Wisdom of The Week

    The most miserable person on earth has to be an atheist who suddenly feels grateful and has no one to thank!    If we are thankful for a beautiful sunset or a wondrous winter scene or the spectacular colors of fall, or for our good health, to whom do we give thanks if there is no God?  James 1:17 says, “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.”  But, if someone doesn’t acknowledge the existence of God, who is responsible for the wonderful gifts with which we are blessed?  

     The early settlers in our country stopped to give GOD thanks for their bounty. They KNEW the source–the providence of the Almighty God that had enabled them to come here and, with the help of some Native Americans, to learn how to live off the new land.  While we need to be thankful to others for the things they do for us or give to us, our ultimate thanksgiving must be to “God , who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy” (I Tim. 6:17).  Thanksgiving is the only sensible response to God who “so loved the world (of humanity), that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16).     “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (II Cor. 9:15), the “Gift which keeps on giving,”  “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him, freely give us all things?” (Ro. 8:32). 

   “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others” (Cicero). “It is only with gratitude that life becomes rich” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer).  You can’t be a happy person if you aren’t grateful. There is not a happy ungrateful person on earth.  Ungrateful people tend to think of themselves as victims and are filled with anger. (NOTE: Think about that as you consider the direction our culture has gone with its “Critical Race Theory” teaching of victimhood and racial injustice).  The road to spiritual apostasy is paved with the boulders of ingratitude.  Paul wrote this to the church at Rome: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness…for even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools…For this reason, God gave them over to degrading passions…” (Ro. 1:18-28).  Note that their spiritual decline began with suppressing the truth about God manifest in His creation and proceeded to not honoring God or “giving thanks.” Ungrateful hearts are a symptom of a decaying culture or individual. 

     As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, let us remember that true thanksgiving emphasizes the Giver rather than the gifts.  God alone should be the object of our thanksgiving. And, for the Christian, Thanksgiving is not to be just a  special day but a way of life. “In everything give thanks for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (I Thes. 5:18).  We should live with an “attitude of gratitude.”  My brother-in-law, Ray Kutz, who recently passed away and was always such a great encouragement and example to us of living with a grateful heart, wrote in one of his notes to us: “I’m always thankful when the roof doesn’t leak, the toilets flush and the lights come on!”  Amen!

I love the words of the chorus, “Give Thanks” by Henry Smith:   

                                  “Give thanks with a grateful heart; give thanks to the Holy One; give thanks–                                    because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son. 

                                   And now let the weak say, ‘I am strong:’  Let  the poor say, ‘I am rich,’ because of                            what the Lord has done for us…..and Give thanks.” 

Amen! Happy Thanksgiving,

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     According to the article, “Let’s Get Back to Basics,” in the July/August issue of Israel My Glory, “a recent Wall Street Journal/NORC survey found that values like patriotism, religion, and community involvement are in steep decline. Only 38 percent of  Americans in 2023 say patriotism is ‘very important’ to them, down from 70 percent in 1998. Twenty-five years ago, 62 percent of Americans considered religion ‘very important,’ while only 39 percent believe it’s significant today. Now, 30 percent of Americans believe raising children is ‘very important,’ compared to 59 percent in 1998. Americans who consider involvement in their community as ‘very important’ fell to 27 percent, down from a high of 62 percent in 2019. 

    Faith, family and patriotism are what hold our society together, but now “our social glue is losing its grip.”  Why?  Well, at the core of these values is a principle of selflessness which comes from the Bible. We find it in Philippians 2:3-5: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” Faith is trusting in God and His Word and not “leaning on our own understanding” (Prov. 3:5,6).  The family unit, consisting of a father, mother and children, is to be the basic unit of society and they are to love and support one another.  And patriotism means caring for your fellow countrymen and women, having pride in your nation and being willing to sacrifice to  meet the needs of others. Remember President John F.   Kennedy’s famous challenge: “Ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country?” 

     Now we live in a culture of “What can you do for me?”  Selflessness is being replaced with “selfies” and self-aggrandizement. One of the contributing factors is social media.  Research has shown that spending more time on social media leads to higher levels of narcissism, so it is no wonder that as social media has increased, our values have crumbled.  How many followers do you have on Facebook (or other social media)?  Did your last post get lots of likes?  In our social media obsessed world, it is very easy to become self-focused, for who among us doesn’t enjoy being the center of positive attention?  But, that is contrary to the principle of selflessness and humility described in Phil. 2:3-5. 

     “Another contributing factor to the decline of faith, family and patriotism is our (public) education system. Students from elementary school through college are being indoctrinated to abandon these shared bonds and are taught to dismiss faith in God, dismantle the nuclear family, and loathe the foundational principles that created our great country” (“Let’s Get Back to Basics!”). (NOTE: PTL, there are a remnant of schools that are holding on to basics!). In place of faith, family and country, students are being taught things like “Critical Race Theory,” transgenderism, and “Cancel Culture.” We have surely seen the evidence of this indoctrination in the recent pro Hamas/Palestinian and anti-Israel protests across our college campuses. 

