Notes of Faith November 29, 2024

Notes of Faith November 29, 2024

Prayer, Then Praise

[The righteous] will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established; he will not be afraid.

Psalm 112:7-8

There are numerous instances in the Old Testament where God said something was done before it happened. For example, before the Israelites conquered Jericho, God told them, “I have given Jericho into your hand” (Joshua 6:2). Between the time of God’s promise and its realization, the Israelites acted in faith and saw the walls fall down.

In the New Testament, promises were made, and faithfulness was expected in the interim. For example, ten lepers were cleansed only after they obeyed Jesus’ instruction to go to the priests (Luke 17:11-14). A blind man was healed only after he obeyed Jesus’ instructions to wash in the pool of Siloam (John 9:6-7). So what should we do in the interim between asking God for something and seeing it realized? Absent any specific instruction, we can praise and thank God for what His love and goodness will deliver in our time of need (Psalm 103:1-5). That is how we exercise faith after we have made our needs known to God (Philippians 4:6-7).

After you pray, be sure to praise God for the answer He is going to bring.

If we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Charles Spurgeon

Ps 103:1-5

103 Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget none of His benefits;

3 Who pardons all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases;

4 Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

5 Who satisfies your years with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

This psalm speaks of things that are all true though some have a future context. Those who come to Jesus in faith are spoken of thereafter as saints, no longer sinners, righteous, those who walk with God, those who trust God through any of this life’s circumstances. May you be blessed today, no matter your circumstances. If you are in Christ, you are an overcomer, a victor over sin and death and will reap reward from your Creator, Savior, and King that lasts forever!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith November 28, 2024

Notes of Faith November 28, 2024

Thanksgiving Life

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night.

Psalm 92:1-2

At many Thanksgiving gatherings, attendees share what they are most thankful for before partaking of the meal. Some mention things that apply to all people: life, health, family, friendships—all worthy reasons to be thankful. Christians have reasons to be thankful for Jesus Christ, for forgiveness, for salvation, for the Scriptures, and more. Depending on the closeness of the group, some individuals might be bold enough to mention more personal reasons to be thankful: deliverance from an addiction, the restoration of a marriage, a changed life, and more.

As you sit before the Lord today, think of those personal, intimate reasons you have to give thanks to the Lord—things you might be hesitant to share in a group setting but which you know are true. Every Christian knows who they were before and after knowing Christ (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Give thanks today for the new person you are in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17)—that you are different from how you were.

Instead of one Thanksgiving Day, consider living a thanksgiving life. There are an infinite number of reasons to give thanks to God.

God’s giving deserves our thanksgiving.

Ps 100

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.

2 Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before Him with joyful singing.

3 Know that the Lord Himself is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving

And His courts with praise.

Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

5 For the Lord is good;

His lovingkindness is everlasting

And His faithfulness to all generations.

It is good to live a life of giving thanks to God and for others in your life. Consider helping (giving) to those less fortunate than you, inviting them to your Thanksgiving meal, providing one for them in their home, meeting a need, perhaps financially. Look for ways to bless others. I guarantee you will be blessed by God through your giving with a thankful heart! May you enjoy the supreme blessing of knowing that your are a child of God and will be bless for all eternity in His kingdom and the eternal home He has prepared for you.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith November 27, 2024

Notes of Faith November 27, 2024

Jesus Revealed in Us

Those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. — 1 Peter 4:19

If our kids always behave

and our boss is always pleased and our home is always orderly

and our bodies always feel good

and we are patient and kind and thoughtful and happy and loving,

others shrug because they’re capable of being that way too.

On the other hand,

if we have a splitting headache,

the kids are screaming,

the phone is ringing,

the supper is burning,

yet we are still patient, kind, thoughtful, happy, and loving,

the world sits up and takes notice.

The world knows that kind of behavior is not natural. It’s supernatural. And others see Jesus revealed in us.

