have been given and that you will use them, bringing you and others great joy and honor and glory to God!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith February 14, 2024

Notes of Faith February 14, 2024

Letting God Fight for You

The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. — Exodus 14:14

Recently, Sadie and I got into a minor tiff because, evidently, I had had a bad tone all day long. We’d been running errands and catching a movie, and when we got in the car afterward, I asked her a simple logistical question and got a sassy comment in reply. I mentioned the sassiness, and she lit up — and not in the good way. We’re talking dangerous sparks.

“You’ve got a problem with my tone now?” she said. “What about the tone you’ve had all day long?”

Well, now we had a thing.

In the book of Ephesians, Paul told us to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (4:32). This is the concluding verse in the chapter, and it is also the last verse under the subheading “The New Life” in my ESV Bible. This is profound to me because before I knew Jesus, I was not walking in this “newness of life” that the Bible so often talks about.

Without Jesus, I am not naturally kind or tenderhearted or even quick to forgive others, but because He has imparted all of these attributes to me, I can embrace them.

When Sadie was rude to me that day, my initial reaction and instinct was not to be kind or extend tenderness. It was to be rude and get defensive. It can be hard to change old habits and instinctive reactions.

Sadie and I talk a lot about what makes a marriage work — or what makes any intimate relationship work, for that matter. One theme we keep coming back to is this: while we may argue from time to time, in the end we need to fight for each other, not against each other.

And when that’s hard for us to do, we find that if we are willing to ask for God’s help and be silent before Him, He will go before us, soften our hearts, and fight the battles with us.

We need to fight for each other, not against each other.

We’re committed to seeing each other through to becoming the people God wants us to be.

Hours after our little “tone discussion,” Sadie and I put Honey to bed and then sat down on the couch to talk. God helped us each own our part of the day:

“I was tired all day and took it out on you,” I said.

“I was fed up with your mood and just snapped,” she said.

I’m sorry.

Will you forgive me?

We are better than this.

There’s something a lot like Jesus going on in us when we fight for, not against, each other. Even when I’m in a bad mood, when I am hurtful to Him, He is committed to loving me and quick to forgive. He is always on my side. He is always for me. And He fights for both me and my relationships.

It’s easy to get mad. But life is so much sweeter when we let God do our fighting. Today, when we get mad, let’s take a deep breath and say a prayer before we respond.

How to Put Love First

Who is the person in your life you are most likely to take a “tone” with? Do something extra sweet and kind for that person today. If you’re currently having a moment, apologize for your part and offer better understanding as to where your tone is coming from. If not, give a hug, a text, a coffee — something — that says, I see you, I love you, and you matter to me.

~ by Christian Huff

Excerpted from How to Put Love First by Sadie Robertson Huff & Christian Huff, copyright Sadie Robertson Huff and Christian Huff.

Love is hard. It is sacrificial. It looks out for the needs of others. It is all the things 1 Corinthians 13 says it is and more. God is love! If we want to learn to be more loving and experience true love we must imitate the character of the Father, and the Son, through the power of the Holy Spirit within us. Let us love one another for love is of God, and everyone that loves is born of God and knows God.

He that does not love does not know God.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith February 13, 2024

Notes of Faith February 13, 2024

Matthew 16, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for My sake, will find it.’” Paul wrote, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that,” he said, “but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces…” What? “Perseverance. And perseverance…” What? “Character. And character…” What? “Hope.”

How are you? Good, thank you. Yeah, the joy of the Lord is not your strength. Of all people, we should be the most hopeful people. We should be the people with the peace that surpasses all understanding. Just so you know, all your unbelieving neighbors and friends and family, everyone is watching you right now. All of them. And they want to see what is it that you’re promoting right now? Is your faith the thing that matters or what? What fills your day? What fills your profile on social media? Who are you more into? Fauci or Jesus when you are writing stuff? No, no, listen, there are more Christians that over the last six months said Fauci more than Jesus.

Amir Tsarfati: Is The Joy of the Lord Your Strength?