     The solution to our problem of our “selfie society” is not through policy change in Washington. It needs to start in the home by reinstilling godly values. As we sit around the dinner table we need to turn off our phones, thank God for His provisions, connect as a family and get back to having family devotions, making them applicable to how to live in a culture that is anti-Christian.  We need to return to the basics that made this a great nation: a deep trust in our Sovereign God, strong families, and a love of country.  

      We need to remember, it is not about us, it is about Him.  We are here to spread the Good News about what He has done for us and who He is, and who we are in Him, to bring glory to His name.  I think of the ministry of John the Baptist whose role it was to introduce the Messiah to the world.  As he carried out his unique ministry, he gathered quite a following  and it would have been tempting with all that attention to lose focus and think it was about himself. But John definitely didn’t have a “look at me” or people-pleasing mentality; he called people out on their sins. No one got a hall pass, not even King Herod (Mk. 6…and it would cost John his life).  John’s mission was to shine the spotlight on Jesus. John’s disciples played the comparison game. “They came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness, behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him.’ John answered and said, ‘A man can receive nothing, unless it has been given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but , ‘I have been sent before Him’ (Jn. 3:26-28). John’s job was not to gain a name for himself, but to point people to Jesus. His motto in life was, “He must increase, but I must decrease”  (v. 30).  

     That’s a good example for all of us. As we turn the spotlight on Jesus, He will become the focus, and the attention placed on us will decrease. How might we do that in our activities today? For starters, you might consider what and why you post on social media. Maybe you can begin using it to glorify God and highlight another individual or organization that is doing His work. Let’s heed Paul’s advice to the Philippians and have the attitude Jesus modeled for us: “Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men…He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:5-8).  

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     In September our community hosts many of the world’s top chainsaw carvers to, over a three-day period, transform short logs into masterpieces of creative art.  It is so fascinating to watch a six-to-seven-foot bolt of Ponderosa Pine about 24 inches in diameter be turned into a black bear or a bald eagle or an Indian chieftain. As the chips fly,  the image begins to appear and soon is a great representation of the real thing.  The artists are truly very gifted and, in their minds, can visualize the final product hidden in that block of wood.  All they have to do is remove what doesn’t belong to the final image!  Easy enough, right?   Michelangelo, who was arguably the greatest sculptor in history, when asked to describe his craft, said, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” (Today In the Word, 9-26-23).  

     Being created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26,27), each of us, to some degree, is able to first visualize an object in our mind and then attempt to reproduce it, whether on a canvas  with paints and a brush or from a block of wood with a chainsaw or carving tools, or from a block of stone and a chisel.  Some, obviously, are much more gifted than others in their creative skills!  But each of us is a reflection of the One who made us, the Creator of the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1; Jn. 1:3; Col. 1:16).  But, unlike Michelangelo or the chainsaw carvers, God, being infinite, all-knowing, and all-powerful, didn’t even need to have the block of wood or stone. He could just speak something into existence!  But He often took what He had already created  (made from nothing) and then formed it into His desired product. For example, “The LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living  being…And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky…” (Gen. 2:7,19).  

      When we take time to really look at the universe God made, from the smallest little wild flower to the majestic mountains and powerful waterfalls to the beauty of a sunset or the spectacular colors of autumn, we cannot fail to see God’s grandeur and His artistic abilities. Even though nature cannot speak audibly, it communicates to us who God is. “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands” (Psa. 19:1).  But of all the work of God’s hands, man is the crown of His creation. The Psalmist, David, wrote: “You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings; and crowned him with glory and honor! You made him to rule over the works of Your hands; You put all things under his feet” (Psa. 8:5,6).  

     The Apostle Paul, like David the Psalmist, was in awe of God’s purpose for man in His majestic creation. In his letter to the Ephesian church, he wrote: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them: (Eph. 2:10).   The Greek word for “workmanship” is poiema, from which we get our English word, “poem.”  Poiema denotes “that which is made” and it is used only twice in the New Testament. In addition to Eph. 2:10, it is used in Rom. 1:20 where it refers to God’s creation. Just as a poem is an expression of the author, of his feelings, of his heart, of his abilities, so creation and all its beauty is the expression of the all-wise, all-powerful Creator, Jesus Christ.  The earth is full of the expressions of God. But, as beautiful as God’s handiwork is, you and I are God’s special masterpieces (Psa. 8). And then, just think–we can have a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe and spend eternity with Him!  Do you know Him? You can. Just admit you are a sinner and that Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty for your sins and rose again from the grave. Ask Him into your life to be your Savior and Lord (Ro. 3:23; 5:8; 6:23; 10:9-15; Jn. 1:12; 3:16; 5:24; I Jn. 5:10-15).  