~ Just Give Me Jesus

You Can Know God

You will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. — Deuteronomy 4:29 NKJV

If Adam knew God as a beloved Father,

if Eve knew Him as the original Homemaker,

if Noah knew Him as the Refuge from the storm,

if Abraham knew Him as a Friend,

if Moses knew Him as the Redeemer,

if Rahab knew Him as the gracious Savior,

if David knew Him as his Shepherd,

if Elijah knew Him as the Almighty,

if Daniel knew Him as the Lion Tamer,

if Mary Magdalene knew Him as the Bondage Breaker, if Martha knew Him as the Promise Keeper,

if Lazarus knew Him as the Resurrection and the Life, if Bartimaeus knew Him as the Light of the World,

if John knew Him as the glorious King upon the throne,

surely you and I can know Him too!

~ Just Give Me Jesus

The Sufficiency of God's Power

To Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,… be glory. — Ephesians 3:20–21 NKJV

If you are questioning the sufficiency of God’s power to resolve your problems and pressures, your suffering and stress, your crisis and change, His answer is the same. The infinite power of the living Logos of God is adequate for any need you or I will ever have.

We may intellectually grasp the truth that God’s power is adequate, but we can never know that by experience if we stay in our comfort zone. If all you ever attempt is what you know you can do yourself, if all your needs seem to be met through someone or something other than God, if you never have any difficulties that are greater than you can bear — how will you know the awesome greatness and personal availability of His infinite power?

It’s when the Red Sea is before you, the mountains are on one side of you, the desert is on the other side, and you feel the Egyptian army closing in from behind that you experience His power to open up an escape route.

He has power to do the supernatural, the unthinkable, the impossible.

~ Just Give Me Jesus

Excerpted from The Joy of My Heart by Anne Graham Lotz, copyright Anne Graham Lotz.

Great book! These are great excerpts looking into the depths of God, who He is, what He has done, is doing, and promises to do. He alone is God and worthy of our worship, praise, love and trust. May you draw closer to Him this Thanksgiving weekend.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith November 26, 2024

Notes of Faith November 26, 2024

Entire Chapters of Gratitude

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers.

1 Thessalonians 1:2

Entire chapters of the Bible are devoted to gratitude. Some of the Psalms, for example, are simply lists of gratitude, such as Psalm 103. That’s the nature of the first chapter of 1 Thessalonians. The apostle Paul had been driven out of the city of Thessalonica before he could get the new church grounded and established. He grew more and more concerned to know how they were doing, especially in the face of persecution. So he sent Timothy to find out, and Timothy brought back a great report. The Thessalonian Christians were thriving.

1 Paul and Silvanus and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.

2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and [a]steadfastness of hope [b]in our Lord Jesus Christ before our God and Father, 4 knowing, brothers beloved by God, your election, 5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full assurance; just as you know what kind of men we [c]proved to be among you for your sake. 6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. 9 For they themselves report about us what kind of an entrance we had [d]with you, and how you turned to God from [e]idols to serve [f]a living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from [g]heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.

Every verse in 1 Thessalonians 1 is a descriptor of Paul’s gratitude toward them.

We’re often concerned in life. All kinds of issues leave us anxious and restless. But devoting entire prayers or journal entries to thanksgiving is a wonderful way to recover our spirits. Being thankful helps us look within and see our growth and the traces of God in our lives. Make a list of the things or people in your life for which you’re thankful and praise God for them.

Thanksgiving leads to knowing God more fully, which leads to trusting in God more, worshiping God more, and loving God more.

Dustin Crowe

A delayed flight yesterday made it impossible to make the last connecting flight to California, so I sit in the airport in Dallas today for several hours awaiting a second missed connecting flight due to mechanical delays on our plane this morning at 5 a.m… This is life. We all must be able to deal with these issues and continue to do what we have be called to do. Unlike the passenger in front of me who kept shouting expletives and shouting at the passengers in front of him to get moving. It did nothing but scare those around him and likely raised his blood pressure. We all had places to be and were late if plans had been previously made. All this to say…It gave me time to reflect on so many of my friends (you), and ask God to bless you today for your influence in my life. Thank you! If God wills, I will be in California today (sometime) and continue the routines that are what I consider “normal”, all while dealing with the unexpected, unplanned, and some good, some not so good, but God is good all the time and will provide all that is needed by His grace. Love God! Love others!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith November 25, 2024

Notes of Faith November 25, 2024

Thankful for Friends

We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you. Colossians 1:3

When you attend a high school, college, or family reunion—you realise how powerful those relationships were and how thankful you are for the people who helped shape your life. If it’s true that 'we don’t miss the water ’til the well runs dry,' the same could be said for relationships. This fact ought to encourage us to invest in them more actively while we have the chance.

