Wisdom of The Week

     In 1953, a fledgling company, Rocket Chemical, set out to create a rust-prevention solvent and degreaser to use in the aerospace industry. Working in a small lab in San Diego, California, it took them 40 attempts to get the water-displacing formula worked out, naming the product “WD-40.”  By 1973, the company, now called “The WD-40 Company, Inc., began marketing their product over the counter in retail stores. Today the majority of households have at least one of the familiar blue and yellow cans of WD-40 in their home or shop.  Though mainly used as a solvent, it has lubricant-like properties that do not come from the substance itself, but from dissolving components. It has many uses other than as a solvent or lubricant. You can use it to waterproof your shoes or boots, get gum out of your hair or remove a paint rub on your car. You can use WD-40 to break in a new ball glove, to remove tight rings, kill weeds or remove lime stains from a toilet bowl. And the list goes on and on. One list online shows 1000+ uses for WD-40! Check it out!

     We could find a similar background for and applications of “Duct Tape.”  Someone suggested that “There are two essential items every household and every toolbox needs : W-40 and Duct Tape. If something won’t move and should, use WD-40. If it shouldn’t move and does, use Duct Tape!”

     Well, while the magic liquid in a can of WD-40 can lubricate, remove, preserve and safeguard all kinds of stuff, there’s a much more priceless spiritual item that all believers “in Christ” need to have on hand and apply to their lives to preserve them, remove stains, and keep them moving and to protect them from the world’s evil influences.  That spiritual “item” is the precious Word of God, the written revelation of God to mankind we know of as the Bible, the collection of some 66 separate books which make up the canon of the Scriptures, given by inspiration of God and infallible in their original recording. 

     It is through this recorded revelation from God that we discover who God is and what His plan is for bringing sinful man back into a right relationship with Himself through God the Son, Jesus Christ, who gave His life as a sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins. (II Cor. 5:20; I Pet. 2:24).  By faith in Christ’s work at the Cross and His subsequent resurrection, we are “born again” (Jn. 3:3), washed clean by the Word of God and regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 15:3; Eph. 5:25,26; Tit. 3:5,6). We become “new creatures” in Christ (II Cor. 5:17) as Christ comes to live in us through the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6:19,20; Gal. 2:20). But, we still have our old sinful nature (Gal. 5:17) so need to learn to depend on Christ and “walk by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16) in obedience to God’s Word to avoid falling back into following the lusts of our flesh (old nature). 

   Thus it is so important that we not only have a Bible on the shelf, but that we spend time in it every day, allowing it to be the “lamp unto our feet and a light unto our pathway” (Psa. 119:105).  By living in adherence to God’s Word, we can keep our life pure (Psa. 119:9).  We can avoid sinning by treasuring God’s Word in our heart (Psa. 119:11). So, it’s important, not only to spend time reading Scripture, but memorizing key verses and meditating on them.  Paul challenged his understudy, Timothy, to be diligent when it came to studying God’s Word, to “handle accurately the word of truth” (II Tim. 2:15), for “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable, for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (II Tim. 3:16,17). 

     Whether it is interpersonal relationships in a family or at work or in our friendships, or our involvement in this world, or our attachment to material things, or our health, or our eternal future, or our worldview, the Bible has applications for us. God’s Word is sufficient for every need we may have. WD-40 may have more than 1,000 applications, but God’s Word had unlimited applications to answer our questions and meet our needs.  How precious is God’s Word to you?  Do you make it part of your daily life?  Here is Jeremiah’s comment about the value of God’s Word: “Thy words were found and I ate them and Thy words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart” (Jer. 15:16).  The Psalmist, David, wrote this about what the Scriptures meant to him: “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes…The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward” (Psa. 19:7-11). 

     And they had only a few books of the Old Testament. We have the completed revelation from God, including the Gospels, The Acts, the epistles, and Revelation.  What a precious possession–God’s “WD-40” for our every need.  Don’t let it sit and gather dust. Use it! Read it and heed it!

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     Sometimes in the springtime here in Northwest Montana, we experience some flooding if the mountain snowpack melts too quickly due to an early warm rain, especially if the creeks still have ice on them and there is nowhere for the water to go but over the banks.  Such was the case the spring we moved back here from Oregon. Shortly before we arrived the creeks which flow through the town of Libby, Flower Creek and Parmenter Creek, flooded and went through many residential areas. Our home church (of which Kathy’s dad was the first pastor), Faith Bible, was in the direct path of the flood waters and the basement filled with water.  Everything in the basement was ruined–everything, that is, except a big Bible that rested on the communion table. The table floated and the Bible remained dry, symbolic of how, though the material things of life are fleeting and will pass away, God’s Word remains. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isa. 40:8 cf Mt. 5:18).  

     Our neighbors, the Moodys, own a laundromat and beauty salon.  It is also where I teach a men’s Bible study on Thursdays in a room used for EMT training classes.  A couple of years ago they had a fire break out.  The Moodys’ son was inside ready to close up for the night when he discovered the fire and called for help. Providentially it was the night the firemen have their meeting just a few blocks away and they were there within just a few minutes and got the fire out but there was structural damage and everything inside was ruined from either smoke or water damage–everything except a wall painting done by the owner and a Gideon Bible that was sitting on top of the coin change box–again symbolic of the one thing we can count on to endure and can put our hope in–the Word of God (and the “God of the Word”).

