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

Notes of Faith November 19, 2024

Notes of Faith November 19, 2024

Good Answers

I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

2 Timothy 1:12

Peter Byrom became a confirmed atheist while reading Richard Dawkins’ book The God Delusion. But then he discovered a group of Christian thinkers who presented convincing reasons why believing in God was logical and why faith could be intellectually credible. Cracks began appearing in his atheism. “Intellectually the barriers to belief were coming down and the questions being answered,” he said. When a friend of his became a Christian, Peter saw the changes that happened in his life. Peter’s mind became convinced of the truthfulness of Christianity, and his heart followed.1

Sometimes we have hard questions. That’s okay. God welcomes honest questions that can help us grow in our faith! He has good answers. It’s good to look for answers from knowledgeable sources. But use wisdom with regard to whom you speak. You wouldn’t want to harm another’s faith with your own doubts.

The Lord will strengthen your faith as you sincerely seek Him and His wisdom.

“Don’t be conned.” Faith is not “belief without evidence” as Dawkins says, but is “placing your trust in what the evidence shows you.”

Peter Byrom

1. Gavin Matthews, “Disillusioned With Dawkins: My Journey From Atheism to Christianity,” Solas, February 4, 2019.

Romans chapter 10

Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. 2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For not knowing about the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the [a]end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of law: “The man who does these things shall live by them.” 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or ‘Who will go down into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 [b]that 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, [c]leading to righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, [d]leading to salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes upon Him will not be put to shame.” 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 calls 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 And how will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim good news of good things!”

16 However, they did not all heed the [e]good news, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Mankind cannot respond to God without the Spirit of God working in his heart upon hearing the “truth”, the Word of God!

We pray for God to draw people to Himself, to soften their hardened hearts, to submit to a glory higher than their own, and come in repentance and faith to the holy and righteous Son of God, seeking forgiveness and salvation. This we should pray for all people God creates, and be a further blessing to those God puts within our sphere of influence. Come to Jesus. You will be transformed from death to life, a new creature, one who will escape the judgment of unbelief and enter into the blessing prepared by God for all those who seek His face and His will in their lives. May God grant you an open heart to hear His voice calling your name today!

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith November 18, 2024

Notes of Faith November 18, 2024

Don’t Guard in Vain

Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

Psalm 127:1

“Who will take the first watch?” We hear that phrase often in films depicting armies or other groups in conflict. The modern word for the person standing guard is sentry; the ancient (biblical) word was watchman. Different words but the same purpose: to provide protection by watching for and warning of the approach of those who would do harm.

In the Old Testament, when cities had walls and gates, the watchmen would stand atop the walls or gates in order to see anyone who approached the city. Watchmen would even patrol the streets of the city during the night (2 Samuel 18:24-27; Song of Solomon 5:7; Isaiah 21:11-12). The psalmist used the image of the watchman to describe God as the true protector of the family (Psalm 127). Unless God stands guard, our best efforts are “in vain.” How do we enlist God to be our family watchman? By prayer, by adhering to His Word, and by clothing our family in the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Trust God to protect your family by dedicating each member to Him for His glory.

Trust God in the faith that He gives you and pray for His watch over you and your family. Being obedient to His Word, and often in prayer are the weapons of our warfare with those who would tear down and destroy the lives that God has given in our heritage. May you be blessed to see your children and children’s children come to faith in Jesus and follow Him intimately as you walk this life with them.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith November 17, 2024

Notes of Faith November 17, 2024

Worship That Makes Dead Things Alive

Read Ezekiel 37:1–10.

I’m writing this on the heels of a really discouraging conversation. A friend I love has lost his faith in God — in His love, in His Word, in His existence.

His arrival at this place wasn’t sudden. It involved a journey of both of us watching the things he held precious get taken away. This loss includes watching what he thought his life was going to be give way over the years to what his life has become. As I listened to him, and as I ponder it now, I have nothing but empathy and sadness for him. To be honest, I’m cheating an eye upward — an accusatory side-glance to Heaven:

God, where were You? God, where are You?