     Then, as a “child of God” (Jn. 1:12) and “new creation in Christ” (II Cor. 5:17), God begins “conforming” (molding, sculpting, carving) us into the “Image of His Son” (Ro. 8:29).  He chips away that which is not “Christlike” to reveal that new, divine nature that now dwells within us (II Pet. 1:4).  The process isn’t always enjoyable, as the writer of Hebrews points out, but it is “for our good that we may share His holiness” and it ultimately will “yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Heb. 12:10,11).  At times we may balk or even rebel at the process (called “sanctification”… Jn. 17:17), but, Praise God, He will never give up on us. Paul wrote: “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).  

     “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 1:24,25). 

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     In the September/October issue of Israel My Glory, Friends of Israel Bible teacher Ty Perry related how British physician John Scott Haldane came up with an early warning system for workers in underground mines to protect them from poisonous gases. By the time they recognized they were in contact with one of these gases, it was often too late to escape. So, Dr. Haldane suggested they take canaries with them underground.  If the canary, which is far more sensitive to the effects of these gases, died, it was time to get out immediately–hence the origin of the idiom, canary in a coal mine. 

     Mr Perry observes how “the Jewish people are the canaries in the world’s cultural coal mines.  Where antisemitism is accepted, other forms of persecution will arise. History demonstrates that antisemitism is an early indicator of a troubled culture. And recent events indicate that the United States is a nation in peril.”  Ty Perry goes on to say, “As an historian, I can think of no democracy that tolerated antisemitism and remained  a vibrant democracy…Embracing Jew-hatred is one of the first indicators, not only of a culture in decline, but also of God’s impending judgment…Such societies are doomed because “...he who touches you (Israel), touches the apple of His eye” (Zech. 2:8).  This common phrase is often used to identify an object of one’s  special favor or affection. The “apple of the eye,” of course, is not a fruit, but the pupil of the eye, so essential for sight that it becomes an apt symbol for a highly valued possession. Three times in the Bible the phrase is used in reference to God’s chosen people, Israel (Dt. 32:10; Lam. 2:18 and Zech. 2:8). It is also used in reference to individual believers in (Psa. 17:7,8). 

     Way back in Gen. 3:15, we have the prophecy of how God would defeat Satan and provide redemption for mankind who had succumbed to Satan’s temptation to doubt God’s word and disobey His clear command. God said to the serpent (and thus to Satan), “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise Him on the heel.”  The “seed of the woman” (implying a virgin birth..cf Isa. 7:14) would come and defeat Satan but would suffer in doing so (speaking of the torture and crucifixion of the God-man, Jesus Christ…cf II Cor. 5:21).  From that time forward Satan attempted to prevent the “seed” from coming and, when unsuccessful, attempted to kill the “seed” before He could pay the penalty for sin. Again, he was unsuccessful. 

     Since the Gospel is the means of Satan’s defeat through Jesus Christ, and since Israel is the channel through which God will complete His redemptive work, Israel is Satan’s greatest threat. Antisemitism and its effort to eradicate the Jewish people are Satan’s best chance to thwart his forthcoming eternal judgment from God. Without Israel, Jesus Christ can’t return to Earth, restore God’s Kingdom on Earth, or sit on David’s throne to rule over Israel from Jerusalem as God promised. Satan has tried many times to wipe the Jewish people from the face of the earth. In Exodus, Pharaoh brought his army against them, but God intervened and provided a way of escape through the Red Sea. The book of Esther tells of Haman’s diabolical plan to eliminate the Jewish people, but God used Queen Esther to save her people from annihilation. Even the psalmist cried to God for help against those who conspired against Israel–people who said, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more” (Psa. 83:4). The holocaust in Nazi Europe was one of Satan’s more recent attempts to destroy God’s chosen people. But, again, Satan was unsuccessful and will continue to be, for God said,:“My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure…Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it” (Isa. 46:10,11); “Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant, O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me” (Isa. 44:21); “Thus says the LORD; Who gives the sun for light by day, and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that the waves roar; the LORD of hosts is His name; ‘If this fixed order departs from before Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘Then the offspring of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever.’ Thus says the LORD, ‘If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out below, then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel …” (Jer. 31:35-37).   We just observed a beautiful full moon and star studded sky this week–God has not forsaken Israel!   