We often think of the apostle Paul as a missionary-scholar more than a people person—but such a perception would be wrong. Throughout Acts and Paul’s epistles we see evidence of the relationships he valued in his life. He had a deep relationship with the elders of Ephesus (Acts 20:17-38). When he wrote his letter to the church at Rome, he greeted some thirty people by name (Romans 16:1-16). He was greeted by members of the church as he approached Rome (Acts 28:14-15). He acted as a mentor to countless coworkers in ministry: Barnabas, Mark, Timothy, Titus, Luke, and more.

Thank God for your friends in the faith. While you are able, do everything you can to strengthen your bonds in Christ.

Christianity is all about relationships with God and with others.

David Watson

Acts 28: 14-15

14 There we found brothers[a] and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. 15 And the brothers there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage.

Friends

Song by

Michael W. Smith

Packing up the dreams God planted

In the fertile soil of you

I can't believe the hopes He's granted

Means a chapter of your life is through

But we'll keep you close as always

It won't even seem you've gone

'Cause our hearts in big and small ways

Will keep the love that keeps us strong

And friends are friends forever

If the Lord's the Lord of them

And a friend will not say never

'Cause the welcome will not end

Though it's hard to let you go

In the Father's hands we know

That a lifetime's not too long

To live as friends

And with the faith and love God's given

Springing from the hope we know

We will pray the joy you live in

Is the strength that now you show

But we'll keep you close as always

It won't even seem you've gone

'Cause our hearts in big and small ways

Will keep the love that keeps us strong

And friends are friends forever

If the Lord's the Lord of them

And a friend will not say never

'Cause the welcome will not end

Though it's hard to let you go

In the Father's hands we know

That a lifetime's not too long

To live as friends

And friends are friends forever

If the Lord's the Lord of them

And a friend will not say never

'Cause the welcome will not end

Though it's hard to let you go

In the Father's hands we know

That a lifetime's not too long

To live as friends

Though it's hard to let you go

In the Father's hands we know

That a lifetime's not too long

To live as friends

No, a lifetime's not too long

To live as friends

Love God! Love others!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith November 24, 2024

Notes of Faith November 24, 2024

Turn Toward Me

Make Me your focal point as you move through this day. Just as a spinning ballerina must keep returning her eyes to a given point to maintain her balance, so you must keep returning your focus to Me. Circumstances are in flux, and the world seems to be whirling around you. The only way to keep your balance is to fix your eyes on Me, the One who never changes. If you gaze too long at your circumstances, you will become dizzy and confused. Look to Me, refreshing yourself in My Presence, and your steps will be steady and sure.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. — Hebrews 12:2

But You remain the same, and Your years will never end. — Psalm 102:27

This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything. — 1 John 3:1-20

*

If you encounter a problem with no immediate solution, your response to that situation will take you either up or down. You can lash out at the difficulty, resenting it and feeling sorry for yourself. This will take you down into a pit of self-pity. Alternatively, the problem can be a ladder, enabling you to climb up and see your life from My perspective. Viewed from above, the obstacle that frustrated you is only a light and momentary trouble. Once your perspective has been heightened, you can look away from the problem altogether. Turn toward Me, and see the Light of My Presence shining upon you.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. — 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, O Lord. — Psalm 89:15

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

There are many people of faith in the Word of God but few are said to specifically “walk with God”. This is my desire and my desire for you, that we would walk with God through each and every circumstance of life, that we might be obedient to His will and therefore pleasing to Him. May we strive to live in His presence for He is always there. We think we walk away when evil desires draw us to sin, but we take a holy God into that evil. The holy perfection of Jesus kept him from sin. He looked ahead in the garden of Gethsemane and saw His need to become sin in order to save mankind…He saw the separation from the Father that took place during His prayers asking if there was any other way… This was His greatest pain…to become sin…the One who knew no sin, that we through faith in Him might have the righteous of God placed to our account. Give thanks today for the love of God that sent the Son to die in your place, that you might be forgiven and redeemed from God’s wrath on your disobedience. Give thanks for the gift of the Holy Spirit, the indwelling Spirit of God in every believer that we might live a transformed life, holy and pleasing to Him.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith November 23, 2024

Notes of Faith November 23, 2024

Gratitude

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other.