The conversation recorded in Matthew 16 took place in Caesarea Philippi under the shadow of a pagan temple where Jesus asked the disciples who are people saying that He is? This question is followed by both a high point and then a low point in Peter’s years of traveling with Jesus during His earthly ministry.

Matthew 16:14-18

So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

The very next thing we read in Matthew 16 is this:

Matthew 16:21-23

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

From Peter being told He had a revelation from the Father to being called Satan by the Son of God, all in a single conversation. That would certainly have been a humbling moment for Peter.

Jesus then turns to the whole group and tells them that if you want to come after Me then you have to take up your cross and deny yourself in order to do so. If we read this in the context of the last thing the Lord said to Peter, about being mindful of the things of men and not the things of God, we can understand the meaning of this more clearly.

Jesus was telling His disciples, which would include His disciples today, that in order to follow Him there is a cost to count and sacrifices to be made. The things or thinking of this world cannot be top priority, and we are to be constantly mindful of the things of God. This is consistent with what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 6:33

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

The “these things” Jesus mentioned relate to “what shall we eat, drink, and wear”, as we see in the previous verses of Matthew 6. This does not mean that all Christians are to live in poverty, or not work hard to provide for their families. It means that we need to make sure we maintain the proper balance in life as good stewards of what the Lord has given us, spiritually and materially.

Today we live in a world that offers many escape hatches from this kind of thinking, and we need to be careful of falling into them. Many things in our world demand our attention: caring for our families, doing good for others, and being a part of a church family are all good and godly things. There are also multitudes of “joy killers” in our world that we must beware of getting lured into.

Sadly there remains a significant amount of division in the church today over the pandemic positions individual churches took. Masks or no masks, church doors open or closed, social distancing or not. Some acted like one’s salvation depended on what their decision was on these matters, and Satan was hugely successful in sidetracking much of the church from its mission, which is preaching Christ and Him crucified.

John 13:35

“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

What do the people on Instagram or Facebook know about us? That we are Jesus disciples? Or that we are pro- or anti-vaxxers and this is what we think of certain political candidates. It is not that some of the things that have distracted and divided the church are unimportant. They just cannot be allowed to take the place of sharing the gospel and loving each other as Christ loved the church. Whether you are from Israel or the United States, or any country that has free and legitimate election processes, the Christian voice needs to be heard. But again, these important areas still fall a distant second to the saving of the human soul.

There is an acronym that has floated around for years that we would do well to live by in these perilous times: JOY – Jesus Others You. If we put the Lord first, reaching others second, and ourselves last, the end result will be a life filled with joy. The proof? Jesus!

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus,

Life truly is “All About Jesus” and has been a theme of our church for over 30 years. Priorities and focus need to be addressed in most if not all of our lives, having God/Jesus/Holy Spirit, in the number one position of all thought and action. All other things will follow behind in their proper place. This is not easy, as the distractions of Satan and the world are always seeking to take us away from communing with God. May we persevere in truth and follow the Lord Jesus closely, worshipping, serving, and loving those He has placed around us that we might bring them to His throne of grace!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith February 12, 2024

Notes of Faith February 12, 2024

Protection in the Red Sea

EXODUS 14 / MARK 4:35–41

And He awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” — Mark 4:39–40

Trust is delicate. It’s hard to earn and easy to lose. Trusting someone else takes time. Especially when it comes to our own protection. We were designed with a high level of awareness around our need for self-protection, and at the slightest threat, we fight, fly, or freeze.

If someone breaks our trust, we naturally become guarded. When someone proves they are trustworthy, our confidence in them grows and we feel safe enough to let our guard down. Why? Because there is a consistent pattern of faithfulness demonstrated.

This is the kind of trust Moses developed with God. He could trace God’s past faithful protection over and over.

Moses had seen God help him do what seemed impossible: leading the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt. Just when there seemed to be no way Pharaoh would ever heed Moses’ demand to let the people go, God demonstrated His unexplainable protection by using His power over nature to get Pharaoh’s attention. God unleashed 10 plagues over Egypt, which eventually convinced Pharaoh to let the Israelites go.

