“I’d Rather Be…”

Posted on November 14, 2016 by Pastor Dave
  I’m sure you have seen bumper stickers that say: “I’D RATHER BE FLYING… GOLFING… FISHING… HUNTING” etc.  Maybe you even have such a sticker on your vehicle.  There are many things I enjoy such as hiking, hunting, fishing, cross-country skiing, spending time with family, going for a walk, photography, carpentry, helping neighbors with projects, gardening, yard work, getting firewood, doing jigsaw puzzles, Sudokus, and crossword puzzles, playing board games, playing my French horn, playing and teaching tennis. I also have enjoyed playing basketball, volleyball and softball, but due to several back surgeries, have had to forego those sports. I also enjoy watching sporting events both live and on television. But normally, if we say “I’d rather be…..,” we are speaking of something of which we are very passionate. Well, while I enjoy all the things I have listed, my real passion is to know Christ and to share Him with others, and to study and teach His Word, the Bible. 
     God has made us in such a way that we can enjoy art, music, athletics, gardening, hiking, etc., but the basic desire He placed in us is to know and worship Him.  Until we establish that as our passion, our life is not fulfilled. I have always enjoyed science and math and graduated from Montana State University with a degree in Industrial and Management Engineering. I enjoyed working at Hyster Company in Portland, Oregon doing engineering work. But then, God did a very special work in my heart and my passion became sharing Christ and learning and teaching His Word. That led to my resigning from Hyster Company and joining Rocky Mountain Bible Mission in Montana (where I grew up) and ultimately pastoring a church for many years. Even though I retired five years ago as pastor of Three Lakes Bible Church, I currently am teaching three Bible studies plus doing this “Wisdom of the Week” devotional.  I love studying God’s Word and sharing its truths with others and watching how it changes their lives.  That is my passion and I trust will be until God takes me home.
     I can understand what Paul wrote to the believers at Philippi: “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phi. 3:7-14).  I believe the reason Paul had that as his goal was because he was motivated by the love of Christ. He wrote to the Corinthian church: “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf” (II Cor. 5:14,15). In other words, after all He’s done for us, how can we do less than give Him our best and live for Him continually.  I believe once our heart is moved by God’s amazing grace and the love of our wonderful Redeemer and what He sacrificed on our behalf, we can’t help but become passionate about knowing Him more and more and sharing Him and His Word.  It becomes the driving force of our life. Oh, we will still enjoy—probably more so—the temporal things/activities of earth—but our real love will be for Christ and His Word and the souls of others—in other words for that which is eternal. 
     Because Saul of Tarsus was transformed by the grace of God to become Paul, the missionary to the Gentiles, He willingly made himself a “bond-servant of Christ Jesus (Ro.1:1), and motivated by God’s love—was able to fight the good fight, keep the faith and fulfill his ministry no matter what adversity he faced. His testimony to the elders of the Ephesus church was: “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, in order that I may finish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). 
     So, what is your passion?  What is it that drives you?  What is it that you would rather be doing?  When your passion becomes knowing Christ, studying and sharing His Word, everything else you do pales in comparison, but at the same time amazingly allows you to enjoy all of life more, for you are now able to obey Paul’s admonition:  “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. 3:17).  You are even able to “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. (Knowing) it is the Lord Christ whom you serve”’ (Col. 3:23,24).
            Forever His,
                Pastor Dave
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A Short History of Liberty

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Pastor Dave
  I was going through a file the other day and ran across a a very interesting article by Dean Russell reprinted from The Freeman dated January 1955 and entitled “A Short History of Liberty.” From Biblical times, such as during the period of the judges, and throughout history, we see a pattern that has been repeated over and over of disobedience, discipline, desperation and deliverance.  While the cycle of sin, servitude, supplication and salvation was experienced by God’s chosen people, Israel, we see a remarkably similar pattern among other people groups or nations in the history of the world.  Dean Russell in his article shares ten stages of progress from bondage to liberty. Since we have just completed maybe the most bizarre election campaign in the history of the United States of America and have finally arrived at election day, I thought it would be timely to share a summary (and edited version) of this article, because many of us, due to the spiritual decline of our nation, and the chaos in the world, and the hatred toward the nation of Israel,  have been contemplating the future of our nation and the seeming soon return of the Lord to fulfill the prophecies of Scripture which will conclude history and usher us into the Millennial Kingdom and eternity. 