     But Satan hasn’t given up. Early in the morning on the Jewish Sabbath, October 7, The Hamas conducted a massive attack targeting numerous towns, villages and Kibbutz in southern Israel. The vicious invaders murdered, raped, kidnapped, beheaded and tortured innumerable Israelis. Hezbollah joined in and attacked Israel from the north.  All these continued unsuccessful efforts to annihilate the Jews are proof that God is not finished with Israel. If He were finished, there would be no reason for Satan to expend such effort to wipe them out. Antisemitism has been around since Israel’s beginning and will remain as long as Satan sees Israel as the path through which Jesus will return and destroy him. This is why hatred of the Jewish people has spanned the centuries of time and continues to this day. 

     As horrific as these attacks on the Jewish people are, it’s equally alarming that there are those in our country who align themselves with the genocidal sentiment of wiping Israel off the map, as evidenced by the anti-semitic protests on college campuses and even within our elected leadership. Anti-Israeli protestors even displayed the Nazi swastika in New York City’s Times Square. 

     That brings us back to “the canary in the coal mine.” Don’t forget what was included in God’s covenant with Abraham. He promised him a land, a people and a blessing and added, “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse” (Gen. 12:3).   As the church of believers (also God’s “chosen” people), we need to stand up and oppose antisemitism, pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psa. 122:5), and pray for salvation for both the Jews and those who oppose them (I Tim. 2:1-4). 

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     Probably most of us have at some time experienced that uncomfortable burning sensation in our esophagus known as “acid reflux” or “acid indigestion,” or “heartburn.”  Sometimes the one-way-valve between the esophagus and stomach doesn’t close tightly enough and allows stomach acid to travel  back up into the esophagus, leading to the uncomfortable burning sensation. It often occurs after eating certain types of spicy foods.

     But, have you ever experienced “heartburn” from ingesting Scripture?  Well, we have a number of examples in Scripture, notably in the story of Jesus and the two disciples from Emmaus, recorded for us in Luke 24:13-35.   On the day of His resurrection, Jesus joined a couple who were returning from Jerusalem to their home in Emmaus (about a seven-mile walk). One of them is identified as Cleopas (v. 18) and the other may have been his wife (v. 32). Jesus asked them what they were discussing and they related to Him the events that had just taken place in Jerusalem as the religious leaders had delivered up Jesus the Nazarene to the sentence of death and crucified Him.  They indicated how they were hoping that He would redeem Israel. They added that it had now been three days since all this had transpired and that some women had gone to the tomb and found it empty and had seen a vision of angels who told them He was alive, and that others had gone to the tomb and also found it empty (vv. 22-24).  

      Jesus responded to their story, saying to them, ” ‘O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory!’ And beginning with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures”  (vv. 25-27…After all, history is His Story!).  As they approached their home, they invited Jesus to come stay with them. As they reclined at the table, Jesus “took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.  And they said to one another, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?’ ” (vv. 30-32).    Note the response of the two disciples in vv. 33-35.  They had to go tell someone so went back to Jerusalem and shared with the eleven apostles and those gathered with them.  God’s Word causes “heartburn” and motivates to witnessing about the risen Christ.  

     Do you remember how Jeremiah the prophet was given the very difficult task of warning Judah of coming judgment if they didn’t repent. They didn’t appreciate what he had to say and badly mistreated him. His severe testing produced momentary perplexity and Jeremiah complained to God (Jer. 20:7,8),. But, in the end, faith triumphed over his frustration and he too suffered “heartburn.”  Note Jer. 20:9: “But if I say, ‘I will not remember Him or speak anymore in His name,’ then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire, shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it.” In spite of how Jeremiah was being persecuted for speaking the true prophecies from God, he could not stop, for God’s Word was like a burning fire in his heart.     

     On one occasion, the Apostles Peter and John were summoned by the religious leaders who “commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard.’ ” (Acts 4:18,19).   Not long after that, Peter and some of the other apostles were put in jail by the religious leaders for teaching about Jesus’ resurrection. An angel sprung them from jail and told them to go to the temple and “speak the whole message of this Life” (Acts 5:20).  Again the religious leaders brought them in and said, “We warned you to stop teaching about Jesus!” (vv. 27,28).  Note their response: “But Peter and the apostles answered and said, ‘We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him’ ” (vv. 29-32). They obviously were suffering from “heartburn” just as the Emmaus disciples and Jeremiah. 

     The Apostle Paul understood what Jeremiah, Peter and John and the other Apostles went through, for he too suffered great persecution for teaching God’s Word (see II Cor. 11:21-33).  But, note what he wrote to the Corinthians: “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” (I Cor. 9:16). 

    What about us? Do we have that same “heartburn” to spread “His Story”?  We should!  If we don’t, we probably are not spending time in the Word and letting that Word get into us–into our heart.  If we are doing that, we will have a burning desire to share it with others. “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col. 3:16). 