     Many attempts have been made throughout history to destroy all the Bibles and eliminate Christianity. So, how has that worked out?  God’s Word still remains the number one selling book and its message is still changing lives as Christ is building His Church just as He promised: “I will build My church and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it” (Mt. 16:18).   Famous French philosopher and skeptic, Voltaire, stated on his deathbed that, as a result of his teaching and writings, the Bible and Christianity would disappear in 100 years. But, 50 years later, the Geneva Bible Society used Voltaire’s press and home to print and store Bibles and 100 years after his death–to the very day–an ancient manuscript of the Bible was sold in London for more than $10,000  while Voltaire’s own works were getting pennies on the Paris book market!

     “The Bible stands like a rock undaunted ‘Mid the raging storms of time; It’s pages burn with the truth eternal, and they glow with a light sublime

     The Bible stands like a mountain tow’ring far above the works of men; its truth by none ever was refuted, and destroy it they never can.

     The Bible stands and it will forever, when the world has passed away; by inspiration it has been given, and its precepts I will obey.

     The Bible stands every test we give it, for its Author is divine; by grace alone I expect to live it, and to prove and to make it mine.”…….. The Bible stands by Haldor Lillenas

     Another symbol of the hope that we, as believers, have in Jesus Christ is the cross which represents the place where the God-man, the Mediator between God and man, paid the price to redeem us from the penalty of sin. In the Apostle Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he wrote: “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all…” (I Tim. 2:5,6).  Every time we see a cross, we should be reminded that no matter what our “lot in life” or the conditions of the world in which we live, God loves us and demonstrated that love at the cross, and that we have a glorious hope of a bright future awaiting us.  Paul speaks of the “steadfastness of (our) hope” (I Thes. 1:3).  That hope is based on the fact that both the cross and the tomb empty, for God the Father was satisfied (propitiated…Ro. 3:25) by Christ’s sacrifice and proved that the “Lamb of God” had, once and for all,  taken away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29 cf Heb. 10:10-14), by raising Him from the dead. Jesus was “delivered up because of our transgressions (died for our sins), and was raised because of our justification (Ro. 4:25).  So, when we put our trust in Jesus and His atoning sacrifice and subsequent resurrection, we pass from death to life (Jn. 5:24) and are “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (I Pet. 1:3,4).  We now have “Christ in us, the hope of glory” (Col. 3:27).  

     On Sept. 11, 2001 terrorists crashed airplanes into the Twin Towers in N. Y. City,  As the smoke-filled ashes and dust began to clear, rising out of the destruction at ground zero, silhouetted against the skyline, were two broken fragments of steel girders  fused together into a giant cross. The cross beams from so many thousands of tons of structural steel were blasted apart  by the collapse of those two magnificent gleaming towers, and melted in the fiery inferno of burning aviation gas. But here were two broken girders that were fused into a great cross, again a symbol of the hope we have in Christ in spite of the evil and chaos in this world ruled by Satan. 

     Just recently, an horrific wildfire swept across the beautiful island of Maui and annihilating the iconic Lahaina community, leaving only scenes of total devastation and the loss of many lives. Ron Hutchcraft, in his daily devotional, A Word With You, wrote about the desolation of loss but pointed out that a 150-year-old banyan tree still soared to 60 feet, covering an entire block. “Though badly charred and its future uncertain,” it is still a symbol that there is hope, for, again it reminds us of another “tree” upon which Jesus died and shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins. “And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross (tree…KJV) that we might die to sin and live to righteousness…” (I Pet. 2:24).  

     “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Ro. 15:13). 

Forever His, 

Pastor Dave

     One morning at family devotions, a dad read a story about  the creation account in Genesis and related how God “formed man of the dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Gen. 2:7) but that man disobeyed God’s command not to eat of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen. 2:17) and as a result death entered God’s perfect creation.  Man would now have to work hard to get the earth to produce and then he would eventually die and his body would return to the dust from which it was made, “and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Gen. 3:19; Eccl. 12:6,7). Little “Johnny” (age four) must have been listening because later that day he came running  to his mom excited about what he just found under his bed when looking for his football.  “Mom, remember what dad read this morning about man being made from dust and returning to dust when he dies?  Well, there is someone under my bed either coming or going!”

     Dust is something we all have to deal with, whether in our house or workshop or driving on a dry logging road in the forest.  Dust is part of our life on a daily basis.  We sweep and vacuum our house on a regular basis and soon have to empty the bag and put in a new one.  So, where does all that dust come from and what is it?  Well, dust is made up of a variety of things: dead skin cells, dust mites, dead insects, soil from outside which comes in on shoes and through open doors and windows, pollen, tiny plastic particles, bacteria, hair and clothing fibers, dander and hair from pets, food crumbs, to name a few (pretty disgusting!).