1.  BONDAGE:  At some point in their histories, all peoples have ended up, due their rebellion against God’s will and Word, in some form of bondage at the hands of an oppressive nation or because their own domestic rulers. As the people recognize they were no longer free, they began to ask themselves “why?”, which leads to contemplation and soul searching, out of which comes…
2.  FAITH:    If people in bondage have no faith—either in a personal Creator or impersonal ideal—they will remain slaves and eventually die out or be absorbed by another culture. But an intelligent faith will almost always develop into …
3.  UNDERSTANDING: A person’s faith needs to be buttressed by an understanding of why it is evil to force any peaceful person to conform to the will and ideas of another person. Otherwise, he is apt to remain a faithful slave or attempt to become a slave owner. But the combination of faith and understanding results in the necessary… 
4.  COURAGE:   You may depend upon it, courageous men with faith and understanding will neither remain in bondage nor keep others in bondage. Even against great odds, this combination leads to…
5.  LIBERTY: Liberty is a relationship among persons wherein no person molests any other peaceful person in his ideas, possessions, or actions. Liberty may also be viewed as the responsibility one assumes for himself and recognizes in all others, for there can be no liberty where there is no responsibility. Liberty has never existed completely among any people at any time; but where it has existed to a high degree, the resulting freedom to work, trade, choose, win, lose, and bargain has always meant…
6. ABUNDANCE:  But if an abundance of material things is the primary aim of a person, his life is devoid of any real meaning (Eccl. 5:10; Lk. 12:15), for if the goal is abundance, its achievement logically results in…
7.  COMPLACENCY:  Complacency and self-satisfaction (the “full barns” of Jesus’ parable in Lk. 12:16-21 inevitably lead to…
8.  APATHY:  With apathy comes a dullness and a loss of interest—a “let George do it” philosophy and there will always be many political Georges around to accept this invitation to seize the reins and the whip. This always degenerates into… 
9.  DEPENDENCY:  For a time, it is possible for dependents to be unaware that they are dependents. As they continue to shed the personal responsibilities which are freedom, they also continue to delude themselves that they are still free people—“We never had it so good.” Or they may be deluded into believing that they are still free so long as they themselves are able to participate in the mechanical processes of selecting their rulers—“We can still vote, can’t we?”  But dependents are at the mercy of the persons or groups or parties upon whom they depend for their housing, or security in old age, or subsidies, or education, or medical care, or any of the other “aids” from political authority which cause persons to depend on others instead of themselves. Sooner or later, this dependency becomes known by its true nature…
10.  BONDAGE: Fortunately, the record shows that people can regain their faith, understand, and courage. They can again become persons and citizens who are responsible for their own welfare, rather than on subsidization (entitlements). The record shows that people can, by their own intelligent actions, regain their liberty any time they want.
     Quite an interesting article, especially since it was written some 61 years ago!  As Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9). The key, of course to true freedom is God’s Word and the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said, “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:32…And not just from knowing it, but from doing it (v. 31).  The Apostle Paul wrote to the believers at Corinth, “But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (II Cor. 3:15-17).  No matter what the political climate, we can personally experience true freedom by inviting Christ into our life as Savior and Lord, and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us through the Word of God (Gal. 5:16,18,22,23). And, as a nation, I believe God’s promise to Solomon concerning Israel is true for us as well: “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 forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (II Chr. 7:14).  Pray with me that we believers in this nation will awaken to our responsibility to live a separated life and be the salt and light to our nation to see a renewal take place. These may be disturbing days to live as Christians, but they are also very exciting, anticipating God’s building His Church and carrying out His purposes for mankind and soon bringing everything to a place of completion.
     I trust you have voted or will still be doing so today. In the previous presidential election, the current president was elected by a mere 5 million votes while some 25-30 million registered evangelical Christians failed to vote!  Just think about that! We have a great privilege and responsibility as citizens of both heaven and earth, to have a voice, voting no only for individuals but thinking of the consequences in terms of issues that affect our values  and the future of our nation. Pray for the salvation of our leaders (I Tim.2:1-4).  Pray for revival of the church. Pray that our nation will move from dependency and bondage to faith.
            Forever His,
                    Pastor Dave
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Lessons From Wood Splitting

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Pastor Dave
  Since we burn wood as our main source of heat and also provide kindling and campfire wood for a local grocery store, I have split a lot of wood over the years. Someday I may have to invest in a wood splitter, but as long as I am physically able I would like to continue splitting, as it is good exercise—and a good way to work out any frustrations!   I have learned, as has anyone that splits wood, that there are some secrets to making the job a bit easier. One, of course is selecting wood that splits easily. There are some species of wood that are almost impossible to split unless you let it freeze first. Another secret is to look for a small split somewhere in the grain and begin splitting opposite that split. Usually you will find that the split opens wider and you can get the halves to separate. Once you have split it in half, it is considerably easier to split pieces off of each half.  You also need to look to see where the knots are and avoid them.  Sometimes on a difficult piece I have to use a splitting wedge, or maybe even two. Once you have a small crack, you can insert the wedge, which provides quite a bit more leverage to split the piece. It also helps, when you are splitting, to continue hitting along one line across the bolt of wood until you develop a crack. If you just strike the wood at random, you probably will not be very successful.
     As I was splitting some wood this past week, I thought about how Satan tempts us to listen to him instead of to God and to lead us into sin. He looks for some little crack, some weakness in our life and attempts to gain a foothold there. Sometimes he uses one of his “wedges” to drive into the crack in order to split us open. His goal, of course is to defeat us, to destroy our faith, to rob us of our joy and to ruin our testimony for Christ. If we are a born-again Christian, Satan has lost us for eternity (Jn. 6:35-40; 10:27-30), but he will attempt to make our life miserable so that we don’t lead anyone else to faith in Christ. He looks for an area of our life where we have a weakness and he will try to make an inroad, and if we listen to his lies, he can gain influence and even control. 