2 Thessalonians 1:3

Verbally expressing emotions can be challenging. And ease of expression can vary with personality type. It sometimes surprises Bible readers to discover that the apostle Paul was so free in expressing positive emotions to others. But he was—and so should we be.

Which is harder to say: “I love you” or “I’m thankful for you”? Surprisingly, it may be the latter. We say, “I love you,” frequently to family, even to friends—and that's a good thing. But it’s easy for it to become habitual and less meaningful over time. What we don’t say very often is, “I’m thankful for you.” Those words imply a degree of humility and transparency that can be more challenging. Those words say, “Your presence in my life adds things that I could not experience if you weren’t here.”

Think about the people in your life for whom you are thankful. Now think about how often you have expressed your thankfulness to them—and purpose to do it more often.

Thankfulness is a flower which will never bloom well excepting upon a root of deep humility.

J. C. Ryle

I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. Rom. 1:8

I am one of the proclaimers of your steadfast faith and trust in God for the life of the church, each and every individual believer! I praise God for you and your influence on my life. We were made to be a community that grows in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ toward full maturity. May you be blessed today as you prepare your heart to meet together again tomorrow!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith November 22, 2024

Notes of Faith November 22, 2024

Fallout

So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust.

Joel 2:25

In the late 1940s when people began to consider the consequences of atomic weapons, a new word came into our vocabulary: fallout. Billions of airborne particles ejected into the atmosphere by a nuclear explosion would settle on earth and contaminate it. The word fallout soon came to be used to describe the results of any kind of problem. Christians began to talk about the fallout of their sins—the aftereffects of hurt and pain that follow disobedience.

When we sin and ask God’s forgiveness, He is happy to give it. The blood doesn’t lose its power. But that doesn’t mean we’re exempt from the fallout of sin. Often our sin bears consequences, and we reap what we sow. If you have sin in your life, go to God for forgiveness, then trust Him to manage the repercussions.

Romans 8:28 says that “all things” work together for good for those who love the Lord. Even though the fallout of sin is painful, God can even use that—in time—for His purposes and His glory. He can restore what the locusts have eaten.

Repentance breaks the abscess of sin, and then the soul is at ease.

Thomas Watson

We have used the words rewards and consequences with our children and grandchildren. Even though we may receive rewards from our parents, grandparents, and God, we may also have consequences to pay for our disobedience. Suffering because of disobedience prayerfully leads to obedience. God does indeed use our disobedience for His glory, perfecting us toward righteousness and holiness, to become a reflection of His glory! Endure the pain and suffering brought about by sin, knowing that you have been forgiven, and your turn toward obedience brings great reward!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith November 21, 2024

Notes of Faith November 21, 2024

The Crisco Cops

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.

Psalm 37:24

When the Philadelphia Eagles returned home for an heroic parade after winning the NFC Championship, city officials sent workers out with cans of Crisco. The “Crisco Cops,” as they were called, greased all the light poles on the parade route to keep rowdy fans from climbing them.

Recommended Reading:

Romans 7:21 – 8:2

Sometimes trying to live a godly life feels like trying to climb a greased pole. Sin is slippery, and the gravity of our fallen nature works against us. The apostle Paul gave his own testimony about this in Romans 7, saying, “Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me” (verse 21, NIV).

When we fall into sin, we must confess it to God honestly. But we must also resolve to do better with His help. He knows how to take His hand and uphold us, pressing us upward and onward in the glorious growth of godliness. Proverbs 24:16 says that a righteous person may fall seven times but will rise again. Psalm 37:24 is similar: “If they fall, they will not stay down, because the Lord will help them up” (GNT).

Don’t give up on personal holiness!

