The Greatest Comeback in History

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Pastor Dave
     We enjoy watching the Seattle Mariners baseball games and last week were treated to the biggest comeback in their franchise history. They were playing away at the San Diego Padres and trailed 12-2 going into the 6th inning. Since we had the game recorded, at that point we decided the game was basically over and just started fast forwarding to see if there was any more scoring. Suddenly we saw that  the score was 12-7, so we decided to back up and watch from the 6th inning on. We saw the most incredible inning with the Mariners scoring 9 runs with 2 outs. They ended up winning the game 16-13 and were 11 for 12 with runners in scoring position—statistics that are really unbelievable if we hadn’t seen it happen. Wow, so glad we didn’t just erase the game before we got to see all the excitement!
     This past March we also witnessed the largest last-minute comeback ever in NCAA basketball history during the playoffs. Texas A & M trailed Northern Iowa by 12 points with just 34 seconds left. Danuel House, A & M guard told his teammates something his mom had drilled into him for years, “Never give up!”  House had missed his first 9 shots of the game. In fact his first field goal came with only 25.8 seconds remaining in regulation.  Due to a whole series of bizarre plays that went in favor of A & M they outscored UNI 14-2 in those final 34 seconds and ended up winning in double overtime!  Oh, by the way, Danuel House ended up with 22 points!
     The biggest comeback in NFL history took place during the playoffs on Jan. 3, 1993 between the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Oilers. The Bills trailed at half-time 28-0 and in the third quarter were down 35-3. They mounted their comeback from the 32-point deficit and won the game 41-38.
     Many individuals have also had amazing comebacks against tremendous odds. I think of Dave Dravecky, who pitched for the San Diego Padres from 1982-1987 and the San Francisco Giants from 1987-1989. While with the Padres, a couple teammates led him to salvation in Christ. With the Giants, Dravecky and teammates Scott Garrelts, Alee Hammaker and Jeff Branley became known as “the God Squad.”  But then a cancerous tumor was found in his pitching arm and on Oct. 7, 1988 he underwent surgery which removed half of the deltoid muscle and froze the humerus bone in an effort to eliminate all the cancerous cells. Doctors advised Dave to wait until 1990 to pitch again, but by July 1989 he was pitching again in the minors and on Aug. 10 made a highly publicized return to the majors, pitching 8 innings and defeating Cincinnati 4-3. In his next start, 5 days later, he pitched 3 no-hit innings but then started to feel a tingling sensation in his arm and during the 6th inning his humerus bone snapped, the sound audible in the stadium! It was a clean break and he had hopes of pitching again when it was healed, but during the celebration at the end of a pennant-clinching game against the Cubs that same year, Dave’s arm broke again when he joined in the post-game celebration on the mound. The cancer had returned and after a couple more surgeries his arm had to be amputated. Dave became a motivational speaker, wrote several Christian books, and, along with his wife, Jan, founded a Christian ministry called Endurance.
     History is replete with stories of great comebacks by sports teams, individuals, and even nations, but all of these exciting stories pale in comparison to  what must surely be considered “The Greatest Comeback In the History of the World,” and that is the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Although He had on numerous occasions predicted his death AND resurrection, when Jesus was crucified and His body placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, and a large stone rolled in front, sealed and guarded by Roman soldiers, even His own disciples fled in fear and confusion and grief. They didn’t expect to see their beloved Master again. It would seem that the enemy, Satan had won, that he had been successful in bring to an end the life of the One who had come to crush him and provide life to all who would believe in Him. Even the women who came early that Sunday morning were on a mission to finish anointing His body, not expecting to see an empty tomb and hear those earth-shattering words from the angels: “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again” (Lk. 24:5b-7).
     That is the greatest, most significant and life-altering comeback in history.  We may have the privilege to see an exciting comeback in an athletic contest or to see an individual who has faced great adversity come back and succeed, but there is no event that can change our life like Jesus’ coming back from the dead. His resurrection is really the foundation of Christianity and what makes it unique from all world religions. As the Apostle Paul wrote: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep (died) in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied. BUT NOW Christ has been raised from the dead…For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive” (I Cor. 15:17-22). We have overwhelming evidence for Christ’s resurrection, from the empty tomb, the Scriptures, the changed lives of the disciples, to transformed lives all through history since that time. Is yours one of them? Have you trusted the risen Christ as your personal Savior. His mission in coming to earth was to die and pay the penalty for our sins and His resurrection proved the debt was paid, but we must appropriate it by faith in His finished work. When we do, we become “new creations” in Christ (II Cor. 5:17). Our lives change, like Dave Dravecky’s did when his teammates introduced Him to the risen Savior. His coming back to pitch after cancer surgery was impressive, but his real comeback was moving from a state of spiritual death to that of eternal life the moment he trusted Christ as his Savior. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (Jn 5:24)—now that’s a real comeback!