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

This past September 8-10 in Libby, Montana, the world’s best chainsaw carvers gathered to display their amazing skills and to auction off their products. It is so fascinating to watch their progress from Thursday through Saturday as they turn a 5-7′ section of a big log into a bald eagle perched in a tree, or a canoe full of bear cubs, or a hummingbird, or salmon or bull moose. These carvers obviously have tremendous artistic abilities and can visualize the final product as they remove the portions of the wood that don’t fit that final image. When you see the details of their finished products it is hard to believe that it was all done with various sizes of chainsaws and attachments.  

     Their work is very similar to that of sculptors who use chisels instead of chainsaws and stone instead of wood.  In last month’s Today In the Word from Moody Bible Institute, September 26th’s devotional was about God as an artist.  The author, Ryan Cook, quoted Michelangelo, perhaps the greatest sculptor in history, who was asked to describe his craft, and his reply was: “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” Well, that is the same process for the chainsaw carver with his or her (There were a couple women carvers) block of wood. 

     In the Old Testament, we don’t find chainsaw carvers, but we do find potters who used their artistic abilities to shape clay into all sorts of vessels which they had first envisioned in their mind.  In order to teach the prophet Jeremiah about His sovereignty over the nations–Israel in particular– God sent him to the  potter’s house to observe how, when the vessel he was making was spoiled, “he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make” (Jer. 18:2-4).  Then God said to Jeremiah, “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does? Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel” (vv. 5,6). 

     The prophet Isaiah acknowledged that God was not only sovereign over nations, but also individuals, as he wrote:  “But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You are the potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand” (Isa. 64:8).  Similarly, the Psalmist wrote: “Know that the LORD Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves…” (Psa. 100:3).

     The Apostle Paul, in discussing the sovereignty of God in his letter to the believers in Rome, wrote: “…who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, ‘Why did you  make me like this,’ will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use?” (Ro. 9:20.21).  

     Since we provide kindling and campfire wood for a local grocery store, we finally bought a wood splitter a few years ago to speed up the process and save on the wear and tear on our bodies. In the instruction manual was this statement: “Inspect each log before splitting. Make sure there are no nails or foreign objects in the log.Talk to the log and explain what’s about to happen to make sure it’s properly prepared!”  (NOTE: The instructions also stated: “Only a single operator should load and operate the log splitter {we do it together!}. Keep all other living creatures, including children, pets and in-laws, a minimum of 20 feet away from the work area”!!) 

     Well, our Divine Sculptor/ Potter/ Carver does give us an explanation for what He is doing as He chips away at our lives, removing what doesn’t fit the finished product. He explains in Romans “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son...” (Ro. 8:28,29a).  God is at work, through all the events in our lives (good and bad from our perspective) to shape us into His image.  Ane we can be confident that “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). One day we will “stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy” (Jude 24). 

     Meanwhile, we are “work in progress” and the process of “sculpting” or “carving” or “molding” isn’t always enjoyable. “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful, yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness…He disciplines us for our good that we may share His holiness” (Heb. 12:11, 10b). The Apostle Paul (who experienced a lot of “shaping” in his life) wrote: “For I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Ro. 8:18). “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (II Cor. 4:17).  God is able to take all the broken pieces of our lives and make something beautiful. 

     That shaping process won’t be complete until God takes us home. Then we will experience the truth of I Jn. 3:2: “Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him because we shall see Him just as He is.”   So, please be patient, God is not finished with me yet!  We can have engraved on our tombstone: “END OF CONSTRUCTION–THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE!” 

Forever His and a “Work In Process,”

Pastor Dave

     So, how many scars do you have?  I was just thinking the other day of how each of my scars (I counted 14!) have a story to tell about my life. Some are from surgeries and others are from injuries.  For example, I have a scar on my forehead from when I was a toddler.  Our family had gone fishing and while there had a flat tire on our car (a ’36 Chevy, I believe it was). While my dad was changing the tire, he left the trunk lid open and I crawled in without his knowing it. Well he ended up shutting the lid on my head!  And then there is the scar on my left thumb. I was working for my brother-in-law (Kutz Builders) and cutting some trim for a countertop of a new house . I caught my thumb on the  tablesaw blade resulting in a blood streak up one wall and across the ceiling (both of which were freshly painted!). I could go on but I will spare you the gruesome details!   Suffice it to say that each scar is a reminder of an event in my life.  Chances are you have you own scars reminding you of the past.  

     With that in mind (my mind at least!), I can’t help thinking about one of our favorite recent Christian songs by Casting Crowns. It is entitled Scars in Heaven and speaks of the sorrow of losing a loved one but the comfort of knowing that all their “wounds have been erased.”  The chorus says: “The only scars in Heaven, they won’t belong to me and you. There’ll be no such thing as broken, and all the old will be made new. And the thought that makes me smile right now, even as the tears fall down,  is that the only scars in Heaven are on the hands that hold you now.” 