Then God demonstrated His unexplainable protection again when He led the people in a less direct path to the promised land:

But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. — Exodus 13:18a

Exodus 14:4 reveals God’s plan to yet again show His people His ability to protect them: “

And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.’ And they did so.

Just as God planned, with the Egyptians marching after them, the Israelites found themselves facing an angry sea in front of them and an angry enemy behind them. The only way for them to be saved would be for God to do something that could never have even been dreamed up with the human mind... Again it was God’s unexplainable protection.

Israel’s Path and God’s Protection

God unleashes 10 plagues over Egypt — Exodus 5:1-11

Pharoah lets Israelites go — Exodus 12:31-42

Israelites on wandering path — Exodus 13:17-22

Pharoah/ Egyptians coming after Israelites — Exodus 14:5

Parting of the Red Sea — Exodus 14:19-31

Read Exodus 14:10–12.

01 What does the people’s response to Moses show about their mental and emotional state?

Notice a common thread in the reaction of the Israelites as we’ve been studying together? Let’s also not forget there was more going on. The Israelites were not left alone or unprotected.

Read Exodus 14:13–14.

02 We don’t have a record of the people’s response after hearing Moses’ direction. What would your response have been?

The initial response after crying out to God to fight on their behalf was silence. The Israelites surely thought Moses’ advice made no sense. However, Moses was leading the people to use silence as a spiritual discipline. Moses told the people to sit silent and watch God protect them and fight on their behalf. If we were the Israelites, we would have probably demanded an explanation for what seemed like such an odd response to such a serious threat.

As we consider our own use of silence in the midst of threats, there can be many benefits. One purpose of silence may be to focus on the simplicity of God’s power over all things. Another benefit might be to quiet distractions and interruptions that tempt us to explain away God’s protection in our lives.

Maybe silence and solitude are ways for us to process and find peace with things that seem so unexplainable in our lives.

What would happen if we practiced the spiritual discipline of silence today by spending focused time meditating on the protection and provision of God in our lives? What if we intentionally remembered to trace God’s faithfulness in the past until it helped us feel more safe and secure in the faithful and secure hands of God? The Israelites were aware of this truth through tangible and visible examples but, in that moment, needed to pause and remember.

Read Exodus 14:19–20.

The more we remember what Jesus has done for us and what it means for us, the more we will be assured of His absolute devotion to protecting us.

03 Who was also with the Israelites? Describe what was happening.

The end of the story is the protection of Israel through God’s powerful authority over nature itself. God splits the Red Sea in half and creates a passageway of safety for His people to find rescue and deliverance.

As one Old Testament scholar has said, “Israel’s escape route became a classroom for them, a period of testing in time and space that shaped the people Yahweh was making.”1

Read Exodus 14:15–18.

04 Scripture demonstrates that sometimes God allows trials in order to reveal His power. Why would God work this way?

The experience at the Red Sea was a formative experience, helping the people of God better understand and live out trust in their Creator.

When we think about Jesus there are so many connections back to the Red Sea. The Israelites faced the Red Sea which was a sign/symbol of death, chaos, and disorder. Jesus faced the cross, a sign/symbol of death. The Israelites had to go through the Red Sea. Jesus had to go through the cross. On the other side of the Red Sea was the promised land for the Israelites. Jesus victory over sin and death brings the promise of the new heavens and new earth to those of us that put our trust and faith in Christ.

The more we remember what Jesus has done for us and what it means for us, the more we will be assured of His absolute devotion to protecting us.

Every moment we are with God, we are with His protection whether we realize it or not. And part of that protection, if we will trust Him and stay with Him, is how He will form us and shape us through what we experience.

05 Read 1 Corinthians 15:49. What is the goal of all of this shaping and forming?

The more we are shaped and formed to be like Jesus, the more we will be confident in God’s protection. But even more than being confident, with Jesus we can have unexplainable peace in the process. Philippians 4:7 reminds us of this truth:

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

As we conclude today, let’s turn to one more story involving another sea. In this New Testament story, found in Mark 4, Jesus is asleep on a boat in the middle of a storm on the Sea of Galilee. This is the type of storm that would put true fear in even the most seasoned sailors. In a moment of desperation, the disciples cry out to Jesus to provide protection for them. Jesus simply wakes up, rebukes the wind, and tells the sea to be still.