     Satan’s approach to Eve in the Garden of Eden, since she as yet had no inherent weaknesses, was to get her to question God’s goodness and God’s Word. He continues to use that tactic on us, but also, since we have sinful natures, and areas of vulnerability, he looks for those areas and tries to drive a wedge into our walk with God and our Christian testimony for the Lord.  For example, in his letter to the believers at Ephesus, Paul wrote: “Be angry, and yet do not sin, do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil and opportunity” (Eph. 4:26). Anger, in itself is not a sin. Jesus, on several occasions, demonstrated anger against sinful behavior such as turning the Temple into a place of money-making, or against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.  But, anger, when not dealt with in an appropriate manner, leads to bitterness and often to aggressive acts against people. It gives the devil an opportunity to have an influence in our lives. Paul lists a number of other possible ways we might give Satan opportunity in our lives. He mentions lying, stealing and unwholesome speech (Eph. 4:25,28,29).
     Since each of us is born with a sinful nature (cf Psa. 51:5), we have a bent toward rebellion against God, and, based on our personality, heritage, and environment, it will manifest itself in unique ways. We may be prone to pride, gossip, lying, anger, impure thoughts, retaliation, sexual perversion,  laziness, addictions, or any number of other weaknesses that might give the devil an opportunity for influence in our lives.  When we trust Christ for eternal life, we become new creations in Him (II Cor. 5:17), but our old, sinful nature will be with us until we receive our new, glorified bodies (I Cor. 15:42-52).  Though we are no longer slaves to our old nature, it is still there and will provide the devil opportunities if we “walk in the flesh” instead of “walking in the Spirit” (Read Romans chapters 6 and 7). As believers, we always have a choice. We can listen to our flesh (old nature), or we can listen to and obey God. Paul says, “But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16). We “walk by the Spirit” when we listen to God’s voice and obey His Word, living in dependence upon Him rather than our own strength. We “walk by the Spirit” when we “…consider ourselves to be dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” and “…do not let sin reign in our mortal body that we should obey its lusts…and do not go on presenting the members of our body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present ourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and our members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Rom 6:11-13). When we do that, we are submitting to God and thus resisting the devil, and according to the promise in James 4:4, “he will flee from you.”
     Since our battle against the adversary, the devil, is a spiritual one, we are admonished by Paul to “Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). After listing the armor for us, Paul emphasizes the way we put it on—”…pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert” (v. 18). We need to be in constant communication with God and always “be on the alert, for your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (I Pet. 5: 8). After listing the believer’s armor in Eph. 6, Paul tells us what our offensive weapon is to ward off the devil’s schemes. It is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (v. 17).  Remember when Jesus was tempted by Satan He quoted Scripture to resist him. That is the weapon we need to use. So, it is really important to faithfully spend time in God’s Word, and to memorize verses, especially ones that deal with our area of weaknesses, so we have them available when we are tempted. David said, “Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee” (Psa. 119:11). 
     If you need help finding verses to deal with your area of weakness, let me know and I can send you—by email—a copy of a book I have published, called Topical Treasury of Bible Verses.
     Well, I have a trailer load of wood that needs splitting, so I had best go get at it. Maybe God will teach me some more lessons!
                Forever His,
                    Pastor Dave
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Guard Duty

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Pastor Dave
When we had our Christian School at the church I pastored, each Wednesday morning was chapel, and I did a series from Institute for Basic Youth Conflict called Character Sketches which used a character from the Bible and an animal from nature that both illustrated such things as loyalty, faithfulness, perseverance, ingenuity, etc. Recently a local dentist who attended our Christian school asked me if he could borrow the series to share with his children. He said, that the chapel sessions, and the animal sketches in particular, really stand out in his memory and he wants to pass on the lessons to his own family. I, too, often think back to some of those lessons and frequently share them, either in a Bible study or “Wisdom of the Week” devotional.
     Character Sketches from IBYC wasn’t the first to use God’s creation to teach biblical principles. Scripture has many references to lessons we can learn from God’s fascinating animal world. In Job’s reply to one of his supposed comforters, he said, “But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; and the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you” (Job. 12:7). Solomon, in his “book of wisdom,” wrote: “Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise, which having no chief officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer, and gathers her provision in the harvest” (Pr. 6:6-8).
     One lesson we learned during our chapel studies was from the crow and spoke of the important role of the “sentry” crow who was the lookout while the others were feeding. If the sentry failed to give a warning of danger, it could cost the lives of some of the flock. The role was to be taken very seriously because if a crow failed to protect the flock the other crows would kill it. You have probably observed a flock of geese feeding in a field (or along the freeway or on a golf course in the green grass). If you will notice, there is always one of the flock that is not feeding but is constantly looking around for any danger, ready to warn the flock. We have lots of wild turkeys in our area and they wander through our place probably at least once a week. I noticed this past week as they were feeding in our little orchard that one of them was standing guard just as with the crows and Canada geese. 