I’m searching for a metaphor for what I’m feeling. I started with the picture of me standing by my friend’s hospital bed, hearing the beeping of the machines that are keeping him on life support. But that metaphor doesn’t go far enough. There’s still a bit too much hope in a situation like that. Really, it feels like I’m standing at my friend’s graveside. Past the point of hope.

A lot of people who come through the doors of the church carry dire stories in their hearts, often sealed in a chamber just under the surface. They might be like me — carrying the burden of the spiritual death of a loved one. Or they might be carrying their own deadness or the grief of a dead situation. Either way, it’s a feeling of utter hopelessness. It’s not 99 percent despair and 1 percent hope. It’s not life support. It’s death.

Sometimes we must strain through tears to remember that God works with dead things.

Dead things even seem to be God’s choice creative raw materials. The prophet Ezekiel shows us this. At the end of this story stands a strong, healthy army, but the raw materials aren’t wounded soldiers but bones. And the Bible wants to make it doubly clear how dead these raw materials are. These are dry bones. No tissue, no life, no moisture left.

Sometimes we must strain through tears to remember that God works with dead things.

So how does God do it? Well, He does it through a regular feature of a worship service: the proclamation of the Word of God. God interrogates Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel’s answer is funny: “O Lord God, You know.” It sounds like a respectful way of saying, “Of course not! They’re bones! But I’m not about to say that to You, because You’re God.” And so God tells Ezekiel to proclaim, to prophesy. And as God’s Spirit moves Ezekiel to proclaim the Word of the Lord, dead things come alive.

It takes the rest of the Bible to fill out just how this moment worked. We must journey to the other end of the Scriptures to realize that any and all death-raising comes from the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is the Word of God (John 1:1) and whom Paul calls the “firstfruits” of all subsequent resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23). When Ezekiel prophesied, he was ultimately preaching the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ — who He is and what He has done. This is what hearing the Word of the Lord always ultimately means.

Worship services, at their best, are always held at gravesides.

God loves camping out with His people in valleys of dry bones. Why? Because worship services are places of prophecy, Spirit-filled locations where the Word of God can be unleashed to do resurrection work. Worship songs and hymns that sing the Word and allude to the Word; prayers saturated with the Word; sermons that preach the Word; sacraments and ordinances that give the Word to our five senses — they’re all, through the Spirit, packed with resurrection power.

Sometimes a service filled with that Word reminds our despairing hopelessness that there is hope, even at a graveside. When we’re reminded of the power of the resurrecting Word, we’re filled with hope that God can take the dead things in the world and bring them to life again. And so we can turn to prayer, particularly to ask the Holy Spirit to unleash the Word to faithfully do this hope-giving, life-inspiring work. And maybe, just maybe, a resurrection will be waiting for us on the other side of our dry-boned valleys.

Excerpted from Before We Gather by Zac Hicks, copyright Zachary M. Hicks.

I worry about many people who “seem” to lose their faith and trust in God, because of what I see or don’t see in them. But God is the only One who knows the heart. He will lose none that belong to Him. If the one we worry about came to Christ in true believing faith, God having received such one into His family will never let Him go. We must trust God and His Word that tells us once we are in His hand there is nothing that could take us out of it. We may be looking a someone in despair of great loss…could there have been anyone that lost all more than Job? He could have cursed God and died. But indeed, God does bring dead things back to life, for you and I were dead in our trespasses and sin and would never have even considered coming to Christ were it not for the Father drawing us to Himself, making us alive in our Spirit, making us new and whole through faith in Jesus. Yes, we may worry. But God is faithful to fulfill all of His promises. We need not worry so much…we need to trust God and pray for His will to be done. We will be very surprised at what we find in heaven when we meet our time to join Him there.