                        Forever His,
                            Pastor Dave
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The Symbol of the Cross

Posted on May 30, 2016 by Pastor Dave
When our family had the privilege many years ago of camping in Europe and visiting some 13 countries over a six-week period, one of the highlights of our experience was to visit some of the cemeteries in The Netherlands,  Belgium, Luxembourg and France with the thousands of white crosses marking the graves of the brave men and women who gave their lives fighting for the freedom of not only our nation, but of other nations as well. We’ve also had the opportunity to visit Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. and to view the moving scene of some 400,000 crosses marking the graves of those who have died in our nations conflicts, beginning with the American Civil War.
     As you travel along the highways of our state of Montana, you will see many crosses along the roadside which—for the past 60 years—have been put up by the American Legion to mark the site where someone was killed in a highway accident. Each spring, sometime before Memorial Day, the American Legion members can be seen along the highways putting a fresh coat of paint on these markers.
     The cross, of course, is a symbol of Christianity, representing the means by which our Savior, Jesus Christ, gave His life in payment for our sins. Crucifixion on a cross was a means of capital punishment brought in by the Romans. It was normally reserved for ruthless criminals who were not Roman citizens. The Jews’ method of capital punishment was by stoning, but since they were under Roman oppression, they weren’t allowed to carry out their own capital punishment (Although they did get away with stoning Stephen…Acts 7).  Just as the “Fish” sign had been a symbol of the early followers of Jesus, the Cross became the symbol designating Christianity and continues to be to this day. The majority of churches are recognizable, not just from their architecture, but from the presence of crosses.  Interestingly, the cross even became a popular item on all sorts of jewelry. You never see guillotines or machetes or electric chairs as part of jewelry items! 
     Since the cross is representative of Christianity, there are those, such as The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which protest the presence of crosses on public property, such as the roadside memorials along the highways and have lobbied on many occasions to have crosses taken down. They, and others, believe the crosses violate the “Separation of Church and State” by promoting one religion over another.  The controversy over the cross is made pretty obvious when you look at different states’ policies regarding their use as roadside memorials of fatal accidents. Some states such as California, North Carolina and Oregon ban them while Alaska and West Virginia have statutes encouraging them as memorials.  Texas allows them at sites of fatal car accidents but only where alcohol was a factor.  Montana, as already mentioned, allows the American Legion to erect crosses at the site of all fatal accidents (Even though they don’t check first to make certain the victim was a Christian!!).  Massachusetts requires that roadside “shrines” be removed 30 days after the fatality. In Nevada, highway officials ordered the removal of an 8-foot steel cross from U.S. Highway 50 near Carson City. It marked the location where a young murder victim was discovered. The Red Cross organization, because of pressure from groups such as the FFRF, has changed its international symbol to a red diamond instead of a cross.
     There are other symbols of course which represent religious groups. You have, for example,  the Jewish “star of David,” and the Wiccan “pentacles” or “pentagrams.”  But the symbol which comes under the greatest attack is that of the cross. The cross has always brought division. If you think about it, the cross on which Jesus died not only stood between the two thieves, one of whom repented and ended up in Paradise with Jesus, and one who remained in disbelief and ended up in Hades, but it has been the great divider of all mankind ever since. The Apostle Paul said, “For the word (preaching) of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God” (I Cor. 1:18).  He referred to the cross as a “stumbling block” (Gal. 4:11) because it indicates that a man can only be saved by faith in the work of Christ at the cross and not by works and that is an offense to his pride. Paul had personally discovered that. He had been very religious as a devout Jew and thought he was going to be saved by his performance, but then, as he was on the way to Damascus to persecute followers of Jesus, He met the risen Savior and was dramatically converted. He understood now the power of the cross, of the death and resurrection, and that Jesus’ sacrifice alone can put away sin and make one righteous. His life totally changed and he knew it was only by the grace of God, not of works on his part. He wrote: “But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Gal. 6:14).