     Each of us incurs a number of scars in our sojourn here on this earth which is under the curse of sin.  And, many of those scars aren’t physically visible for they are emotional scars caused by being hurt by others or by suffering loss.  I think of the Apostle Paul’s list in one of his letters to the church at Corinth. He speaks of three times being beaten with rods, five times whipped with 39 lashes, and three times shipwrecked. But then he added, “Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure upon me of concern for all the churches” ( II Cor. 12:23-28). Paul also suffered some physical infirmity which he refers to as a “thorn in the flesh” (II Cor. 12:7-10).  In other letters, Paul speaks of how he was deserted by friends and co-workers.  Although Paul suffered greatly physically and undoubtedly was covered with scars, he also suffered emotionally and at times struggled spiritually, as reflected in Rom. 7:15-24 and  I Tim. 1:15.  Of course he also had his past life of persecuting Jesus’ followers to deal with as indicated in Phil. 3:13,14 and I Tim. 1:12,13.  

     But at the rapture, when Christ returns for His Church, we will all receive new glorified bodies like Jesus’ resurrected body (Phil. 3:20,21; I Cor. 15:51-53), except that we will be without scars and Jesus will still have His.  You will recall that on the evening of the day of Jesus’ resurrection, His disciples were hiding out “for fear of the Jews” when “Jesus  suddenly came and stood in their midst ( the doors still being shut) and said, to them,  ‘Peace be with you.’ And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples therefore rejoiced when they saw the Lord…But Thomas, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore were saying to him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’  But he said to them, ‘Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe’ ” (Jn. 20:19,20,24,25). 

     Well, a week later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them when “Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst…Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.’ Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ ” (Jn. 20:26-28).  

     Then a month later as the disciples watched Jesus ascending back to heaven, “two men in white clothing stood beside them; and they also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This (same)Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven’  ” (Acts 1:10b,11).  It would seem that Jesus will have His scars for all eternity for us to see as a testimony of what He did for us to enable us to join Him in heaven while all of ours (both physical and emotional and the memories that go with them) will be erased.  We will be reminded for eternity of the great love our Savior exhibited in laying down His life for us (Jn. 10:11,15 cf Gal. 1:4; Tit. 2:14). We will be reminded of Isaiah’s prophecy: “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed” (Isa. 53:5). We will be reminded that it was through Jesus shedding His blood for us that we were forgiven, released from our sins (Eph. 1:7; Heb. 13:12; Rev. 1:5).  We will join the heavenly choir praising God,  saying “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain …” (Rev. 5:12).  

     “The only scars in Heaven, they won’t belong to me and you. There’ll be no such thing as broken, and all the old will be made new. The only scars Heaven, are on the hands that hold you now. Hallelujah, hallelujah, for the hands that hold you now!”

In His hands,

Pastor Dave

     Over the past several months we have replaced the front axle and rear brakes on our Chevy Trailblazer; we have replaced the power steering pump (three times due to defective parts) and rack (twice) on our Chevy Impala; we have replaced broken fence posts and rotting rails in our field fence; we have restained our faded deck and replaced a rotting step.  I also put five gallons of driveway sealer on our asphalt drive pad.  We also built a new seven-foot lighthouse (a 1/30 scale model of the Cape Hatteras lighthouse on the N.C. coast). Our old one had rotten and was about to fall down.  I also finally took time to replace the washers in our outdoor spigots so they would shut off completely. I also had my annual trip to the dermatologist to have spots frozen with liquid nitrogen and Kathy had a couple trips to the dentist to get a crown for a broken tooth. 

      My sister just had a heart valve replacement and another good friend is going in for a replacement in October. Another friend just had a knee replacement and two others are soon going in for the same .  Oh yes, and our car is headed in next week for a brake job and to replace a leaky oil pan seal and then at the end of October to the body shop to fix a dented-in driver’s door and broken mirror. Kathy was just getting into the parked car downtown when a pickup backing out from across the street rammed into her. Her foot was not yet inside so got bruised as well. We are very grateful she was not still standing by the car!  And the list goes on!  I’m sure you could compile a similar list. 

     A few weeks ago in  my “Wisdom of the Week” I mentioned a law of science that resulted from the Fall in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. It is the Second Law of Thermodynamics, the “Law of Increasing Entropy ” which simply observes that things don’t last–they wear out, run down, rust, break and fall apart–and that includes our physical bodies.  Entropy is the natural tendency to become more and more random and disorganized. Entropy is a property of everything in the universe.  The Psalmist observed that “even the heavens will perish…All of them will wear out like a garment” (Psa. 102:25,26). God, speaking through Isaiah the prophet, said: “For the sky will vanish like smoke, and the earth will wear our like a garment…” (Isa. 51:6). 

