Notes of Faith November 5, 2025

Notes of Faith November 5, 2025

Fog Bells

The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door.”

Genesis 4:6-7

Ben Fogle is a popular British personality who had something of a breakdown two years ago. “I was being overstimulated,” he said. “I was doing too much, I was expecting too much of myself and I eventually popped, burst.” The problem, he said, was that he “didn’t listen to some of the little warning signs.”1

Neither did Cain. He should have learned from his parents that sin doesn’t pay. He should have followed the example of his brother Abel. He should have heeded the warning God gave him in Genesis 4:6-7. But he didn’t listen, and he is remembered today as a tragic figure, the first murderer in history, the man who shed his own brother’s blood.

Let’s have ears to hear. God has a lot to say to us—31,102 verses in the Bible. Let’s be still and have a quiet time every day, listening to His voice and heeding His directions.

God’s warnings are sent in love. They are fog bells to warn us of the rock that could wreck our souls.

Unknown

1“Ben Fogle Admits He ‘Didn’t Listen to Little Warning Signs, ’” Yahoo! News, February 24, 2025.

Gen 4:1-15

4 Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a manchild with the help of the Lord." 2 Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. 4 Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering; 5 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it." 8 Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

9 Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" 10 He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground. 11 "Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 "When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth." 13 Cain said to the Lord, "My punishment is too great to bear! 14 "Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." 15 So the Lord said to him, "Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." And the Lord appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him.

Rom 6:23

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Through sin, we have earned death and eternal separation from God. But because of God’s love, mercy and grace, we are offered forgiveness of sin, a new life and perfect communion with Him forever!

Rom 12:1-2

12 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith November 4, 2025

Notes of Faith November 4, 2025

Hide-and-Seek

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13

If you think hide-and-seek is a game only for youngsters, think again. Nearly fifteen hundred people in China set the record for the largest game of hide-and-seek in history. Elsewhere in Asia, the Japan Hide-and-Seek Association regularly holds games in interesting locations.

If we truly seek God, we will find Him, for He doesn’t hide from those who long to know Him. Deuteronomy 4:29 says, “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.”

One of the ways He makes Himself known is through His creation. When we see the majesty of God’s works all around us, it helps us grasp His grandeur. “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). Spend some time today in quiet contemplation and prayer, observing the majesty of His creation around you, and give thanks that He gives us the opportunity to seek and find Him.

I sing the mighty power of God that made the mountains rise; that spread the flowing seas abroad and built the lofty skies.

Isaac Watts

We cannot hide from God. God does not hide from us. If we pursue a true and intimate relationship with our Creator and Savior, the giver of eternal life, He will draw close to us! His Word is perfect and true and will guide us in every part of our lives.

Love God. Love others.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith November 3, 2025

Notes of Faith November 3, 2025

Bridges

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:17

Many people have a mistaken view of faith, thinking that faith is believing in something or someone despite the evidence and we have to take a “leap of faith.” That is nonsense. It doesn’t work in any area of life. You don’t step onto a rickety swinging bridge with rotten ropes and missing planks, just assuming the bridge will support you. To place your faith in the bridge, it would need to be anchored on both sides, sturdy, reliable, and trustworthy. Faith is believing because of the evidence. It’s not a leap into uncertainty but a step that is reasonable, logical, and sensible.

If the object of your faith isn’t worthy of your faith, your faith is inconsequential. When it comes to our eternal destiny, it’s not how much faith you have; it’s how much Jesus you know. The more you learn of Him, the more you’ll see the reasonableness of your faith in Him. Taking time to read God’s Word daily will help you learn more and grow in your faith. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

You do not need a great faith, but faith in a great God.

Hudson Taylor

Rom 10:9-15

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."

14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!"

The chosen 12, called apostles, sent ones, the ones that were representatives, ambassadors for Christ, were often spoken of as having little faith.  I desire mustard seed size faith, that I might be with Jesus, as those 12, learn from Him, grow in faith and trust in Him, simply by spending time with Him. 