     On this Memorial Day, we honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives while serving in our military protecting our freedoms.  Many of these were placed in graves  marked by row upon row of  white crosses. There is One, however, who made the real “Ultimate Sacrifice,” that is Jesus Christ, the Creator who became our Redeemer by giving His life as our substitute, bearing the penalty of our sins, so that we, through faith in Him, could have eternal life. “For God so loved the world (you and me) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16).  Before His death, Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself. But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die” (Jn. 12:32,33).  He wouldn’t die by stoning at the hands of the Jews, but by crucifixion on a cruel cross where He shed His blood for the forgiveness of sin, just as the Psalmist and the prophet Isaiah had prophesied some 600-700  years before (Psa. 22; Isa. 53).
     What does the cross of Christ mean to you? Have you bowed at the foot of the cross acknowledging that Jesus died there for YOU, and trusted Him for eternal life?  If not, this would be a great day to do so. Then you will really know what freedom is all about. Jesus said, “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free…If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed” (Jn. 8:32,36).
                    Forever his,
                            Pastor Dave
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The Pretender

Posted on May 23, 2016 by Pastor Dave
Some of you probably remember “The Pretender” TV series that aired from 1996-2000 on NBC.  Michael T. Weiss played “Jarod,” a very intelligent person with the ability to slide into somebody else’s vocational role. The series was inspired by a serial imposter by the name of Ferdinand Waldo Demera II (1921-1982).  He was known as “The Great Imposter” and had a very impressive list of impersonations masquerading as a medical doctor, civil engineer, sheriff’s deputy, hospital orderly, hospital chaplain, lawyer, monk, editor, cancer researcher, and school teacher. In the 1960’s he served as a counselor at the Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles. He even received a graduate certificate from Multnomah Bible College (Portland, OR) in 1967!
     When we first joined Rocky Mountain Bible Mission in 1974, we worked in July at their summer Bible camp called “Camp Utmost.” During one high school week, one of our Missionaries brought to camp a handsome, personable young man in his early 20’s whom he had picked up on the street in Missoula. He joined us on Monday when the camp week started. On Wednesday night he got up at campfire and shared a testimony of how he had just received Christ as his Savior and how it changed his life. He sounded very sincere and genuine, using all the right “Christianize.” But by Friday, our missionary had to take him back to Missoula. He had threatened to get all the girls at camp pregnant. He turned out to be a “con-artist,” a “pretender.” Seems he had been working up and down the west coast conning people. He was very sharp and very smooth. He had heard some of the teens give their testimonies and knew exactly what to say.
     Jesus had to deal with a group of “pretenders” too while He was here on earth. In a warning, He said, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Mt. 7:15). Jesus went on to say, “You will know them by their fruits…a bad tree bears bad fruit” (vv. 17-20).  Then He added, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day (of judgment), ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’” (vv. 21-23). There are still many false teachers today, who, as wolves in sheep’s clothing, enter into the church, often in roles of leadership, even as pastors, who are mere pretenders and are used by the enemy, Satan, to lead people away from the truth. Many of them are very crafty, very charismatic,  very subtle, very smooth, knowing all the right words to say, yet introducing heresy little by little, gradually leading the “flock” astray.
     Jesus also came down very hard on the scribes and Pharisees, calling them “hypocrites,” a term for play actors who wore different masks to play different roles as “pretenders.”  Jesus said the them: “For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside are full of robbery and self-indulgence…You are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Mt. 23:25-28).
     Even one of the Apostles who spent much time with Jesus during His earthly ministry, witnessing His miracles, listening to His amazing sermons, and watching His sinless life, remained uncommitted to Him. He did such a good job of pretending that even when Jesus said to “The Twelve” in the upper room, “One of you will betray Me” (Jn. 13:21), only Judas (the “pretender”) knew of whom He spoke. John records: “The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking” (Jn. 13:22).
     When we lived in Portland, we attended Montavilla Baptist Church, where one of our pastors shared his testimony of how he had grown up in a good Christian home, attended all the church services, Sunday school, youth group, etc. He even taught Sunday school and became Sunday school superintendent. Then he got saved!!  He had gone through all the motions and said all the right things. In His pretense, he had everyone fooled. But He hadn’t fooled God, who through God’s Word and the Holy Spirit, convicted him of his pretense and he gave his heart to the Lord.