     Then this past Sunday at church our pastor spoke of  the responsibility of a pastor to guard the flock (the local assembly of believers) from predators (false teachers).  In Matthew 7:15 we have Jesus’ warning: “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” When the Apostle Paul met with the elders from the church in Ephesus, he too warned them, saying: “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with his own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts. 20:28-30). Each of us has a responsibility to be in God’s Word in order to be able to detect false teaching when it arises, but pastors and elders, as shepherds of the flock, have a special role to play—like the sentries for the flock of crows or geese or turkeys—to guard the flock, to warn of dangerous teaching and movements that could lead them astray. 
     Paul left his understudy Timothy to pastor the flock in Ephesus and wrote to him encouraging him to “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you” (II Tim. 1:13,14).  Similarly when Paul visited the island of Crete, he left Titus there to shepherd those churches. He then wrote to him encouraging him to appoint elders in every city and gave the qualifications he should look for, for these leaders would have to deal with many false teachers who would attempt to distract the believers into following them. He told Titus that these deceivers and false teachers “must be silenced…because they  (will be) upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach, for the sake of sordid gain” (Tit. 1:10-12).
     October is “Pastor Appreciation Month,” a time to tell and show your pastor how much you appreciate him and his faithful teaching and care for the flock, especially for his willingness to be on constant “guard duty” for the flock to protect it from all the predators, especially from the “wolves in sheep’s clothing.”  Having pastored a church for many years, I fully understand the pressures and discouragements and temptations that face a pastor as he serves as guardian of the flock. Pray much for your pastor and let him know often—not just in October—how much you appreciate him and his wife. They have one of the most difficult, demanding, jobs in the world.
                Forever His,
                        Pastor Dave
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Serving Well

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Pastor Dave
  As a tennis instructor and player, I realize how important it is to serve well if you are going to be successful. When you are serving well you play more confidently, but when you struggle serving, the rest of your game usually suffers as well. I can think of a number of professional players like Pete Sampras and Serena Williams who have been able to win consistently even when they are not playing their best tennis because they have such amazing serves.
     The serve is probably the most difficult stroke in tennis to learn. It has so many aspects that need to come together—the ball toss, the racket preparation and motion and the timing. When I am teaching a beginner the basics of tennis, the serve is normally the skill that comes the hardest.  Once you learn the basic elements of the serve it takes continual repetition until it becomes consistent. In a recent “Wisdom of the Week,” I referred to one of our high school players who, although working two jobs this summer, tried to serve at least 200 balls each day, with a goal of competing for the state championship next spring.
     Not only is serving well a key to success in tennis, it is a key to success in life as well—especially for the Christian. Because of how God made us, we find our ultimate fulfillment and purpose in serving Him and others. When Jesus was asked what was the greatest of the commandments, He replied “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind…and you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt. 22:37-39). In essence Jesus summarized all ten commandments and they are fulfilled in loving God and loving others, and that is expressed by serving.  Jesus set the example for us. He said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not so among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whosoever wishes to be the first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mt. 20:25-28). 
     The Apostle Paul, in his letters to the churches and church leaders, often referred to himself as  “a bond-servant of Christ” (Ro. 1:1 cf Gal. 1:10; Phil. 1:1). He understood that he had been set free from bondage to sin and willingly submitted himself as a bond-slave to his new master, Jesus Christ (See Ex. 21:5,6 for the background of “bond-slave”). He totally committed himself to serving God as the missionary to the Gentiles, the special task to which God called him at his conversion (Acts 9:15). He gave his life in service to God by serving those to whom God called him. He was definitely loving God with all his heart, soul and mind, and loving his neighbors as himself.  Paul followed the example set for Him by his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who “…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. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:5-8).
     Jesus demonstrated His condescension to the role of a bond-servant at many times and in many ways, but one that stands out in particular is when He was meeting with His disciples for the final Passover meal before His arrest, trial and crucifixion. We read in John 13:3-5,  “Jesus…rose from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself about. Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel…” Jesus then said to His disciples, “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you” (vv. 14,15). He wasn’t necessarily instituting an ordinance of foot washing, but was giving an example of servanthood which He expected of the disciples—and us.
     Just as serving well is a key to successful tennis, so serving well is a key to successful Christian living. We need to heed Paul’s admonition to the believers at Philippi: “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” (Phil. 2:3,4).
     Are you dissatisfied with your “lot in life.”  Here’s a good suggestion: Build a “service station” on it!
                    Forever His,
                            Pastor Dave
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“I Will Be With You”

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Pastor Dave
  I noticed as I walked down the hallway that the carpet was damp. I asked Kathy, who was in taking a bath, if she had walked down the hall with wet feet. When she replied, “No, why?” I knew we had a leaky hot water tank that is enclosed in a cabinet next to the hall. I flipped the breaker to the tank, and removed the cabinet to examine the tank. Sure enough, it was leaking, so I tried to shut off the valve on the cold water input, but it wouldn’t shut off. I had to turn off the water pump and go down in the crawl space and close the valve coming in from the well. We hooked up a garden hose to drain the tank outside.  The carpet was pretty wet and would need to be dried out with heat and fans, but I thought of what could have happened if we hadn’t been home. We had recently returned from 10 days in Oregon!