Simply the presence of Jesus and the voice of Jesus in the midst of the storm establishes peace. Where Jesus is present, peace is possible.

This doesn’t mean there won’t be storms, trials, tribulations, and hardships. Certainly the children of Israel and Moses experienced these. The disciples in the New Testament experienced these. And we will, too. But we are never left alone He is with us. With Jesus, even when our circumstances don’t feel peaceful, we can choose to do things His way and, in doing so, have peace that passes all understanding.

And in the end, if we will just remember to reflect on the many ways we’ve seen God move in our past and the peace available to us in the present, we can know we are being protected.

1. Eugene Carpenter, Exodus, ed. H. Wayne House and William D. Barrick, vol. 1, Evangelical Exegetical Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012), 503.

Excerpted from 30 Days with Jesus by Lysa TerKeurst and Joel Muddamalle, copyright Lysa TerKeurst and Dr. Joel Muddamalle.

If you move the letters of the word silent around you will find “listen”. I only learned this recently and find it to be fascinating. “Be still and know that I am God.” We can draw close/closer to God by listening for Him to speak… through His Word, through His Spirit within us, through the blessing of others speaking love and truth to us. This is the power of God that bring trust. He reveals Himself and proves that He loves and cares for us. Be silent, listen, and trust God who cares for you.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith February 10, 2024

Notes of Faith February 10, 2024

How Big God Is

Moses was a very humble man, more so than anyone on the face of the earth.

— Numbers 12:3

When I read this verse, I can’t help but think of all that Moses did. He was the man who led the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt, held the rod through which God parted the Red Sea, met with God on the mountaintop, carried the actual tablets of the Ten Commandments — though he later smashed them in a moment of anger — and even saw the back of God when he asked to see His glory. This man who knew God, who revered God, who got as close to God as he could get and still live was said to be humbler than anyone who walked the face of the earth. When I read this in Scripture, I tend to think that when we get that up close and personal with God, we truly understand that God is God, and we are not. We know the difference. And therein lies the key to understanding true humility.

Sometimes, in our effort to put the Word into practice, I think we mistakenly confuse humility with ideas of low self-esteem or thinking less of oneself. But being humble is not about putting ourselves down or projecting ourselves as less than we are or as knowing less than we do.

Being humble is about recognizing how big God is.

It is about having a right view of ourselves in relationship to Him. It is about living with an awareness that God is God, and we are not. It’s about knowing who we are in Him: children of the King.1 Filled with the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.2 It is about living in a divine tension of acknowledging that outside of God I can do nothing, but in Christ I can do all things.3

Do you see the difference? I want to walk humbly with my God. I want to be humble in everything I do. Honoring God. Acknowledging God. Trusting God. Walking with Him daily. Dependent on Him in every moment. Aware of how big He is and how it’s only in Him that I can be all He’s created me to be and fulfill all the purpose He has for me. I can endure with strength in faith until I step into eternity. Putting myself down will never achieve any of that.

The next time you start to put yourself down, catch yourself. Turn your thoughts to God and how big He is. Think of all you are in Him, of all you can do in Him. Find verses that speak of this and personalize them, saying them aloud to yourself and to God in that moment. It’s one more way we can continue to be transformed so we see ourselves the way He does, as someone created in His image. It’s one more way we can remind ourselves how big God is.

Heavenly Father, help me understand true humility and walk in it today. Help me see how big You are in every circumstance in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

1 John 3:2.

Romans 8:11.

Philippians 4:13.

Excerpted from You’re Not Finished Yet by Christine Caine, copyright Caso Writing, LLC.