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith November 16, 2024

Notes of Faith November 16, 2024

The Excellent Way of God

In this psalm, David recounted all the great things God had done for him. His gratitude overflowed into a litany of praise. God had been his Rock, fortress, shield, and Savior.

He had given David protection from enemies, answers to his prayers, and strength to endure. He had steadied his feet, straightened his path, and lightened his darkness.

It’s no secret that David was far from perfect. He messed up and sinned in pretty major ways, but he also strove to remain obedient and faithful with God as his refuge and strength. Through sickness and attacks, distress and discouragement, David kept turning his attention to God, remembering the ways God loved and delighted in him. This act of recounting God’s mercy and goodness helped David recognize God’s faithfulness and remain on His path.

This act of remembering, of turning and returning our thoughts to all the excellent ways of God, remains a valuable practice for us today, helping us notice how God is working and moving in our lives, and giving us courage to keep trusting in His faithful love to keep walking in His perfect way.

Silence

Begin with a time of silence.

Still your body... Slow your breathing... Quiet your mind.

Focus on being fully present in this moment, right here, right now.

Focus on being fully present in this moment, right here, right now.

Opening Prayer

All-sufficient Lord,

As the light of dawn breaks through the darkness, may the light of Your love break through my doubts and fears, revealing a landscape of grace, every shadow in the shade of Your presence.

I invite You to speak to me, to search my heart and shape my life. Show me what is excellent.

Open my eyes to see You.

Open my ears to hear Your voice. Open my heart to receive Your Word. Open my hands to accept whatever You give.

Draw close to me, Lord, as I draw close to You.

Amen.

Read & Meditate

Read through the Bible passage three times, taking time to pause and pray and quietly listen to the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart.

God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection. For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? God arms me with strength, and He makes my way perfect. He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights. He trains my hands for battle; He strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.

You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; Your help has made me great. You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping. — Psalm 18:30–36

Excerpted from Present in Prayer by Jennifer Tucker, copyright Jennifer Tucker.

I struggle with righteousness and holiness and pursuing God with all my heart every day. I find a soothing peace when I am in God’s Word. I recommend that you be in it as often as you are able…certainly no less than daily. Everything that we need to make it through each day is contained in God’s Word through command or example of the lives written therein. What did you read about today? What are you going to read about today?

Pastor Dale

Notes of Faith November 15, 2024

Notes of Faith November 15, 2024

The Messy Home

[God] is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.

Ephesians 3:20

Ever since Adam and Eve, families have been messy. Even the best of families encounter stress and complications. Our deepest hurts often involve our deepest loves. The Lord knows all about that. His own earthly family—the Church—can be messy too. What do we do when things are not going well?

We cannot control other people, but we can bring our own lives under the Spirit’s control. We can ask Him for patience, for influence, for the ability to minister grace to grief. We can leave our deepest burdens with Him, remembering the words of Luke 18:1, that we “always ought to pray and not lose heart.”

In building a successful family, you must put God at the head of it—the center of everything. Ask God to take control, and let it begin with allowing Him total control over your own life. Ask for greater measures of the fruit of the Spirit, qualities like love, joy, patience, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control. We must draw on God’s grace and rely on His timely intervention. The Lord is certainly more able than we are—“exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.”

In a Christian home, there’s something special. It’s called grace.

Robert Wolgemuth

He is able, more than able,

To accomplish what concerns me today

He is able, more than able,

To handle anything that comes my way

He is able, more than able,

To do much more than I could ever dream

He is able, more than able,

To make me what He wants me to be

Messy yes, but God is in control of my life. I belong to Him. He will lead me and bring me home, complete and perfect in Christ. I pray this is true for all who read this…KNOW that you belong to the Lord. You may be able to fool yourself and others, but you cannot fool God. He knows who belongs to Him. Are you one of His sheep? If not, or you are not sure, repent of your sin, pray for forgiveness and the salvation that is only available through Jesus Christ. Come to Him today, you may not be able to tomorrow.

Pastor Dale