     The next morning I called my neighbor to help me get and install a new tank. We also had to replace the shut-off valve on the cold water input line.  After a couple trips to the plumbing store for parts, we had everything hooked up again and waited to turn the water on until after we ate lunch, giving the glued pipes a chance to dry. After lunch we turned on the water and had one drip so had to shut off the water again and cut the pipe apart to put in a new fitting and glue it again.  All seemed okay and the neighbor left. We turned the pump on and went outside for a bit, and then Kathy was vacuuming the hallway by the tank and  I was walking by when the joint in the cold water input line came apart and water shot across the hall, hitting me squarely. Kathy reached up and quickly shut off our newly installed valve. But quite a bit of water also hit the carpet which was already quite damp. But, Praise the Lord, we had come back inside and were right there when the pipe came loose. There was some tension on the water line and I had to go down in the crawl space and install a pipe strap to ease the tension before I glued it again. This time it held!
     We live in a world that is under the curse of sin, as evidenced by the Second Law of Thermodynamics (the “law of increasing entropy”) which says everything is wearing out, winding down, becoming more randomized and less complex.  Our clothes wear out, our bodies age and ultimately die, metal rusts, wood rots, hot water tanks leak! And none of us—Christians included—-is exempt from this law which resulted from original sin in the Garden. But, while we will continue to face the results of the curse God placed upon the earth (Gen. 3), God promises that He will always be with us no matter what and often we can see how He is at work in the details of our lives in times of adversity and trial. Until God removes the curse from the earth, there will continue to be leaky hot water tanks and a whole list of other things that fail, including our health, but one thing is sure—God will be there helping us through these times. Isaiah records God’s words saying: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched. Nor will the flame burn you. For I am the LORD your God…you are precious in My sight…and I love you.” While God’s promise is to Israel in Isa. 43:2, throughout Scripture He promises to be with us and though we may go through deep-water experiences and fiery trials of adversity, He will be there and will provide the support we need to make it through. When He called Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, He said to the hesitant Moses, “Certainly I will be with you” (Ex. 3:12). The Israelites faced much adversity as they made their 40-year journey to the land God promised, but God was always there providing for them. As they neared the land, Moses gave the people this challenge: “Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them (the people in Canaan) for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you…the LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear, or be dismayed” (Dt. 31:6,8).  When He selected Joshua to lead the people into the land of Canaan, He repeated the promise to them, saying: “Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9).
     You will recall that when the prophet Elijah prayed that God would withhold the rain, there was a drought for 3 years, and Elijah was not exempt from the effects, but God sent him to the brook Cherith, where He had water and God sent ravens morning and evening with bread and meat to feed him (I Kgs. 17:1-7).  When the brook dried up, God sent Elijah to Zarephath where God miraculously multiplied the widow’s handful of flour and little jar of oil to feed them during the remainder of the drought (vv. 8-16). 
     God chose Habakkuk to warn Judah of the coming invasion by the Babylonians whom God would use to cleanse His people of their wicked ways.  Habakkuk asked God, “How in the name of holiness can you use a nation even more corrupt than Judah to judge them?” (Hab. 1:12-17).  When God patiently answered the prophet’s question (Hab. 2),  Habakkuk responded in prayer and praise for the person, power and purpose of God (Hab. 3).   Note his closing words:“Though the fig tree should not blossom, and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail, and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold, and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The LORD GOD is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places” (Hab. 3:17-19).
     Whatever else may fail, God “will never leave you, nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). Since we still have the LORD, we can always “rejoice in the God my salvation” (Hab. 3:18).  Since God is with us always, we can often see His hand working out the details for us as He helps us through our trials, whether it is simply a leaky hot water tank, or something far more serious such as failing health, or loss of employment, or the death of a friend or loved one. That’s why we are able to obey the command of I Thes. 5:18: “In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  It is because God is there with us and will provide the support we need and grow us through it.
    When we went to the plumbing store to pay our bill—someone had already paid $200 of the bill—Praise the Lord! 
                    Forever His,
                        Pastor Dave
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Autumn Colors

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Pastor Dave
Ooh!  Aah!  and Wow!  Have been expressions we have uttered a lot in the past couple weeks as we observe the magnificent colors of fall which this year have been especially magnificent here in the northwest. They had begun showing up in Oregon while we were there and have really been on display here in our area of Montana.  We are so fortunate to live in one of those parts of the world where nature has one last fling before settling down into winter’s sleep. In God’s design of this planet Earth as the special place for habitation by mankind, He established seasons by how  He oriented the Earth in our solar system, and in many areas such as ours we have very distinct changes of seasons, each of which has its own beauty. The prophet Isaiah recorded this statement from God: “For thus says the LORD who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited), ‘I am the LORD, and there is none else’” (Isa. 45:18). 
     Just as we learn a lot about a builder by examining what he has built, we observe much about our awe-inspiring God by observing His amazing creation. He didn’t merely create the earth in such a way that life could exist, but He also incorporated spectacular beauty and breath-taking details that are mind-boggling when examined closely. He did all this not only to display His glory but also for man, the crown of His creation (Psa. 8, 104), to enjoy. The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy to challenge him to instruct people to “fix their hope on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy” (I Tim. 6:17).