Pray that God would increase your faith today!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith November 2, 2025

Notes of Faith November 2, 2025

Let in the Light

The Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to lead them on their way during the day and in a pillar of fire to give them light at night, so that they could travel day or night. — Exodus 13:21

Sometimes the darkness threatens to swallow me whole. Thoughts that swirl or an illness that lingers too long turn my “What if?” questions into a growing, overwhelming fear. Can anyone see me stuck here? What is to become of my countless worries that try to keep me struggling in the dark?

Have you also wrestled in the night without a straightforward way through? You’re in good company.

When God brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, He knew the temptations of their hearts to turn back when things got tough:

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road to the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearby; for God said, “The people will change their minds and return to Egypt if they face war.” So he led the people around toward the Red Sea along the road of the wilderness.

— Exodus 13:17–18

God longs for intimacy with us and is interested in developing our character.

He took the Israelites into a place where they would be completely dependent on Him, and along the way, they experienced something miraculous:

The Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to lead them on their way during the day and in a pillar of fire to give them light at night, so that they could travel day or night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never left its place in front of the people. — vv. 13:21–22

Look to the Lord to light the way.

The Lord went before them in a pillar of fire, illuminating the deep dark of the wilderness as they traveled unknown lands. He did not leave them alone there; He made His presence known, and day by day and night by night, He led them.

When we don’t know what to do, we can turn toward the One who does.

God goes before us, lighting our paths like a pillar of fire that brings us closer to His heart, even if we don’t have all the information or a situation lingers unresolved. Our comfort is closeness with the God of the Israelites, with the God of our hearts.

Look to the Lord to light the way. Do you see His miraculous presence?

When you are tempted to despair, stand in the strength of the Lord and His marvelous light. He is the one you can lean on, the one who leads you forward.

~ Sarah Freymuth

Where do you need God to help you through the dark? Look for His presence with you even now, and thank Him for leading the way.

Excerpted from Let in the Light by The Proverbs 31 Ministry Team, copyright Proverbs 31 Ministries.

God will never leave us nor forsake us…we are blessed to have God always with us, even when we don’t feel His presence, even when we sleep, God is always there!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith November 1, 2025

Notes of Faith November 1, 2025

Don’t Forget To Turn Your Clocks Back One Hour Tonight!!!

Living a Great-Full Life: How Great Is Our Salvation

How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.

Hebrews 2:3

According to the dictionary, something “great” happens when an event rises above what is normal or average. Jews in the first century certainly had a context for greatness. God’s deliverance of them from slavery in Egypt ranked as the greatest example of God’s salvation in their history (Deuteronomy 26:5-9). That is why it is celebrated every year at Passover.

So when the writer of the letter to the Hebrews referred to salvation as “great,” he was speaking to people who knew what that meant. And the salvation provided through Christ was even greater than deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Deliverance from Egypt was temporal while Christ’s salvation is eternal. Deliverance from slavery in Egypt was not as great as deliverance from the penalty of sin. Deliverance by means of the blood of a lamb was not as great as deliverance by the blood of the Lamb of God, God’s Son.

Thank God today for His greatest gift: salvation through the gift of His Son.

To God be the glory, great things He has done! So loved He the world that He gave us His Son.

Fanny Crosby

The only thing greater than the gift of salvation is the person of God Himself! You need a relationship with your Creator, Sustainer and eternal life giver! May you be blessed to know Him as your Savior…and if not…read a Bible, talk to one who follows Jesus, receive God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ today!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 31, 2025

Notes of Faith October 31, 2025

Getting Ready

Matt 25:1-13

"Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  2 "Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.  3 "For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,  4 but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps.  5 "Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep.  6 "But at midnight there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'  7 "Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.  8 "The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'  9 "But the prudent answered, 'No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.'  10 "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.  11 "Later the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.'  12 "But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.'  13 "Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Your teenage daughter is scheduled to attend a weekend youth retreat, and her ride is coming at 1:00 o’clock on Friday afternoon. At 12:45, you find her relaxing on her bed scrolling her phone. You ask, “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the retreat? You know Pastor Dale is always on time.”