     Someone said, “We were formed from dust and when we die our body returns to dust and in between we gather quite a bit of dust!”  How true!  In the Upper Room when Jesus washed the disciples feet (demonstrating the role of a servant which He desired for them), Peter, realizing who Jesus was, said, ” ‘Never shall you wash my feet!’  (But) Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part (fellowship) with Me.‘ Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.’ Jesus said to him, ‘He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean’ ” (Jn. 13:8-10).  The disciples wore sandals and their feet got dusty on the dirt roads so they would only need to have their feet washed, but not to bathe again.  Jesus was teaching how in this life, if we have come to Him for salvation and been made clean, we will still get “our feet dirty” as we walk in this sinful world, but don’t need to be saved again, only to confess our sins, to “have part (fellowship) with Him” (cf I Jn. 1:9).  

     The Apostle Paul, with the background of Genesis 2:7 and 3:19 that we are formed from dust (dirt or clay) speaks of how “we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves” (II Cor. 4:7).  Paul was referring to how God, in His sovereignty, has entrusted the Gospel (the “treasure”) to us who are just “earthen vessels,” that is  just cheap, fragile, breakable, replaceable, common, ordinary clay pots.   The power is of God and not us.  The messenger’s frailty and weakness is not fatal to what God is doing–it is essential!  When Paul prayed for deliverance from his “thorn in the flesh” (II Cor. 12:7,8), God did not heal him, but said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”   Paul responded saying, “Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weakness, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (vv. 9,10). 

     We may just be “clay pots,” but God has entrusted us with His message of reconciliation, the Gospel. What a privilege!  Our clay pots may be cracking and crumbling and will soon return to dust, but Paul encourages: “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet the inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (II Cor. 4:16-18).    Praise the Lord!

     So, as you are “doing your dusting,” let it remind you that we are created beings and as such, dependent on the Lord who will demonstrate His power though you and continue to renew your inner man as you trust Him and His Word. And we can look forward to the day when we receive a new, glorious, immortal body fashioned like Jesus’ resurrection body (I Cor. 15:51,52;  Phil. 3:20,21). 

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     While attending Montana State University (go Bobcats!), I took a course in Thermodynamics in which I learned two basic laws: “The Law of the Conservation of Mass and Energy” and “The Law of Increasing Entropy.”  I came to realize that both were observations of what the Bible declares. First, God finished His creation in six literal days and is no longer creating in the physical realm (Gen. 1:31–2:2; cf Neh. 9:6).  Second, because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, death and decay entered God’s creation and things began to wear out and decay and people and animals grow old and die.  While we have made amazing advances in technology and medicine, we have not been able to counteract the effects of entropy which resulted from the curse God put on the earth because of man’s sin (Gen. 2:17; 3:16-19).  

     The word “entropy” literally means “to turn within.”  When mankind ignores God and His standards or absolutes, he “turns within,” thinking he is the master of his own life and fate and can determine his own truth and values. Man “tends to think of and treat the world as a place that we construct, rather than a place designed and given to us by the hand of a loving Creator.  Along the way, sinful human nature rejects that there are givens in the world–absolutes and fixed realities to which we must adjust” (John Stonestreet in Decision magazine, December 2022, p. 34). We have turned out back on what the Psalmist wrote: “Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Psa. 100:3).  We continue to succumb to Satan’s lie in the Garden to Eve concerning eating from the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil, saying: “You surely shall not die!  For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:4,5).  

     Satan’s lie caused Eve to question the goodness of God and what He had commanded. She bought into the idea that she could “be like God,” and didn’t need Him any longer.   Well, how did that work out?  That is the cause of the cultural chaos we are witnessing in our world today where, by ignoring God’s commands and standards, we have redefined gender, marriage, parenting and the family. They are now creations of our own will rather than of givens to which we must adjust our lives. We are experiencing exactly what the Apostle Paul said would happen when people no longer honor or give thanks to God for who He is, They become “futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart is darkened. Professing to be wise, they become fools” (Ro. 1:21,22).  That’s why our world has gone crazy and we are experiencing chaos in our culture. If you are familiar with “The Andy Griffith Show,” it is as though Andy is out of town and Barney is running the show!

     If we buy into the idea that there are no absolutes, no fixed reference points, we will be like those in the dark period of Israel’s history when they had no king, only judges to help bring them back to God, and “everyone did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).  But, as someone astutely declared: “Ideas have consequences and bad ideas have victims.” A culture that has become untethered from God’s truths is a culture full of bad, foolish ideas. For then, all that is left is to “turn within,” and the Bible says: “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick, who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9); “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh…” (Ro. 7:18 cf 3:9-12);  “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God” (II “Cor. 3:5).   When we make ourselves and our ideas rather than God and His Word the center of reality, it will always result in disorder and chaos.  God is a “God of order,” and the further we move away from following Him, the more disorderly and chaotic we become.  

     We need a return to right thinking which must begin by thinking right about God.  He is God and we are not. His Word–not man’s foolish ideas–is absolute truth and our final authority for faith and practice. Only as we get back to letting God and His Word be the basis of our lives will we see a change for the good in our culture of chaos. This change must start with Christians allowing Christ to rule in their hearts (Col. 3:15) and seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mt. 6:33).  When Israel, under King Solomon, was struggling spiritually, “The LORD appeared to Solomon at night and said to him…’If my people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sins, and will heal their land’ ” (II Chro. 7:14). That principle applies to us today as “His people.” Christians (not politicians) are responsible for the condition of their nation. We are to humble ourselves, pray, and seek His face (not His “hands” for help, but His “face” in worship), and turn from sin (Psa. 66:18; Isa. 59:2; I Jn. 1:9). Then, God will hear, forgive and heal. Our lives need to be “Christ-centered,” not “self-centered.”  We are living in a culture that has turned from 
God and “turned within,” and what a mess that has made.   The “clean up” must start with each one of us letting God and His Word rule our lives. “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. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (Col. 3:16,17). 