How big is your God? Is there anything that He cannot do? If you answered no, then you need to live a life that shows you believe that truth! God is much more than we can understand, and yet He wants us to draw near and know Him, having an intimate relationship with Him. For those that believe in and follow Jesus we will have an eternal relationship, walking with our Lord and Savior as Adam did in the garden of Eden! Praise God!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith February 11, 2024

Notes of Faith February 11, 2024

The God Who Sees: Worshiping in the Desert

The God Who Sees Online Bible Study is coming soon — starting March 4th! We hope you join us as we study stories in the Bible (David, Hagar, Ruth and Boaz, Mary Magdalene) that remind us that God sees us, is faithfully watching over us, and is with us to help us fulfill His direction in our lives. Sign up today! It is FREE!

When we are in the desert, what is it we think about? The desert. We think about our depression, anxiety, and fears. We focus on our trials, struggles, and challenges. We think about the desolation and wilderness we see around us because it is all we can see.

When Hagar found herself in a desert for the second time, in a barren landscape with no water, her focus was on her life-threatening plight and the seemingly hopeless situation for herself and her son.

But God changed Hagar’s focus. The Bible says that He “opened her eyes” and showed her a well just off in the distance filled with life-saving water.

This is what worship does for us in the desert. It opens our eyes to something greater than the desolation before us. It reminds us of who God is and that He is near. It takes our focus off ourselves so we can drink from the well of living water.

Of course, worshiping in the desert is not our natural inclination. It requires effort to shift our focus. But when we do, we provide space for God to move. We allow our imaginations to explore the possibility that things could get better. We start to believe we are not doomed to die in the desert.

The desert is anything but desolate. It is the place where God often chooses to meet with us, speak to us, and begin something new in us. Even if you don’t know why you are in the desert — even if you are not seeing any growth or don’t sense that you are hearing God’s voice — worship still serves as a reminder that something is happening beneath the surface. God is at work in your desert. Worship might be just what your heart needs to stay attuned to His voice.

Read Habakkuk 3:17-19

Hab 3:17-19

17 Though the fig tree should not blossom

And there be no fruit on the vines,

Though the yield of the olive should fail

And the fields produce no food,

Though the flock should be cut off from the fold

And there be no cattle in the stalls,

18 Yet I will exult in the Lord,

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

19 The Lord God is my strength,

And He has made my feet like hinds' feet,

And makes me walk on my high places.

Reflect

Habakkuk was a prophet in the Old Testament who was active sometime around 607 BC, during the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah.1 In his book, he asks why God would allow the nation to grow evil under the leadership of this king and why he would allow the Babylonians to conquer Judah. For much of the book, Habakkuk laments the fate of his people, but by chapter 3, he remembers who God is and begins to worship. How does Habakkuk describe the landscape around him? How does he describe God?

What does Habakkuk compare himself to in this passage? What does this tell us about how worship affects him?

Think about the last time you truly worshiped God. This could be at your church, in your home, or anywhere you felt connected to God. How did this time in worship impact you? How did it make you feel about whatever you were facing at the time?

In your current season, what are some things (if any) that keep you from worshiping God? How could you worship God today, even if you are in the wilderness?

Pray

Spend time today just worshiping God. Thank Him for what He has done. Name His attributes: good, kind, strong, Father. If you’re able, assume a posture of worship by kneeling, or raising your hands, or whatever helps you feel less distracted and able to worship Him.

“Habakkuk 1—The Prophet’s Problem,” Enduring Word, https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/habakkuk-1/.

Excerpted from The God Who Sees Study Guide, copyright Kathie Lee Gifford.

Worship God. Seek God. Learn of God. Know God. Have an intimate relationship with God. Grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just spend time with God, focusing on Him, without distractions. We will draw closer than we have ever been to the One who loves us most. Go grow close now!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith February 9, 2024

Notes of Faith February 9, 2024

It is never too early to reflect on the truth of resurrection. March 31 is resurrection Sunday this year, but every day is the day to reflect on our own resurrection due to the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ!