Living in light of an approaching deadline is not just a problem for teenagers. The New Testament mentions it in light of the return of Christ. The apostle Peter calls end-time events “the day of God,” and he asks a most important question: “What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness” in light of the imminent return of Christ? Imminent means something could happen at any moment; it is the very next thing on the calendar. Prophetically speaking, the Rapture of the Church is imminent; it could happen today.

If you knew you would see Christ face-to-face later today, how would your life change? Live today as if the next person you see will be Jesus Himself.

How many Christians live their lives packed up and ready to go?

J. I. Packer

My personal belief is that the rapture of the church is the next big event on the prophetic calendar in Scripture…with the possible exception of the war in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39.  However, if the Lord is to return for His bride in your lifetime, do you not think it a good idea to be ready and waiting for Him?  If you are a believer and follower of Jesus, you will be caught up to meet Him in the air, but don’t you want to be found living righteous and holy instead of allowing the desires of the flesh to control your life… and that is when you meet Jesus face to face?!  Let us pursue Christ, to live in His holiness, fighting against the desires of the flesh for which Christ suffered and died, and seek wholeheartedly to be found serving our Lord when He returns for us. 

Col 1:9-12

9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 30, 2025

Notes of Faith October 30, 2025

Becoming a Kingdom Influencer

Your Kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

— Matthew 6:10

God’s Kingdom agenda is the visible manifestation of His comprehensive rule over every area of life. It involves God’s will revealed in real-time situations. Advancing His Kingdom agenda means intentionally committing your time, talents, and treasures to the revelation of His will on earth. 

You and I joined this representative group of Kingdom followers once we trusted in Jesus Christ for our personal salvation. We have been redeemed from a place of darkness and sin into the marvelous light of Christ for the purpose of representing heaven in earth’s history and, eventually, upon our death, eternity. Our role involves a resistance to cultural norms: refusing to be co-opted by the trends of today and instead representing Kingdom values in all we say and do. We are specifically designated to serve Heaven’s interests in the midst of a secular, declining, and evil society. 

The problem arises, though, when many of us get bought out by the culture. Far too many believers have sold out to society. They are owned by a set of values contrary to God’s Kingdom values, so much so that they are no longer representing the kingdom of God. They are instead Benedict Arnolds of God’s Kingdom. This causes great confusion when people look to believers to live out the principles of the Kingdom, but believers fail to do so. 

You are a Kingdom disciple living as a Kingdom servant while making a Kingdom impact that will resonate throughout all time.

And you do this through what we read earlier from 1 Peter, which says we are to

proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into

His marvelous light. — 2:9

You are to be a proclaimer of Christ. A more contemporary term would be Kingdom influencer. You are to use your status, time, talent, and treasures to influence others for God’s glory and the greater good of all. You are to serve notice on the culture that Jesus Christ is here and His Kingdom is alive and well.

As a Kingdom influencer, you are to proclaim the gospel to a lost world and bring glory to God. 

When your Christianity is visible, you’ll effect change.

New creations with a new purpose

Paul outlined this mission of ours as Kingdom influencers in 2 Corinthians 5, especially in verse 17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

and verse 20

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ...

Ambassador is another term for representative or influencer. In the political realm, an ambassador is duly deputized to go to another country and represent their homeland. They hold an official title and responsibility to represent the nation they’ve been sent out from. Thus, ambassadors sent from the United States are not promoting the culture of foreign lands as their primary goal. They are to promote the values and prosperity of the United States of America. 

Paul called each of us an ambassador who has been saved by Jesus Christ. As I’ve noted, our job is to take the values of the Kingdom of Heaven and promote them in the culture of this world. Whether this is on the job, in the marketplace, to family members, in your community, or even in your church doesn’t matter. What matters is that you promote God’s Kingdom principles everywhere you are. 

The moment the culture disagrees with God’s principles, you are to disagree with the culture. You are not an ambassador of earth. You are an ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven. Heaven’s values are to inform your words, worldview, concepts, and actions. They are to inform every aspect of your life because you are a citizen from on high. To acquiesce to the culture negates the purpose and effectiveness of your true role. 