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     Like much of the United States, we are experiencing some very hot, dry weather with highs each day between 90 and 100 and often a hot wind to go with the heat.  One of the challenges during such heat spells is keeping hydrated, and keeping your pets and “livestock” hydrated.  In our case, our “livestock” consists of our residential whitetail deer population and some 24 honey bee hives.  We have a five-gallon bucket for the deer which we fill daily and we have five different sources of water for our honey bees.  Several of those sources we have to check on every couple hours. Some of the water obviously evaporates, but bees can go through an amazing amount of water on these hot days.  

     A little research told me that a strong hive of 60,000 to 80,000 bees (and we have 24 hives) on a hot day can consume more than a quart of water and that most of the worker bees make up to 50 trips a day for water. Of course we have to make our water sources safe for bees so they don’t drown trying to get a drink. If they end up on open water, like in a pool, they can’t take off. They need something to stand on while they get their drinks.  

     As I witness the need of the deer and bees for water in order to survive the heat, I can’t help but think about what God’s Word says about our need for water and what the source is.  Probably one of the most familiar such passages in the Old Testament is Psa. 42:1,2 which reads: “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God…”  In Psa. 36, David, against a backdrop of the evil schemes of wicked men (vv. 1-4), voices praise in a description of the attributes of God working on behalf of man’s salvation (vv. 5-9) and providing a place of refuge where man can “drink their fill of the abundance of Thy house; and You give them drink from the Your river of delights. For with You is the fountain of life…” (vv, 8,9). 

     In Isa.41:17-18,  we read of God’s promises to supply the needs of His people as they returned to their land after captivity in Babylon. They are described as  “afflicted and needy” and “seeking water, but there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst; I the LORD will answer them, and I, the God of Israel I will not forsake them. I will open the rivers on the bare heights, and springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land fountains of water.”  The passage not only promises a physical blessing to those returning from captivity, but looks even further to the future millennial reign of the Messiah on earth and the spiritual quenching the Jews will experience, when “All Israel will be saved” (Ro. 11:26).  God spoke through the prophet Ezekiel about that time of refreshing, saying:  “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone…and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances” (Ezek. 36:26,27).

     In the New Testament, we have the familiar story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman meeting at a well at midday. He asked her for a drink (which we don’t know if He ever got!) and then offered her “living water” (Jn. 4:10), explaining, “Everyone who drinks of this water (from thewell) shall thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life (vv. 13,14).  She obviously had a need for more than the physical water from the well. Her soul was thirsty. Her lifestyle had left her empty. Her condition was like God’s description of Israel: “For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13).  The Samaritan woman’s life was transformed that day and, in her excitement, she left her waterpot and ran back to the village to share what had transpired. Many believed because of her testimony and many others went out to hear Jesus in person and also believed  (Jn. 4: 28-42).  

     Later, Jesus was at the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths) in Jerusalem. For seven days the people lived in booths made of boughs to commemorate their time wandering in the wilderness and dwelling in tents. For the first seven days of the eight-day festival, the priest would take water from the Pool of Siloam and pour it out in the temple courts, reminding the Jews of the miraculous provision of water God provided for them in the wilderness. On the eighth day of the feast, the priest did not pour out water to indicate the Jews were waiting for a time of refreshing when their Messiah would come to establish His kingdom.  “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.'(cf Isa. 55:1). But this He spoke of the Holy Spirit whom those who believed in Him were to receive…” (Jn. 7:37-39).

     To thirsty souls, Jesus offers living water. We were all created with a need for a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and no matter what else we do to “quench our thirst,” it will not ultimately satisfy. But when we put our trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, like the woman at the well, we experience the new birth as the Holy Spirit comes to regenerate and indwell us, and to provide eternal life.  We will finally fill that void that only He can fill. Only Jesus can save and satisfy that longing in our heart.  Have you come to the “Fountain of Life ” to drink? Here’s Jesus’ final offer in the last book of written revelation: “I, Jesus, have sent My holy angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star.  And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost”

(Rev. 22:16,17). 

Come and drink!

Forever His,

Pastor Dave…. Time to go “water the bees”! (and, yes, technically they are livestock!)

     Many of you are old enough to remember Paul Harvey and his news broadcasts.  For many years he was on our local radio station at noon. I remember that when I worked for my brother-in-law in construction, we always looked forward to lunch break because it was “Paul Harvey Time!”  I loved his human interest stories where he gave the background to events that most of us were unaware of, giving the story a whole new meaning. He called it, “The Rest of the Story.”  