     It is all because of sin and the curse placed upon the earth (Gen. 2:17; 3:14-19) and will remain there until Christ returns to earth to reign for 1,000 years and then on into eternity on a remade, restored earth where there will be no sin, no sickness, and no death (II Pet. 3:10-13; Isa. 11:1-9; Rev. 21:1-4; 22:1-5). Meanwhile, material things, including our bodies, are temporal–they don’t last, and the things we store up on earth are susceptible to destruction by moths and rust and being stolen by thieves (Mt. 6:19,20).  The Apostle Paul warned that we are not to “fix our hope on the uncertainty of riches” (I Tim. 6:17), and, along with Job and Solomon, declared, “We brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either” (I Tim. 6:7 cf Job 1:21; Eccl. 5:15) Eccl. 5:15).  

     However, even in this corruptible world, some things are incorruptible. There are a few things that last, that are unchanging: God, His Word, the souls of people, and the believer’s inheritance in heaven. .The Psalmist, after speaking of things wearing out like a garment and changing, continues with this statement: “But Thou art the same, and Thy years will not come to an end” (Psa. 102:27).  Speaking to the prophet Malachi, God said, “For I, the LORD, do not change” (Mal. 3:6). “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes, and forever” (Heb. 13:8).  God is eternal. He has always existed and will continue to exist, and He is immutable (unchanging). 

     God’s Word is also unchanging. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever”  (Isa. 40:8).  The Apostle Peter wrote: “For you have been born again, not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is through the living and abiding word of God” (I Pet. 1:23) and then he goes on to quote Isa. 40:6-8. Jesus Himself said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away”‘ (Mt. 24:35).  When God revealed His word through the 40 human authors, it was exactly what He wanted us to know and everything we need to know about Him, about His plan of redemption through Jesus Christ, and about how to have eternal life through Him. With the book of Revelation, His “Once-for-all-delivered-to-the-saints faith” was complete (Jude 3). God spoke and He did not “stutter.” He said exactly what He meant and, since He does not change, His Word does not change. It is applicable to every generation in history–including ours. We are to conform our lives (and our culture) to His Word, not His Word to our lives or culture!

     The souls of people will also last forever. Though our bodies may die, our souls will continue living on. We had a beginning, as we were conceived in the womb, but we will live on eternally in one of two destinations, heaven or hell.  And our bodies will be resurrected and equipped for living forever.  Jesus said, “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life; those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment” (Jn. 5:28,29).  In speaking of that judgment, Jesus said: “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Mt. 25:46).  Eternal life awaits both believers and unbelievers.  The souls of people will last forever…where will you spend eternity? 

     The fourth thing that will last forever is the inheritance of those who have, through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ for their sins, received eternal life (Jn. 3:16; 5:24).  When we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, we become children of God (Jn. 1:12), “and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…” (Ro. 8:17). Although the things of earth are temporal and no matter how much we may have accrued here, at the time of death, we leave all that behind (You won’t see a U-Haul behind a hearse!), we can send it on ahead. We can lay up treasures in heaven (Mt. 6:20) by “Seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Mt. 6:33), by faithfully serving the Lord and following the course He lays out for us (Eph. 2:10 cf II Tim. 4:6-8). And, in contrast to the things of earth which do not last, listen to this description of our inheritance in heaven: “…an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (I Pet. 1:3).   Now, that is something to get excited about and for which to praise God!  Do I hear an AMEN?

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     It was 22 years ago today, but the horrific image is indelibly etched in our minds. We watched on television in horror and disbelief as the giant twin towers of the World Trade Center came tumbling down, killing and burying thousands of victims. What epitomized the strength and stability of our nation collapsed in a matter of minutes, leaving thousands of tons of rubble and twisted  metal and a toxic cloud of dust and ash that covered much of New York City. What a picture of the transitory nature of man’s accomplishments, the frailty of man and the uncertainty and brevity of life, and of course, the depravity of man as manifested by the horrible acts of the terrorists. 

     In contrast, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe” (Pr. 18:10). The word tower occurs 50 times in the Bible and refers to a military fortress. “Cities had towers built into the corners of the wall as defensive fortifications. They also had a tower in the middle of the city as a final stronghold if the enemy was able to breach the outer wall. If you lived in a city in ancient Israel, these towers would be a daily visual reminder of a place of safety and security” (from Friday, September 8th in Today In the Word, a monthly devotional from Moody Bible Institute). 

     Our hope as believers in Jesus Christ is not in any material “towers,” or in a strong military or a strong economy. Our hope is in the LORD, our “strong tower” that no terrorist nor any other power on earth can take down.  “Some boast in chariots, and some in horses; but we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God” (Psa. 20:7).  “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though the waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride…The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold”  (Psa. 46:1-3,7).  