The Ultimate Ending

He has risen from the dead... Now I have told you. — Matthew 28:7 NIV

I went into the kitchen after a restless night, thinking about a friend recently diagnosed with a brain tumor considered terminal, and turned on the morning news. A man had just hijacked a car with a four-year-old boy inside. Police were chasing the driver through the streets of Denver in rush-hour traffic. A helicopter was filming the pursuit live, showing the car going eighty miles per hour through red lights and busy intersections.

I watched in horror, waiting for the accident that was sure to happen. Amazingly, this car kept missing others. The chase went on for ten minutes with dangerous maneuvers across an open field to access another busy highway, where the man drove the wrong way. Finally, he got a flat tire and the car spun to a stop. The suspect jumped out and started running, but police surrounded him. The chase was over. I felt exhausted but relieved that it ended safely, especially for the child in the back seat.

Later, I watched a rerun of the shocking events with my husband but was surprised to find that it was a totally different emotional experience for me.

I felt no fear because I knew the end of the story.

I kept thinking about the parallel of the car chase to my friend’s cancer diagnosis. Even as her story unfolds with frightening unknowns, I know the ultimate ending. God promises us eternal life. My friend knows that promise, too, and I can pray she keeps receiving comfort in believing.

The Lord has already written the end of the story.

Let Us Pray

Lord, You have already written the ending, which gives us hope while still living in the middle of our stories.

Luke 24:1–8 NIV

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! remember how He told you, while He was still with you in galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” Then they remembered His words.

~Carol Kuykendall

Excerpted from Faith Over Fear, copyright Guideposts.

2 Cor 1:3-5

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

2 Cor 4:16-18

16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith February 8, 2024

Notes of Faith February 8, 2024

When Burdens Are Too Burdensome

I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.

— Numbers 11:14

Moses boldly spoke these very honest words to the Lord: the Israelites were far too big a burden for Moses to bear. God responded to Moses’ weariness by assigning additional people to carry the load, specifically seventy elders who could help Moses lead. God heard the cry of Moses and acted.

Many of us carry burdens, and the biggest burden we may find ourselves carrying is people with all their burdens.

Did you know that God didn’t design us to carry even our own burdens?

We are to give our cares and concerns to the Lord. So why do so many of us spend our lives carrying not only our burdens but also the burdens of others? You don’t have to.

Know that God sees you just as He saw Moses. God hears your cries. The Almighty God will carry your burden and relieve you of the heavy burdens that you are carrying for others. Let Him — with relief and gratitude.

Lord, I’m weary. I’m so tired of my own burdens and from my burdens, and I can barely handle the weight of other people’s problems. Help me! Amen.

God didn’t design us to carry our burdens.

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

Has anxiety bothered you this week? Have deadlines and to-do lists increased stress like bunnies multiplying in springtime? Have you noticed that the older you get, the more anxious you become? If you answered yes to any of those questions, look again at Peter’s reminder of a very simple (but hard to do) solution: casting. To cast is to throw something with such strength that you don’t expect to have that object returned. Casting your anxiety, then, is an act of surrender.

You can safely cast your cares on Jesus because He loves you.

He is not sitting in Heaven tsk-tsking you for being needy.

No, Jesus willingly bears your burdens. Compelled by His great love for you, He wants to take those worries and concerns from you. So your job is to let Him do His job. Pray. Tell Him about every single source of stress in your life. It’s time to let your fear go into the capable hands of your Friend.

Jesus, please help me surrender my anxieties to You. I am so grateful that You love me and will take them from me, amen.

Excerpted from The Beautiful Word Devotional, copyright Zondervan.

There are so many things to be worried about, things that occupy our time and energy. Yes, we can and should hand the stress over to the Lord, but that does not mean that we sit back and do nothing. God leads us in decisions that we need to make, how to handle next steps, moving forward, not lazily sitting and doing nothing. We must act on the Word of God and the principles that He gives in the Scriptures. We must listen to Him in prayer (hard to do) and through this intimacy know exactly what we are to do and say in any given situation.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith February 7, 2024

Notes of Faith February 7, 2024

Faith Amid Fear

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” — Mark 10:35

Perhaps you’ve heard it said that the phrase “fear not” or something similar occurs 365 times in the Bible, one for every day of the year. Clearly, with so many mentions, it is an important topic to God. And yet, it seems we can’t get past our fear and anxiousness. In our culture of constant information, the bombardment of distressing news presented around the clock feeds our fear. Maybe we think that if Jesus were just present right here on earth with us, we’d be less worrisome and nothing would phase us.