Unfortunately, God has a lot of His followers keeping the title but failing to carry out the role. They are not representing the Kingdom of God in the culture of the world. Rather than repenting and returning to God when they veer off course, they have gotten comfortable with society and its ways. Thus they have become useless in advancing God’s Kingdom agenda on earth. 

Are you a Kingdom influencer?

The question you need to ask yourself: Am I a kingdom influencer? Are you making a difference on others or are you simply promoting the culture at large and its values? Are you seeking to bring about radical transformational change, or are you seeking to settle for the status quo? The way you answer those questions will quickly tell you how much of God’s Kingdom power you are unleashing in your life. God equips and provides for those who live according to His purposes. He has never stated that He will equip and provide for those who are apathetic to His Kingdom cause. 

When your Christianity is visible, you’ll effect change. You’ll unleash Kingdom authority. You’ll live as a Kingdom influencer making a difference. You must live as a visible, verbal follower of Jesus Christ, not as a secret-agent Christian. Now, you are to do this lovingly and with compassion and sensitivity, but you are to stand for what you know to be true. You are not to be ashamed of the gospel. You are not to be ashamed of God’s taking you out of darkness and placing you in the light. 

As Peter wrote,

Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing

in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. — 1 Peter 2:12

Thank you, Heavenly Father, that by Your grace You have saved me and made me an ambassador to share Your truth, light, grace, and goodness with others as I go. Amen.

Adapted from Unleashed by Dr. Tony Evans, copyright Dr. Tony Evans.

Chosen from before the foundation of the world…Came to faith in Jesus Christ through the hearing of the gospel.  Forgiven, saved, redeemed, made useful for the work of God in ministry to others that they might believe and come into the family of God and receive eternal life as we have.  May we even in a small way, begin to understand what God has done, is doing, and promises to do, in and through us, that He might be glorified and we infinitely blessed!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 29, 2025

Notes of Faith October 29, 2025

Welcome, Little Children

Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish

Matthew 18:14

After their exodus from Egypt, Israel was poised to enter the Promised Land of Canaan—but fear of the inhabitants held them back. Because of their disobedience, that entire generation of Israelites was forbidden from entering Canaan—except for their children who had “no knowledge of good and evil” (Deuteronomy 1:39). God did not hold the children responsible for their parents’ sinful decision.

The exemption of children from judgment because of their innocence is a pattern continued throughout redemptive history. Many a parent who has lost a child has wondered about the child’s eternal destiny. Even though children are born with a sinful nature, God’s compassion and mercy toward them will ensure their presence in heaven for eternity. God is not willing that even one of these little ones should perish in their innocence.

Christians can take great comfort in knowing that babies and children who are unable to fully understand the reality of their sinfulness will be welcomed into God’s presence for eternity.

God watches over the scattered dust of His own children, gathers it again, and will suffer nothing of them to perish.

John Calvin

Luke 18:15-17

And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. 16 But Jesus called for them, saying, "Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  17 "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it…

Childlike faith and trust bring one into intimate relationship with Jesus and our heavenly Father.  Obedience should follow, abiding in Christ, fellowship with the Holy Spirit living within.  We are created by God, for God, but must come to Him, believing that He is, that He loves us, that He is ruler over all things.  Let us worship our eternal loving God with the faith and trust of a child.  Let us love Him and cling to Him for His love, protection, provision, both now, and forevermore!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 28, 2025

Notes of Faith October 28, 2025

God's Name in Lights

Then the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush. As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed. So Moses thought, “I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered.

— Exodus 3:2-4

When my wife, Britt, and I were newlyweds, we kept learning new things about each other. She learned about my obsession with Chicago sports and deep-dish pizza. I learned about her passion for Hot Tamales candies and watching the same movie repeatedly. But one of the things she didn’t know was the name my family called me.

Britt had known me only as Joel. But my family and childhood friends called me Joey. Britt looked at me once and said, “Okay, Joey it is.” And since then, she’s only ever called me Joey.

Today, if you hear someone call me “Joey,” there’s a good chance we have a track record of trust and a relationship that is unique and special. In Exodus 3:2–4, we find a remarkable moment in the relationship between God and His people — the revelation of God’s name through the use of light.