     The Psalmist, David prayed, “Hear my cry, O God, give heed to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to Thee, when my heart is faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For Thou hast been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy…He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken…God is a refuge for us” (Psa. 61:1-3). Hymnwriter William B. Bradbury, penned these words: “On Christ, the solid Rock I stand–all other ground is sinking sand.”  The LORD God is our “strong tower,” He is our “refuge and strength,” He is our rock, He is our stronghold.  Therefore, no matter what may come, “we will not fear” (Psa. 46:2).   

     Whatever adversity you are facing today, whatever “towers” in your life have come crashing down, if you belong to Christ, you have a place of refuge, a place of peace, a place of safety in the One who is Sovereign over all. “Thine, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O LORD, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all” (I Chr. 29:11).   AMEN!

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     For many, this past weekend has been the last opportunity to get out and enjoy a summer vacation before things get back to the routine of school and the work-a-day world.  Today we celebrate “Labor Day” which was established by Congress on June 28, 1894 as a legal holiday to  recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well being. We “celebrated” by making a trip into the forest this morning to get a load of campfire wood (which we supply for a local grocery store) and then spent the afternoon working in the garden to harvest and put it to bed for the fall.  WE count it both a privilege and a blessing to still be able to get out and work hard. 

     That is apparently not the case for some, for as we drive around our community and travel to other towns, we see many “We Are Now Hiring” signs.  Some businesses have had to cut back because they can’t get workers.  One of Kathy’s brother’s son-in-law who has heavy equipment was recently looking for a truck driver to haul gravel for him and checked in all the towns around his work and could find none. He finally got someone from Hawaii!

     So, is work a curse or a blessing?  I guess the answer is both. When God first created man, He gave him work to do. Although “The LORD God planted a garden,…He put him (Adam) into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.” (Gen. 2:8, 15).   Having to work for one’s living is not a divine punishment for man’s sin, as some people interpret it, but rather a divine benefit for man’s good. Even when the curse brought upon the earth because of sin is gone, there will still be work to do. We read in Rev. 22 a description of the eternal state and verse three states: “And there shall no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the lamb shall be in it and His bond-servants shall serve Him.”  Man was created for work and that will continue on into eternity. It is, therefore, a God-given privilege to be able to do useful work, whether that work consists of preaching God’s Word or improving God’s world. Solomon, in his God-given wisdom, wrote: “Whatever your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or wisdom in Sheol  where you are going” (Ecc. 9:10). Though much of life is futile–as Solomon points out earlier in Ecclesiastes–one must grasp its opportunities and use them to the fullest in serving God. There will be no such opportunities in the grave. As Jesus said, “The night comes, when no man can work” (Jn. 9:4). 

     No matter what work God has provided for us to do, it is important to obey the admonition given by the Apostle Paul: “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve” (Col. 3:23,24). As believers, we all work for the same Employer!  “Our position, as followers of Christ, gives every job we do a higher, clearer, ultimately more satisfying purpose” (Paul Nyquist, past president of Moody Bible Institute). It’s a matter of taking up each duty, no matter how mundane, humble, or trivial, and asking God to bless it and put it to His intended purpose. That takes away the drudgery and turns it to “holy work.” 

     There are some who seem to really love work. They can sit around and watch it for hours!  And then there are those who are like blisters. They don’t show up until the work is all done.  Others seem to believe that work is for people who don’t know how to fish and don’t like to golf!

And, too many stop looking for work when they get a job!  Many view work as a “necessary evil” to make money to buy the things we want and do the things we want to do. We need money, but money is not the main reason for working, and by itself, does not make a job “useful.” A job’s worth is not defined by what it allows you to do when not working. 

     Physical labor, was devalued in the ancient world. The only exception was farming, which was considered the proper pursuit of citizens. All other labor was viewed as demeaning. When plantation agriculture replaced small farms, the work of farming was also demeaning and relegated to slaves.  The biblical view of work, however, is completely different. Scripture presents work as a good thing, an essential part of what it means to be made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26,27). Because God created us to work, it’s inherently connected to our worship and dignity. A job should employ God-given talents in a way that glorifies Him.  Work isn’t just a platform for ministry. It is ministry!   As we do our work “heartily, as for the Lord” (Col. 3:23),  our work can move from drudgery to a renewed and redeemed way of thinking and living. Our work is God’s normal way of providing for us. Remember, “God gives every bird his worm, but He doesn’t throw it into the nest!” (P.D. James). God expects us to work for our “daily bread.”  One of the teachings of the early rabbis was, “If you do not teach your son a trade, you teach him to be a thief” (see Eph. 4:28 and II Thes. 3:10).

     So, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (I Cor. 10:31).

Forever His,

Pastor Dave