     Well let me give you “the rest of the story” about “Wisdom of the Week” from July 3, 2023, entitled “Blessed Is The Nation.”   I wrote about a biblical viewpoint of why our great nation has been so blessed in its brief history of just under 250 years.  I mentioned three reasons: First, because of our Christian foundation and God’s promise, “Blessed is that nation whose God is the LORD” (Psa. 33:12); Second, because of our support of Israel and God’s promise to Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you…” (Gen. 12:3); and Third, because of how our nation has had a history of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to foreign lands and has always been there to help in times of natural disaster or war (see Ro. 10:13-15).  If we are going to continue experiencing God’s blessing, these things need to continue to be true, but we are struggling in all areas.

      I don’t know how many of you caught my mistake in the article from July 3rd, but one of my readers did.  When quoting part of the Pledge of Allegiance I mistakenly put a comma where there should not be one. I had “one nation, under God” and it should have read, “one nation under God.”   I appreciate the person  pointing it out to me (and they did it lovingly!).  Not only were they correct, but it caused me to do some more research into how we got the phrase “under God” in our pledge to the flag of the United States of America.  So, here’s “the rest of the story”!

     The first version of the Pledge of Allegiance has been attributed to Baptist pastor Francis Bellamy who wrote it for the Columbian Exposition in October 1892. The Exposition marked the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival. Bellamy worked for a family magazine, “Youth’s Companion,”  which printed his pledge, making it known to the public.  It read: “I pledge allegiance to my flag and the Republic for which it stands–one Nation indivisible–with liberty and justice for all.”    Over the next few decades, schools and organizations that chose to recite a pledge used variations of the one in Youth’s Companion or made up their own. None of the pledges had any reference to God. 

     On June 22, 1942 just six months after the U.S. entered WWII, the government officially recognized a standard version of the pledge when President Franklin. D. Roosevelt signed “The Flag Code,” which included a version of the pledge from Youth’s Companion, but still no mention of God.

     In 1952, the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization, began petitioning the federal government to add the phrase “under God” to the pledge. U.S. Representative Louis C. Rabaut (D-Mich) was persuaded by the petition and introduced legislation to add the phrase, adding that it “would give students a deeper understanding of patriotism.” 

     Then President Dwight D. Eisenhower, as many presidents had done, attended the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in honor of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. The presidents would sit in the pew where Lincoln sat when he attended there. On Feb. 7, 1954, pastor George Doherty, with President Eisenhower sitting in Lincoln’s pew, delivered a sermon entitled “A New Birth of Freedom,”  based on Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. He argued that our nation’s might lay not in its military strength but rather in its spirit and higher purpose. He noted that our Pledge’s sentiments could be those of any nation and suggested, “There’s something missing and that something is the character and defining factor in the American way of life.” He cited Lincoln’s words from the Gettysburg Address, “under God,” as the defining words that set the U.S.A. apart from other nations. 

     President Eisenhower, a recently baptized Presbyterian, responded enthusiastically and acted on the suggestion the very next day. Representative Charles Oakman (R-Mich) introduced a bill to that effect and Congress passed the bill which President Eisenhower signed into law on Flag Day, June 14, 1954.

     And now you know “the rest of the story.”  Praise God that many have acknowledged that the thing that has made our nation great and that has made it distinctive  is God.  Praise God for how He has used this nation as a lighthouse to the world. Pray that there will be a spiritual revival in our country that will keep that light shining. 

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     We as a nation have been blessed beyond measure. We’ve been blessed by God with a wondrous country of immeasurable natural beauty from the rugged, craggy coastlines of Maine and Oregon to the towering majesty of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains to the grandeur of the Grand Canyon and the amazing beauty of Zion and Bryce Canyon  to lush green valleys and crystal clear mountain lakes and streams. We  live in a land of magnificent beauty. We can see the handiwork of the Creator at every turn (cf Psa. 8). 

     But, as glorious as all the wonders of God’s creation are, we have much more to be thankful for than just the natural wonders of this great land. Tomorrow we celebrate as we remember the establishment of the United States of America as a new, free nation, where men were at liberty to worship God in their own way, Our forefathers recognized the importance of the Creator as an active and dynamic power intimately involved in helping this nation become a lighthouse and refuge to the world and to open its harbors “to the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”  Understanding that we truly are “one nation, under God” has unified our people and enriched this nation’s spirit for close to 250 years. 

     It was that yearning to be free that brought millions of refugees from every nation on earth streaming to our shores to forge this nation as a melting pot of incredible diversity.  United by a divine spirit of concern for the condition of all mankind, this fledgling nation grew in strength and affluence to become the leader of the free world. We are blessed by the police and firefighters who risk their lives to protect lives and property. We are blessed by the military men and women who serve to protect this nation here at home and in far-away lands, risking their lives to preserve our way of life, our freedoms, and our national sovereignty. We are blessed by every person who is ready to stand tall for freedom, the freedom of our own citizens and the citizens of far-off lands who may not be able to achieve that freedom without the help of others. 

     We are a land of great blessings–in beauty, in resources, in bounty, in benevolence toward others in their times of crisis from war, disease and natural disasters. We are a land of tremendous opportunity and choice. We have been truly blessed, and for that, our Father in heaven, we thank You!

     So, just what has been–and is–the secret of our great nation being so blessed?  And how can we continue to be blessed?  God has promised to bless that nation “whose God (Elohim) is the LORD (Jehovah)” (Psa. 33:12). The Christian foundation of our nation is the first secret to our nation being so blessed. Both religious and political persecution motivated colonists to leave the security of civilization to embark on a mission to carve a “Christian commonwealth” out of an unknown and hostile wilderness. The purpose of the New England colonies was to establish worship free from control of the state and to establish a governing body run by Christian principles. 