Exodus 3:2 starts by saying that the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses “within a bush.” And then Moses saw an incredible thing: a burning bush that never burned up. When he explored further, the text explicitly says, “God called out to him from the bush.” Did you catch that? The angel of the Lord was within the bush, but then God Himself called out from the bush. So which one was it? And why is this even important?

First, let’s start with why it’s so important. Here we find that God uses “light” as an image to reveal Himself to His people. But then, a few verses later, God discloses His intimate name to Moses —Yahweh. This name is often referred to by Old Testament scholars as the Tetragrammaton, and mystery and deep reverence surround it because it’s so special. When I was in seminary learning Hebrew and had to read out loud, my professor would have us use an alternate word like Adonai when we came across the Tetragrammaton as a reminder of how sacred the Lord is. This was also the practice of rabbinic Judaism as a precaution against taking the name of the Lord in vain. The best translation of this name is

“I am who was, I am who is, and I am who will always be.”

Or, in other words, God is simply the great “I Am.”

When God revealed His name to Moses, it was an invitation to know Him in a unique way, just as those closest to me know me as “Joey.”

God is simply the great “I Am.”

Second, why does it matter that the “angel of the Lord” was “within a bush”? Biblical theologians make the observation that the angel of the Lord in the Old Testament was none other than the preincarnate Christ. And in the New Testament, Jesus referred to Himself as the great “I Am” in the Gospel of John (8:24, 28, 58; 13:19; 18:6).

In the Old Testament, God revealed Himself through fire. And simultaneously a seed was planted that was intended to anticipate the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus.

What an encouraging thought for us today.

No matter how dark things get for us, light always overcomes the darkness.

Light brings revelation, and there is no greater revelation than God Himself. Scripture continually reminds us that God has always been revealing Himself, He is revealing Himself, and He will continue to reveal Himself. As we grow in our knowledge of God, we can truly declare that He is the great “I Am.”

Scripture shows us that God longs for us to know Him. How has God shown Himself to you in the past? This could be a fresh understanding of who He is, an answered prayer, or a sign that showed your prayers were heard.

~ Dr. Joel Muddamalle

Excerpted from Let in the Light by The Proverbs 31 Ministry Team, copyright Proverbs 31 Ministries.

Light conquers darkness.  Darkness does not conquer light. 

1 John 1:5-7

5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Matt 5:14-16

14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;  15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Believers and followers of Jesus are called to be the light of God to the world!  Let us pursue what is righteous and shines light, not evil, deceitful, sinful, and spread darkness! 

Read the Word of God daily!  Let God fill you with His Word.  Ask the Father to help in your walk of faith to allow the Holy Spirit to control your mind and heart! Because of the person and work of Jesus…Amen!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith October 27, 2025

Notes of Faith October 27, 2025

Accompanied by Angels

So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom.

Luke 16:22

When a believer in Christ dies, there is activity that takes place that is unseen by those who may be in attendance at the time of death. According to Jesus, angels from heaven accompany the soul of the deceased to Paradise.

This insight is gleaned from a story told by Jesus about the deaths of two men: an unrighteous rich man and a righteous beggar named Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). In the story, when the beggar died, he was carried by angels into the presence of God. This story is not a fictitious parable told by Jesus but an actual account of two men He had known. In all the rest of His parables, Jesus never named any of the characters—but in this case He did, meaning this was likely a true account and that the details of the story, like the activity of the angels, were also true.

If you are in Christ when you die, you will be escorted to Paradise by angels from heaven. Remember that God’s care for His children extends to life after death as well.

O be of good cheer, there is nothing to fear, the angels have charge over thee.

Wildie Thayer

We have unseen angels watching over us as we live each day.  The Scriptures say that they are to minister to us in God’s will.  It may be these or others assigned to escort us on our heavenly journey into eternity!  God provides many blessings that we do not see.  That is what faith is…believing in what we do not see, believing, trusting, expecting God to complete His work through all of His creation!

Pastor Dale