      Many today are like the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day, putting on masks, outwardly going through the motions of being “Christian,” but have never committed their life to Christ, never have received Him as Savior and Lord. Some are like Judas who seemingly have been “Jesus followers” and have everyone around them fooled into thinking they are truly one of His.  Some, like our pastor, have grown up in Christian homes, attended church for years, and may even have assumed leadership roles, but are mere “pretenders,” having never been “born again,” changed from within. They have convinced those around them that they belong to Christ, but really don’t personally know Him. If they remain in that condition, tragically God will one day have to say to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me” (Mt. 7:23).
     Have you genuinely trusted Christ for eternal life, acknowledging your sinful, lost condition, and that Jesus died to pay for your sins and that you can never make it to heaven based on your own performance? If you have been a mere “pretender,” or if you aren’t sure about heaven, why not today, talk to God about that and receive Christ as your personal Savior, for no mere “pretenders” will make it to heaven.
            Forever His,
                Pastor Dave
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Why Do Animals Play?

Posted on May 16, 2016 by Pastor Dave
Even though it is quite a pain to protect all our bushes, trees, flowers and vegetable garden from our local white tail deer herd, we are also rewarded with getting to see a newborn fawn that mom brings to show off to us, or the changing of coats from summer to winter and then back again to the summer coat, or to watch the antlers grow each year, starting with the velvet stage. It is also fun to watch the fawns seemingly play a game of tag and zoom through the fields and around the trees. Recently we observed a group playing “king of the mountain” on our neighbor’s big manure pile. It began with several yearlings. One of them would be on top of the pile spinning around and kicking up its heels until another—or more often a couple—would come up and force it down and take its place. This went on for 5-10 minutes until a doe, probably the mom of one of the yearlings, decided to get in on the game. She charged to the top, pushing the reigning yearling off. When anyone challenged her, she reared up on her hind legs and pawed them away with her front hooves. It was very entertaining!
     One of the places we like to go for walks in the area has numerous ponds where we get to see turtles, ducks, geese, deer, eagles and an occasional river otter, one of nature’s most fun-loving creatures. Although catching food is a serious matter for most wildlife, to the otter it is fun. Often the otter is more interested in the sport of the chase than in securing a meal and will play with a fish and release it after it is caught!  Otters also love to make mud slides down to the water and spend many hours sliding down and flinging themselves with abandon into the cool waters of a river or stream. In the winter, the otter can be seen tobogganing down snow banks.
     In the May issue of the Alaska magazine, is an an article entitled “Bears Just Wanna Have Fun”  relating Nick Jans observation of big Kodiak Brown Bears playing with plastic gas cans and big plastic floats from fishing nets. Nick wrote: “I don’t figure bears thrashing our gear are operating out of some deep-seated malice or vicious nature; in fact, pretty much the opposite. I’ve watched a half dozen bears fooling with human-made objects, and every time, my impression was that they were, above all, thoroughly enjoying themselves—engaging in the sort of play a dog would.
     Of course we are all familiar with the playful behavior of cats and dogs. Dogs are generally fond of frolicking, either with people, other dogs, or even other animals. I’m sure you have all received e-mail videos of unusual animal relationships such as a National Geographic video documentary series “Unlikely Animal Friends,” which included the antics of Surya the orangutan and Rosco the hound dog at a river park, as the two carried on wrestling, running, hugging, rolling, and being silly.
     Many animals play, and possibly all mammals do. Birds too seem to get in on the fun. Crows play pranks on other creatures, and even team up to play. One report stated that a group of crows “Would fly toward each other, drop a tin plate and a member of the other team would swoop down and catch it in mid air, turn and fly back toward the other team, drop the plate and continue this game while they were being very vocal. What fun it was to watch.”
     Animal play has challenged scientists and researchers for a long time. If one has an evolutionary bias and presumes a Darwinian history of life in which all traits, and behaviors evolved in response to selection and survival of the fittest, what purpose can play possibly have? Does play really do anything to help a young (or old) animal become a fitter survivor, especially considering the energy and risk that it involves? If indeed animals play for pure enjoyment, then evolutionists have no answer to their question. If animals play just to be silly, then Darwinism is at a loss to explain the behavior’s origin, for if animals evolved by purely natural forces, as they believe, then every creature’s features should be purely pragmatic. Fun doesn’t fit this formula.