     The second reason for our nation being so blessed goes all the way back to the covenant God made with Abraham in Gen. 12:1-3 where God said, “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (v. 3).   Through Abraham came the nation of Israel. Harming God’s “chosen people” is like “striking the pupil of God’s eye” (Zech. 2:8 cf Dt.  32:10).  Our nation has been blessed for our support of the nation of Israel.

     A third reason our nation has been so blessed is because of our history of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to foreign lands through our missionary outreach.   In Rom. 10:13-15, Paul, quoting from Isa. 52:7, writes: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!”  Hundreds of Bible schools and seminaries and mission organizations were established in our country to equip men and women to help fulfill the Great Commission by taking the “Good News” to the remotest parts of the earth. 

     So, how can our nation continue to experience God’s blessing? IF we continue to be a nation united under God, a nation that seeks His wisdom and guidance, a nation led by men and women of integrity and courage who make God’s Word their final authority for faith and practice…and IF we will continue to support the nation of Israel–to be her ally against terrorism and attempts by other nations to destroy her…and IF we will continue spreading the Gospel of Christ throughout the far corners of the globe…THEN we will continue to experience God’s blessing.  

     But, we see erosion in all three areas.  As Christians we’d best awake from our sleep and once again be salt and light in our society or it will go the way of all countries when they forsook or ignored God.

     “Dear Father, today, we praise You and thank You for all Your mighty works. We thank You for the many blessings You shower upon us, individually, as families, as churches, and as a nation.  We pray that we will again put you first in our hearts and first in our allegiance.  Forgive us for the times we’ve let the noise of the world keep us from listening to You. Today, let us renew the pledge of our forefathers. Let us forever remember that we were founded by men and women who fled tyranny, oppression, and spiritual poverty with the hope and prayer that they would be able to forge a free nation here in America.  Let us dedicate our lives to the very principles they had, Christian principles for creating a new land where free people can realize the dignity and value of every human life and where God is freely and openly worshipped as the Creator-Redeemer and live by the principles He’s taught to His children for more than 2,000 years.  AMEN!” (Anon)

Happy Independence Day

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     In what has often been referred to as “The Sermon on the Mount” recorded in Matthew chapters 5-7, Jesus told His disciples: “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world” (Mt. 5:13,14).  As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to have a positive, preserving influence on the world around us as Christ, who is the “Light of the World” (Jn. 1:12), shines through us.  In order for that to happen, we can’t be “conformed to this world” but must be “transformed by the renewing of our mind” (through the cleansing of the Word of God…Jn. 15:3; Eph. 5:26) as we live out the will of God(Ro. 12:2).  

     Just as the first-century believers refused to be absorbed into the godless society of Rome, we too must refuse to be absorbed into the godless culture of our day that is in a moral and spiritual downward spiral. The early believers had obviously not heard the adage, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”  The Roman government decided in order to eliminate the influence this new “Christianity” was having on their culture, they would make it illegal to “not fit in!”  Sound familiar? “They made an attempt to stamp out Christianity as a disturber of pagan unity. All must bow to Caesar . All must conform to pagan custom. All must behave like true Romans. Nonconformists were threatened with death, and many chose death rather than conform to Rome and compromise their consciences” ( a quote from a sermon by Billy Graham, “Do not conform to the World,” in Decision, June 2023). 

     It was to these persecuted believers that Paul wrote his challenge in Rom. 12:2: “And do not be conformed to this world.”  The pagan world and secular governments are still attempting to bring Christians into conformity to their anti-Christian, unbiblical way of thinking and living. A believer, who refuses to conform, but continues to stand fast in his/her faith and live an obedient life, making God’s Word the final authority, is a constant rebuke to those who accept the moral standards of this world. 

     Unfortunately some believers and many churches think that it is more effective to make some compromises to fit in and be popular so as to not offend anyone and drive them away.  What a tragic mistake, for in doing so we cease to be “salt and light.”  We are never to be ashamed of the simple preaching of the Cross, and of the gospel, for it is still “the power of God unto salvation to all who believe” (Ro. 1:16).  Granted, to many–those who are perishing–it is “foolishness, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God” (I Cor. 1:18).   When the Christian or the church becomes popular with the unbelieving world, there’s a problem!  You see, the world hates Jesus and He warned us, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you” (Jn. 15:18).  Although Christians may be shown a grudging respect at times, when we are walking faithfully obedient to His Word, we will most assuredly incur the wrath of the unbelieving world. .  Paul wrote: “And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus, will be persecuted” (II Tim. 3:12). (Note that it says all,,,will be).

     One of Satan’s most effective strategies is conformity and compromise.  He knew that if we hid our “light” and kept the salt in the shaker, we would not influence anyone toward Christ. Knowing that, Jesus in His visit with the Father before going to the cross, prayed: “I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (Jn. 17:15-18).  And to the believers in Corinth who were struggling spiritually and tending to conform to the pagan culture, Paul challenged: “Come out from their midst and be separate…and do not touch what is unclean” (II Cor. 6:17, quoting Isa. 52:11).      