     That includes the beauty of the autumn colors which He made possible by how He made plants and trees and increases the length of night time in the fall. As days shorten and temperatures become crisp, the greens of summer foliage are transformed into the kaleidoscope of reds, oranges, yellows and browns over which we have been oohing and aahing.  In His all-wise design, God incorporated three factors which influence autumn leaf color: leaf pigments, length of night, and weather. The timing of color change and falling leaves is primarily regulated by the calendar, i.e., the increasing length of darkness. As days grow shorter, and nights longer and cooler, biochemical processes in the leaf begin to paint the landscape with various shades of red, orange, yellow and brown. Three types of pigments are involved in foliage which provide the autumn palette of color:
        1)  Chlorophyll, which gives leaves their basic green color and is necessary for photosynthesis, the chemical reaction that enables plants to use sunlight to manufacture sugars for their food—sugars that are     stored for their winter dormant period.
        2)  Carotenoids, which produce yellow, orange and brown colors in such things as corn, carrots, daffodils and bananas.
        3)  Anthocyanins, which give color to such things as cranberries, red apples, concord grapes, blueberries and strawberries.
     Both chlorophyll and carotenoids are present in the chloroplasts of leaf cells throughout the spring and summer growing seasons. Most anthocyanins are produced in the autumn, in response to bright light and excess plant sugars within the leaf cells. During the growing season, chlorophyll is continually being produced and broken down and leaves appear green. As night length increases in the autumn, chlorophyll production slows down and then stops allowing the carotenoids and anthocyanins present in the leaf to be unmasked and “show their true colors.” The timing of the color change varies by species and is genetically inherited.   Some of the species in our area which have brilliant colors in the autumn are the maples, chestnuts, mountain ash and oaks, plus all the varying species of brush such as service berry, huckleberry, chokecherry, etc.
     The amount of brilliance of the colors that develop in any particular autumn season is related to the weather conditions that occur before and during the time the chlorophyll in the leaves is dwindling. Temperature and  moisture are the main influences. A succession of warm, sunny days and cool, but not freezing nights seem to bring about the most spectacular color displays. The amount of moisture in the soil also affects autumn colors. As the supply of food is cut off to the leaves, they soon fall to the ground where they provide food for a number of God’s creatures and then decompose to provide nutrients to the soil and form a spongy humus that helps absorb and hold rainfall. What an amazing design by our amazing Designer-Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ. As you enjoy the beauty of autumn, praise the Creator who “gave us all things to enjoy” because of His great love for us. God could have just made everything one color, but He created in such a way as to give us blue sky, white clouds, green grass, and a kaleidoscope of colors in the fall. Thank you God!!
            Forever His,
                Pastor Dave
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Going Out on a Limb

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Pastor Dave
As I indicated last spring when I did a devotional about the fragrance of  blossoms, we have a fruit orchard with a variety of cherry, apple and plum trees. This spring the trees were loaded with blossoms and thanks to the diligent work of our honey bees we were blessed with an abundance of fruit. Some of it was ripe enough to pick before we left for Oregon a couple weeks ago, but some we waited to pick when we got home. Well, while we were gone, a bear decided to come and help us pick!  Knowing he would be back, we picked all but one tree of golden delicious apples which really needed to go a couple more weeks. We placed all kinds of obstacles in and around the tree to discourage the bear, but to no avail. He was not deterred and still managed to crawl up the inside of the tree and out onto the branches, reaching many of the apples and doing much damage to the tree. Judging from how far he could reach as well as the size of  the “deposits” he left in exchange, he is a rather large bear. So, we had to hurry and pick the rest of the apples on the tree. We also have a crab apple tree which we thought we had thoroughly picked but the bear found one cluster of apples on the end of a high up branch and also crawled up in that tree and out on that branch which he bent to the ground.  Obviously the bear was willing to “go out on a limb,” knowing that’s where the fruit is. 
    The New Testament has a lot to say about bearing fruit.  Jesus said, as recorded by the Apostle John, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain…” (Jn. 15:16). He also said, “By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples” (15: 8).
     But just how can we as believers “bear fruit” for Christ?  Well, to begin with, we must do what Jesus commanded earlier in His sermon. He said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:4,5).  Fruit is not what we produce for Him. It is what He produces in us when we abide in Him and He abides in us. We abide in Him by depending upon Him and by spending time in His Word and obeying His commands, trusting fully in Him and not in our own abilities, by letting Him control and use us for His glory.
     We must also, like our bear visitor, be willing to “go out on a limb” where the fruit is. That is, we must be willing to step out of our comfort zones, take risks, and step out in faith. Someone said, there are two kinds of people in churches—risk takers and caretakers. If the risk takers are ruled by the caretakers, they will go to the undertakers with little to show for their lives.  Without risks, there can be no growth, no positive achievements. Consider the turtle: he makes progress only when he sticks his neck out. You can’t get to second if you keep your foot on first base!  A ship may be safe moored in the harbor, but that is not what ships are built for. 