However, the gospels are full of situations where even Jesus’ closest friends were consumed with fear and burdened with worry.

One of the most well-known stories of the disciples’ fear is that of the storm on the sea of Galilee. Even though these men were experienced fishermen, certainly capable of handling a boat in bad weather, this storm must have been severe enough to threaten their lives. All the while, Jesus was lying there, asleep.

And they went to Him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing’. — Matthew 8:25

After asking them why they were afraid, He rose and rebuked the winds and waves, and “there was a great calm” (v. 26). He could have simply told them not to worry; He was there. His presence would be enough. But this storm was greater than the usual ones they had faced. And they were afraid.

Perhaps you’ve been in a situation that seems more threatening than others. Maybe you’ve had scary diagnoses before, but this one is worse, and you’re scared. You’ve had fights before, but this one seems irredeemable, and now you’re afraid for the relationship. Your child has been in trouble before, but this time it’s on another level, and your mind can’t think of anything except what if?

Even though we know Jesus is always with us, it’s often difficult to remember that He can handle even the situations far beyond what we’ve experienced before.

We also tend to worry and fear when God’s timing is not our timing. We call on Him and ask for help, and He seems silent or absent. Jesus’ dear friends Mary and Martha experienced this when they sent word to Jesus that Lazarus, their brother, was ill. John recorded that

when [Jesus] heard that Lazarus was ill, He stayed two days longer in the place where He was. — John 11:6

That seems like an odd thing to do when someone you love is seriously ill. However, Jesus told His disciples that it was for “the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (v. 4). Jesus knew exactly what He was doing — there was a greater purpose for His waiting. Still, it’s hard to understand God’s timing. Although Mary and Martha had faith that Jesus could heal their brother, they became fearful when the situation seemed beyond hope, when it was too late.

Are you feeling fearful today? Do you worry that this recent situation is too big or that it’s too late for Jesus to redeem it? Take a minute to consider that by the time the disciples experienced the storm on the sea, they had been with Jesus for a while, witnessing His miracles. Matthew recorded that they had seen Him cleanse a leper, heal the servant of a centurion without even being physically present, and “cast out the [demonic] spirits with a word and [heal] all who were sick” (Matthew 8:16). All this by the time they encountered the storm. If anyone should have been unafraid, it’s them. Mary and Martha were close enough to Jesus that they would have certainly seen and heard of His many miracles — healing the lame man, walking on water, feeding the multitudes. However, in the middle of their fearful situation, they, like the disciples, forgot His previous wonders. They allowed fear and worry to overwhelm them and distract them from the truth of who Jesus was.

So how do we counter that fear when the waves are crashing against us and death surrounds us? Psalm 77 gives us an answer. After starting with a cry aloud to God, the psalmist declared,

I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your wonders of old. I will ponder all Your work and meditate on Your mighty deeds. — vv. 11–12

We remember.

The Israelites also knew the importance of remembering. When they crossed the Jordan River on dry ground, Joshua commanded them to collect twelve stones for the number of tribes of Israel, so that it would be a sign to them. When their children asked what the stones meant, they would tell them of God’s faithfulness. They would remember, just as we remember. We remember the healing God has done in the past. We call to mind His faithfulness in previous situations. Will He always answer our prayers exactly how and when we want? No, but we can trust that He is with us and will bring about our good and His glory.

Excerpted from It Is Finished by Charles Martin, copyright Charles Martin.

Mark 8:17-18

Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?

Jesus was speaking to His apostles not the unbelieving crowd. How often do we see the hand of God and yet some time later do not remember? We must remember the things God reveals to us that we might grow in grace and knowledge of the One who loves, cares, and provides for us! Let us work at remembering!

Pastor Dale