     The Gulf Stream is a strong ocean current that brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico into the Atlantic Ocean, extending all the way up the eastern coast of the U.S. and Canada, where it meets the Labrador Current, deflecting it to the right toward western Europe through the “Coriolis” effect by which, if an object moves on the surface of the Earth, it always deflects to the right in the Northern hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere because of the earth’s rotation.   The Gulf Stream influences the climate of the east coast of Florida, keeping temperatures there warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than in the other southeastern states. The Gulf Stream, which is 62 miles wide and 2600 to 3900 feet deep, has an average temperature of 77 deg. F. in the spring and winter, 88 deg. in the summer and 82 in Autumn.  The current velocity is fastest at the surface at a maximum speed of 5.6 mph.  The inner edge comes within 10 miles of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  It warms western European countries as well. England, for example, is about the same distance from the equator as cold regions of Canada, yet due to the Gulf Stream, has a much warmer climate.  The Gulf Stream transports an amount of water greater than that carried by all the rivers in the world combined. 

      The Gulf Stream is in the ocean, but is not really part of it, yet has a major influence everywhere it goes.   (Hmm, sounds like what the life of a Christian should be like!).  We’ve known about the Gulf Stream for only a little more than 500 years. In 1513, Spanish explorer, Ponce de Leon, noted that there was a strong current that speeded up the sailing trip from Mexico to Spain.  In the late 18th Century, Benjamin Franklin became the first to chart out the path of the Gulf Stream on a map. Now satellites that collect information about sea surface temperatures can draw up the path of the warm Gulf Stream current with great precision.  Oh, wait, someone actually wrote about the “paths of the seas” during the 10th Century B.C.!  In Psalm chapter 8, King David wrote about the wonder of God’s creation and emphasized how man was made as the crown of all His creation and given authority to rule over all “the works of God’s Hands” including “all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas” (vv. 5-8).   (NOTE:   There are other currents, or “paths in the seas,” besides the Gulf Stream. For example, the Kuroshio or Japan Current is some 62 miles wide, 1300 feet deep with an average temperature of 75 deg. F., and flows up the north Pacific Ocean basin.)  God’s Word is not a book of science per se, but anything it says connected to any area of science will be accurate and up-to-date. It is interesting how long it has taken man to discover the things God spoke of centuries or even millenia earlier in His revealed Word, the Bible–but a topic for another day!

      Suffice it to say, we as Christ’s Ambassadors (II Cor. 5:20), are to have a positive influence for His Kingdom and in order to do that, we must be, like the Gulf Stream, uncompromising as we live in the world without becoming part of it so that we can be the influence wherever we go.

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     Little children often reject the offer of help, saying, “I can do it by myself.”  While a desire for independence can be admirable, it becomes a problem when it comes to spiritual matters.  Too often we leave God out of the equation and think we can handle it ourselves or maybe solicit the help of someone else other than God.  There are lots of examples in Scripture, including King Asa of Judah who had taken over for his father,  King Abijam whose “heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, like the heart of his father David” whom God said was “a man after My heart, who will do all My will” (I Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:20). (It is interesting how David became the one to whom ensuing Kings of Judah were compared spiritually).      

     In contrast to his father, “Asa did right in the sight of the LORD, like David’‘ (I Kgs. 15:11). He was “wholly devoted to the LORD all his days (v. 14) and led religious reforms for the whole nation, even disciplining his own mother for her idol worship and he re-established Temple worship.  Although Asa did not eradicate every single high place for idol worship, he never drifted into idolatry himself. But, it states that “there was war between Asa and Baasha, King of Israel, all their days” (v. 16), and war was usually a sign that something was wrong.  Baasha, King of the northern tribes of Israel, had invaded the southern territory of Judah, blocking the roads in and out of Jerusalem. How would godly King Asa respond?  His options were to cry out to God for help or try to work it out himself politically. Unfortunately he chose the latter and used all the treasures from the Temple along with his own possessions to buy a treaty with the wicked King Benhadad of Aram, who lived in Damascus (v. 18).  The plan appeared to work, but according to II Chron. 16:7, Hanani the prophet condemned Asa for his reliance on a wicked  foreign army to defend him, betraying a lack of faith in God and a reliance on his own way of working things out.  

     The Psalmist, David, who often found himself “between a rock and a hard place,” wrote, “Some boast in chariots, and some in horses;  but we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God” (Psa. 20:7).  David, “the man after God’s own heart,” when hard-pressed by his enemies, would cry out to God for help. He wrote, for example: “But as for me, I shall sing of Thy strength; yes, I shall joyfully sing of Thy lovingkindnesses in the morning, for Thou hast been my stronghold, and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my strength, I will sing praises to Thee; for God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness” (Psa. 59:16,17).  “O give us help against the adversary; for deliverance by man is in vain. Through God we shall do valiantly, and it is He who will tread down our adversaries“ (Psa. 60:11,12).  “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” (Psa. 61:1-3). 

      When Assyrian King Sennacherib and his huge army invaded Judah, King Hezekiah did all he could to strengthen his defenses, but then spoke these words of encouragement to his military: “Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed because of the king of Assyria, nor because of all the multitude which is with him; for the one with us is greater than the one with him. With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles” (II Chron. 32:7-8). 