     But, if indeed, God is Creator of all things, then we observe that, just as parents enjoy watching their children at play, and we enjoy watching animals frolic and deer play “king of the mountain,” God created animals, and mankind, with the ability to enjoy play and recreation and He delights in watching His creation at play. Psalm 104:24-26 states: “O LORD, how many are Thy works; in wisdom Thou hast made them all; the earth is full of Thy possessions. There is the sea, great and broad, in which are swarms without number, animals both small and great. There the ships move along, and Leviathan, which Thou hast formed to sport (play) in it.” Exactly what kind of creature the leviathan is or was, we don’t know for sure, but it was apparently made to play. It can also be translated “fashioned for sporting jest.” Animals—indeed all things—were made by our all-wise, all-powerful Creator God, designed not just for survival, but to display the attributes of the Creator.
     As we observe animals at play, we need to realize that our lives too should include both times of fun and times of hard work. The Bible says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones” (Pr. 17:22).   
                Forever His,
                    Pastor Dave
    
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A Sweet Aroma

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Pastor Dave
The first week of May has to be one of my very favorite weeks out of the whole year, at least in this “neck of the woods” where we live. This is normally when the lilacs and fruit trees are in full bloom on our place and the aromas floating around are just amazing. We like to sit out on the deck (which is next to a row of lilacs) to have lunch and/or supper and just enjoy the fragrance, or to walk through our little orchard and revel in the sweet-smelling apple blossoms and watch the bees working hard as they move from flower to flower, gathering nectar and pollen. We have 24 bee hives, so the trees are alive with worker bees. If the blossoms make it without a hard frost we should have lots of fruit this year as the trees are solid with blossoms. The beautiful aromas are an encouraging harbinger of a coming bountiful harvest of fruit.
     As I enjoy the aroma of all the blossoms, I am reminded of a passage in Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth. He wrote: “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other and aroma from life to life…” (II Cor. 2:14-16). The picture is of a Roman conqueror leading his captives in triumph. Paul gladly considered himself one of Christ’s captives being led in triumph, to the glory of Christ. In Rome, if a general won a complete victory on foreign soil, and if he killed at least 5,000 enemy soldiers and gained new territory for the Emperor, then he was entitled to a “Roman Triumph,” their equivalent of the American “ticker-tape parade.” The parade would include the commander riding in a golden chariot, surrounded by his officers and would include a display of the spoils of battle, as well as the captive enemy soldiers. The Roman priests would also be in the parade, carrying burning incense to pay tribute to the victorious army.
     When you consider our great commander-in-chief, Jesus Christ, He came to foreign soil (the earth) and completely defeated the enemy (Satan). But, instead of killing 5,000 enemies, He gave life to more than 5,000 persons—3,000 at Pentecost (Acts 2:41) and 2,000 plus shortly after Pentecost (Acts 4:4), plus the millions since then. Jesus claimed the “spoils of battle”—lost souls who had been in bondage to sin and Satan (II Tim 2:24-26). What a great victory!    Just as the victorious Roman general’s sons would walk behind their father’s chariot, sharing in his victory, believers in Christ are following in His triumph. We don’t fight the spiritual battle (Eph. 6:10) for victory; we fight from victory (II Cor. 2:14 cf I Cor. 15:57; Ro. 8:37).
     As the Roman priests burned the incense in the parade, the odor affected different people in different ways. To the triumphant soldiers, it meant life and victory; but to the conquered enemy, it meant defeat and death. They were on their way to be killed by the lions. Using this image of the incense, Paul pictured the Christian ministry. He saw believers as incense, giving forth the fragrance of Jesus Christ in their lives and labors. To God, believers are the fragrance of Jesus Christ. To other believers, we are the fragrance of eternal and abundant life; to those who have rejected or ignored Christ, we are the fragrance of death, for we represent the only way of life (Jn. 14:6)—which they have rejected. The way we live and work can mean life or death to a lost world around us.
     If you are a believer in Christ and are abiding in Him and in His Word, you are exhibiting an aroma, a fragrance of Christ which is evident to all around wherever you go. To those who know Christ or are being drawn to Him, you will be an “aroma of life” but to those who are living in rejection of Christ, you will be an “aroma of death.”  The aroma also is a harbinger of the fruit that you will bear as you abide in the vine (Jn. 15:1-8).  It is God’s purpose for our lives that we “should go and bear fruit, and that our fruit should remain…” (Jn. 15:16).  What aromas are emanating from your life?  Are you walking with Christ in His triumph and manifesting His fragrance and the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22,23) to all around?  Or are you walking in the flesh, ruled by the old, sinful nature and “stinking it up” wherever you go?  Are you pointing people to Christ by the way you live or driving them from Him? 