     It is very tempting for us to get comfortable with the status quo and not be willing to take risks for the kingdom. We are doing just fine with things as they are. Life is good. The water is calm here in the harbor. We’re sure not going to go out a limb. What if…..???   So we just “sit and soak and sour” and we bear no fruit. The church I pastored for some 37 years stepped out in faith, took some risks, and started a Christian school which had a great impact on lots of young people. We also started a Bible camp which is still being effectively run by Rocky Mountain Bible Mission, reaching hundreds of children, youth as well as adults throughout the year. We also began an AWANA program for children which is ongoing.  These all required risk, and moving out of our comfort zones. We could have just been satisfied with a “We four and no more” attitude, but would never have had the joy of seeing the fruit that God produced—and is producing—by being willing to, in faith,  “go out on a limb” for Him. Just remember, He literally “went out on a limb” for us at Calvary!
     So, stop sitting on the premises and start standing on the promises. “Why not go out on a limb for God? Isn’t that where the fruit is?” (Frank Scully). “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God” (William Carey, missionary to India). 
     Forever His,
        Pastor Dave
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A Biblical Worldview of Work

Posted on September 5, 2016 by Pastor Dave
   One of the things my parents taught me which I appreciate greatly was how to work and how to have a biblical view of work.  Since I grew up for the first few years of my life on a little farm, my folks had plenty of opportunity to give me jobs to help out, from weeding the garden or feeding the chickens to household chores or helping pick the fruit trees.  There seemed to be no end of “opportunities” for work!  But I’m so glad I had those opportunities. They have served me well all my life. 
     It is very disturbing today to see how few young people are growing up learning how to work, and to witness many adults as well who seemingly never learned a proper work ethic and are susceptible to this “entitlement” society in which we live today. Since through coaching tennis for the past 30 years, I have had a close-up view of what our homes are producing and it saddens me to see how few teenagers know how to work. We often had work days to clean up the courts and grounds and I would guess that only about one out of ten students really knew how to work without being shown how to do everything and constantly encouraged to stick to it until the job was done. 
     Some people may have the feeling that having to work for a living is an imposition of a corrupt society, and part of the curse on the earth because of sin. Since they were brought into this world through no choice of their own, therefore they think that the world owes them a living.  The many jokes told about work reflect the distorted view that many have: “I love work. I could sit and watch it for hours!”  or “Hard work never hurt anyone, but why take a chance?” It seems that some people are like blisters. They don’t show up until the work is done!
     Is work a punishment because of sin?  Well, God did “curse” the ground because of sin, making work more difficult (Gen. 3:19), but work itself was not punishment for sin, for even before Adam sinned, God had given him the responsibility in his Edenic garden “to cultivate and keep it” (Gen. 2:15). Furthermore, we shall have work to do in the new earth in the ages to come when the curse is removed, for we are told that “His bond-servants shall serve Him” (Rev. 22:3). Even in this life, work is a blessing when we see it as “the gift of God.”  Solomon, the wisest man of his time (and probably in all history—apart from Christ) wrote: “I know that there is nothing better for them to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD” (Eccl. 3:12,13).
     God created us in His image, and He is a “worker” and made us to work. It was not part of the Fall. That just made work much more difficult. But if we see work as a drudgery, if we despise work as something horrid from the Fall of man and someday we won’t ever have to work again, then we definitely do not have a biblical worldview of work. We have allowed “the world to squeeze us into its mold” (Ro. 12:2 LB). Work gives us something to get up for in the morning. Work enables us to be productive and feel good about what we have accomplished, just as “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good…” (Gen. 1:31). Work gives you the opportunity to serve someone else. One of the great traps of our culture is the false idea that life is about serving me. When we have that view, then, yes, our work is often repulsive and only a means to the end of getting a paycheck, and our life is hollow, lonely and full of a lot of misery. One of the great qualities of work, as God intended it, is that whether you are putting a bolt into a car chassis on the assembly line, making toasters, or fixing someone’s plumbing problem, you are doing something good that is going to benefit somebody else. Work should give us a sense of meaning and a sense of purpose.  It is so much more than a paycheck!  If we are going to think biblically about work, we need to know that God designed work to be a a part of all that we are and all that we do. There is no separation in Scripture between work that is secular and work that is spiritual. What it does say is “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father…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. 3:17,23,24).
     Some jobs are much more difficult than others and some bosses are much harder to work for than others, but as believers, we need to remember that we are really working for our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, and to do our work as unto Him, no matter how challenging our job or our earthly boss. When we do that, we not only find our work more bearable and rewarding, but we are bringing glory to God as well. On this Labor Day, when many are taking opportunity for a break from their regular work, we should pause to thank God for making us workers which enables us not only to provide for our families, but to have a sense of satisfaction as we serve others and bring glory to God.
     Oh, and since many of you are today taking advantage of leisure and recreation, it is important to remember that God designed us such that we need to take those breaks from our routine work in order to be refreshed and renewed, which in turn makes us better workers!  It is still true that “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” In fact, it probably means Jack is a work-aholic—addicted to his job to find satisfaction—and also probably means an early death for Jack!  Balance is the key word.  On this Labor Day, I stick up for the value and importance of work, but it must be balanced with times of rest and refreshing. Even Jesus, while on earth, took times to get away from the crowds and His constant ministry of teaching and healing.