     There is one matter where for sure we are not to “do it ourself,” and that is regarding salvation and eternal life in heaven.  We are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1) and can do  absolutely nothing to work our own way to heaven.  Salvation is solely by grace through faith totally apart from works on our part (Eph. 2:8,9; Gal. 2:16; Ro. 3:20; 4:16; 5:1).  It is a gift, not something we deserve or can earn. For those who decide to try it on their own, they are basically saying, “God, I want you to judge me based on my performance,” and the verdict will always be “Guilty!” (Ro. 3:19,20).   Jesus did all the work. He gave His life a sacrifice for sin–our sin. “The wages of sin is death” (Ro. 6:23a) but Jesus paid that penalty for us (II Cor. 5:21: I Pet. 2:24)  Salvation is a “gift,” we must simply receive by acknowledging that we are sinners and can’t save ourselves and by putting our trust in Jesus and His death, burial and resurrection (Ro. 6:23b; Jn. 3:16). 

     As those who have received Christ and now positionally have His righteousness credited to our account, we still can’t live this Christian life on our own.  It is not difficult, it is impossible. Only Christ and the Holy Spirit who now indwell us can do it. We have a role to play by making ourselves available to Him, but we still have to ask Him to do it.  Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).  I will never reach a place in my Christian maturity where I can do it on my own.  I am dependent upon Christ who indwells me (Gal. 2:20).   Don’t wait until you have exhausted all your resources before you go to God. Make it the first response, and then just stay available and watch what He can do!

     King Asa gave in to the temptation to trust himself and his riches. Where have you placed your trust?

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     Have you ever noticed the white “arrow” between the “E” and “x” of the Federal Express ( FedEx) logo?  Probably many who have seen the FedEx logo thousands of times have never noticed the arrow, but once you see it, it is very obvious and you see it every time you look at the logo.  The logo designer was very clever in incorporating the arrow which represents quickness, precision, the pursuit of excellence, and tenacity in the face of adversity.  

     We might say the arrow is “hidden in plain sight,” which refers to something that is seemingly hidden, but is actually not hidden and is easy to find. It is there right in front of you, but you can often miss it if you are looking for or focused on something else. 

      Such was the case when God the Son came to earth and took on human flesh and lived among us (See Jn. 1:14 and Heb. 2:9, 14,15).   Although Jesus Christ was “the radiance of His (God’s) glory and the exact representation of His nature...” (Heb. 1:3), the majority of His own people, the Jews, rejected Him as the promised Messiah (see Jn. 1:11) because he did not fulfill their expectations of a military ruler that would free them from Roman oppression.  He demonstrated before them the very character of God in all that He was and did, but they missed the obvious because they were fixated on their own concept of who and what the Messiah should be and do.  They failed to take into account the Old Testament passages that indicated that the Messiah must first suffer for sins (Eg., Psa. 22 and Isa.53).      

     John, in his Gospel, wrote that “No man has seen God at any time (for ‘God is spirit’…Jn. 4:24); the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him” (Jn. 1:18).   The word “explained” is the Greek “exegeted” which means “brought forth into visibility that which was there all the time but not seen.” Jesus was “God, hidden in plain sight!”  Even His own disciples struggled a bit with Jesus being fully God and fully man.  In the Upper Room, after washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus then said, ” ‘I go to prepare a place for you (by dying on the cross and returning to heaven)  but I will  come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.’  Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.’ Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, ‘Show us the Father.’ ‘Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me?’ ” (Jn. 14:3-10).  In other words, “He who has seen the visible Son, has seen the invisible Father” for Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (Jn. 10:30).  Thus when you take a look at Jesus, you are seeing God the Creator of the universe and God the Redeemer who came to sacrifice His life for you as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29). 

      Many today, like the Jews of Jesus’ day, though looking for peace and purpose and satisfaction and assurance of heaven, are fixated on the wrong things and miss what is right in front of them as the answer to the longings of their life.  They are missing what is in plain sight, that Jesus is indeed the “way, and the truth, and the life” and the only way to heaven and to a victorious, joyous, fulfilling life here on earth  (Jn. 14:6; 10:10).   To many Jesus Christ, like the arrow in “FedEx” is “hidden in plain sight.”  

     Have you been missing the obvious?  The only One who can save and satisfy the longing of your heart, the One who is the “exact representation” of God (Heb. 1:3), gave His life for you to pay the full penalty of your sins and was bodily raised from the dead, returned to heaven and comes to live His resurrected life in all who simply acknowledge that He died for them and receive Him as their only means of salvation.  Now that’s good news. That is the “gospel,” which has the power to save all who believe (Ro. 1:16).  

     Once you see what was hidden in plain sight, like the FedEx “arrow,” it becomes obvious to you. Once you see who Jesus really is and what He came to do and you appropriate that, the eyes of your heart are opened to see Him at work in the daily affairs of your life and throughout the world.  “We were created with a God-shaped vacuum in our heart which only Jesus Christ can fill” (Blaise Pascal).   If you have been trying anything or anyone else to fill that void, Try Jesus!  Our soul can only find rest when it finds rest in Him (Mt. 11:28). 

Forever His,

Pastor Dave