It is inconceivable that the Christian should ever think of sin without also thinking of his Savior.

John Stott

Our battle with sin is ever present in this life, but praise God, His Son won the victory over sin and death that we too, might follow in victory through faith in Him!

21 I find then the principle that in me evil is present—in me who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23but I see a different law in my members, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a captive to the law of sin which is in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

We can and should strive toward more holy living, though sin is present within us, so is the Holy Spirit! We have God living inside of us. Let us seek to do the will of God and not the will of the evil nature of sin. May God give you abundant grace to fight the battle within today and every day. Put on the full armor of God!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith November 20, 2024

Notes of Faith November 20, 2024

Sanctuary

When I thought how to understand this, it was too painful for me—until I went into the sanctuary of God.

Psalm 73:16-17

The writer of Psalm 73 knew in his head that God was good (verse 1). But this writer, Asaph, was troubled in his heart by what he saw around him. The wicked were thriving (verses 3-9). They scoffed at the notion of God (verses 10-11), yet they were growing richer (verse 12). Asaph, who tried to live a godly life, wondered why he had more problems than the arrogant (verses 13-14).

Psalm 73

Surely God is good to Israel,

To those who are pure in heart!

2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,

My steps [a]had almost slipped.

3 For I was envious of the boastful,

I saw the peace of the wicked.

4 For there are no pains in their death,

And their [b]body is fat.

5 They are not [c]in trouble as other [d]men,

And they are not stricken along with the rest of mankind.

6 Therefore lofty pride is their necklace;

The garment of violence covers them.

7 Their eye [e]bulges from fatness;

The delusions of their heart overflow.

8 They scoff and [f]wickedly speak of oppression;

They speak from on high.

9 They have set their mouth [g]against the heavens,

And their tongue goes through the earth.

10 Therefore [h]his people return here, to his place,

And waters of fullness are [i]drunk by them.

11 They say, “How does God know?

And is there knowledge with the Most High?”

12 Behold, these are the wicked;

And always at ease, they have increased in wealth.

13 Surely in vain I have [j]kept my heart pure

And washed my hands in innocence;

14 For I have been stricken all day long

And [k]reproved every morning.

15 If I had said, “I will recount thus,”

Behold, I would have betrayed the generation of Your children.

16 When I gave thought to know this,

It was trouble in my sight

17 Until I came into the [l]sanctuary of God;

Then I understood their end.

18 Surely You set them in slippery places;

You cause them to fall to [m]destruction.

19 How they become desolate in a moment!

They are completely swept away by terrors!

20 Like a dream when one awakes,

O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their [n]form.

21 When my heart was embittered

And I was pierced [o]within,

22 Then I was senseless and ignorant;

I was like [p]an animal [q]before You.

23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;

You have taken hold of my right hand.

24 With Your counsel You will lead me,

And afterward take me [r]in glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but You?

And [s]besides You, I desire nothing on earth.

26 My flesh and my heart fail,

But God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever.

27 For, behold, those who are far from You will perish;

You have [t]destroyed everyone who [u]is unfaithful to You.

28 But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;

I have set Lord Yahweh as my refuge,

That I may recount all Your works.

What did Asaph do? He expressed his questions to God. He went into the Lord’s presence like entering a sanctuary, and he gained new insights about the brevity of life for the wicked compared to the eternal glory afforded him by his faith (verses 15-24).

There’s a temptation when faced with spiritual questions to withdraw from God in frustration when we should withdraw to God in faith. We may not always understand our situations, but we’ll draw closer to the One who does understand.

Do you have spiritual questions? Go to God with them!

Faith does not eliminate questions. But faith knows where to take them.

Elisabeth Elliot

I pray that this has sparked a thought or memory in your mind. Have you had spiritual questions? Whom did you turn to for answers? Do you have current spiritual questions? To whom will you turn to for answers today? I trust that you hear the Spirit of God calling out to you to listen to the heart of God. Even when we struggle with life’s daily circumstances we can trust the providence, plan and eternal perspective of God. May you be richly blessed as you seek to rest in the loving provision of God for you and His desire to have you be with Him forever!

Pastor Dale