     We live in a fallen world; we work among fallen fellow employees; we work for fallen bosses. But as believers, we can have a great impact for God if we continue to do our work as unto the Lord. We can truly make a difference in the place we work. So, Go MAD! (Go Make A Difference). Work becomes worship when done for the Lord.
            Forever His,
                    Pastor Dave
   
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You Can Know For Sure

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Pastor Dave
One day when I was 12 or 13 years old, I came home from school, expecting my folks to be there, but they weren’t and didn’t arrive for some time.  I recalled the preacher teaching about a thing called the “rapture” when believers are caught up to meet the Lord in the air and are taken to heaven (taken from I Thes. 4:17 and the phrase “caught up”).  I was quite sure that event must have happened and I was left behind. What a terrible, frightening feeling. Well, obviously, my folks did return and the rapture had not happened yet, but I struggled for a number of years wondering when it did, would I go to heaven.
     When I was 11 years of age, I attended a Bible camp where I prayed with my counselor to ask Jesus to be my Savior, but for some time thought that when I sinned that Jesus left and I would need to invite Him in again. At the church we were attending at the time, the Sunday evening service was usually an evangelistic one where an invitation was given to receive Christ. I must have raised my hand at least a dozen times but continued to wonder from day to day whether I was really saved. 
     It was then that my folks, who had moved from Polson, Montana to Libby, heard about a really good Bible teacher at Faith Bible Church, so we went to visit and got hooked. Not only did we get some sound Bible teaching, but it was there I met my wife-to-be, the pastor’s daughter!  I discovered that God’s Word teaches clearly that you can “know for sure” that you are saved and going to heaven, and that you don’t have to keep inviting Him into your life. To do that is like continuing to go to the door to invite someone in who is already sitting in your home!  When we sin as a believer, we need to confess our sin to restore our fellowship with God, as we read in I Jn. 1:9, but Jesus doesn’t leave us. He promised to never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5). 
     Being a hard-headed, stubborn Norwegian, it still took me several years for the truth of God’s Word to really resonate in my life. I remember distinctly when I finally gained the assurance of my salvation. It was November of 1970. I had attended a series of meetings called “Basic Youth Conflict.” (It wasn’t just for young people, but for youth and adults alike).  The speaker, Bill Gothard, spoke one evening on the assurance of salvation, and emphasized for us a  passage in the epistle of First John:  “The one who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness that God has borne concerning His Son. And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may KNOW that you have eternal life” ( I Jn. 5:10-13).  John tells us that we can “know” we have eternal life, not just hope so (in the sense of wishful thinking).  Ours is a “know-so faith” and that is what John’s first epistle is all about. And then the passage goes on to tell us how and why we can “know.”  John writes: “And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him” (vs. 14,15).  We know that it is God’s will for us to repent and to trust Him for eternal life, for we read in II Pet. 3:9, “The Lord …is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”  So, we know that if we ask Jesus to come into our life as our Savior and Lord, He comes in—and we don’t have to keep inviting Him.  Well, to remove all doubt and confusion, that night in November of 1970, in Portland, Oregon, I prayed for a final time:
             “Father, thank you for the free gift of eternal life through the sacrifice of your Son. I know that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I am sorry for my past sins, and I ask You to forgive me.
            Jesus, I believe you died on the cross for my sins and arose from the dead. If I never fully understood that before, I do now, and if I never genuinely invited You to be my Savior, I do that right now.
            I open the door of my heart and invite You to come into my life. I acknowledge that there is nothing I can do to earn my salvation, and I place my complete trust in You alone for eternal life.
            I choose to follow You as my Lord. Please make me the person You want me to be.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
    Was I saved at the Bible camp when I was 11? I don’t know—probably, but it doesn’t really matter because I KNOW that in November of 1970, at age 24, I gained assurance of my salvation, and from that time on have known that I have “an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for me,” and that I am “protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (I Pet. 1:4,5). “In this ( I ) greatly rejoice” (v. 6).  With the new assurance I had gained, I really began to grow spiritually and had the great privilege of introducing my boss and his brother and our secretary at Hyster in Portland to my Savior. I ended up starting a Bible study at work which eventually led to our coming back to Montana in 1974 to work with Rocky Mountain Bible Mission, which in turn led to becoming the pastor of Three Lakes Community Bible Church for 37 years!  And God continues to grow me and provide opportunities of ministry. But it first took knowing for sure I was saved. You can’t grow until you know that you have been truly “born again” (Jn. 3:3).
    
     So, I challenge all who may read this with this question: If the rapture were to take place today, or you should die today, do you know without a doubt that you will go to heaven?  If you have any doubt, I encourage you to do what I did, and pray for a final time to admit your need of a Savior and to trust Jesus for eternal life.  Let me know if you do that. I’d love to hear from you.
                Forever His,
                        Pastor Dave
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