         Forever His,
            Pastor Dave
    
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Narrow-Gate Choices

Posted on May 2, 2016 by Pastor Dave
On our recent trip to spend some time with the family in Oregon, we had the privilege of attending church with them. Pastor Jon Strutz (who happened to grow up in Montana!) was in a series on “Growing in Christ” based on Col. 2:6,7 which speaks of being “rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught.” This particular message was on “Accountability” and he began with a very interesting paraphrase of the familiar passage in Matthew 7 where Jesus spoke of the narrow gate that “leads to life” and the wide gate that “leads to destruction” (Mt. 7:13,14).  Eugene Peterson’s The Message, reads: “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with sure-fire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.”
     In a world of “instant everything,” where we are always looking for shortcuts and quick fixes, we, unfortunately carry that thinking over to the spiritual as well and look for “shortcuts to God” and “easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time.”  This results in making “wide-gate” choices as we go along with the crowd, doing what is easiest and most comfortable and will not “rock the boat”—acting with “tolerance” and doing what is “politically correct” in our anti-Christian society.  We make choices that feel good at the moment, living our lives thinking we know what is best for us. Solomon challenges that lifestyle in His “Book of Wisdom,” writing: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil” (Pr. 3:5-7). The Psalmist, David dealt with the same issue, writing: “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD…Do not fret because of evil doers, be not envious toward wrongdoers…Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it” (Psa. 1:1,2 ; 37:1-5). 
     The primary application of Mt. 7:13,14 is regarding what we do with Jesus Christ who is the only way to God (Jn. 14:6; Acts 4:12) and determines our eternal destiny, eternal life in heaven (if we trust Christ as Savior and Lord) or destruction, i.e., eternal judgment in hell (if we reject or ignore Christ’s offer of salvation through His finished work on the Cross).  But, we can also apply this passage to our every-day choices as to whether they are “narrow-gate” or “broad-gate” choices; i.e., whether we are looking for the easygoing formulas that only require a little of our spare time, or whether we are willing to accept the challenge to make godly choices, going against the crowd and culture— “The way of life that is vigorous and requires total attention.” Such choices may not be popular, may not be politically correct, and may result in some form of persecution, but will be for our good and God’s glory.  Such choices will also keep us in a place of blessing and joy in spite of our circumstances and enable us to be true “Ambassadors for Christ” (II Cor. 5:20) and be the salt and light to a decaying, dark world as God intends for us to be (Mt. 5:13-16).
     Every day brings opportunities to make “narrow-gate” or “broad-gate” choices. If we are going to be true followers of Christ and not just fans, we can’t just do what is easy and give only our spare time, we must do what is vigorous and demands our full attention. The Bible emphasizes that we are involved in a fierce spiritual conflict (Eph. 6:10-18) and that we are to “suffer hardship …as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (II Tim. 2:3) and “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier” (v. 4).  This doesn’t mean that we quit our jobs or don’t carry out our household duties but it does mean that whatever we do, we do for the glory of God, in service to Him and make our choices accordingly (Col. 3:17,23,24).  So, as you go about you activities today, think about the choices you are making and whether they are “narrow-gate” or “broad-gate” choices. Where do they lead?  How will they affect your faith and joy in Jesus? How will they affect His reputation and your testimony.
        Forever His,
            Pastor Dave
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Silly Geese

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Pastor Dave
I noticed as I was driving into town last week that a pair of geese has taken over an osprey nest atop a power pole next to the highway. We are accustomed to seeing osprey there throughout the spring and summer, but this time the geese got there first. What an odd sight to see a pair of big Canada geese nesting 35-40 feet above the ground!  It obviously does provide a convenient, quick, location for their nest without having to go to the work of building their own, and a place of safety from predators on land and in or near water,  but I doubt they thought through the consequences in 4-6 weeks when it is time for the goslings to hit the water!  That first step out of the nest is going to be a big one!  There is a creek nearby, but not close enough to jump into from their nest.
     Soon the female goose will lay one egg each day until the full clutch of about 5 eggs is obtained. After they are all laid, she will incubate them, which takes 28-30 days. Whenever she leaves the nest during that time, she will cover the eggs with branches to keep them warm and to protect them. The male normally stays nearby to watch, but not too close as to give away the location of the nest to a predator. I guess in this case the predator will probably be an osprey or golden or bald eagle!  The parents (who mate for life) will lead the goslings to the safety of open water within 24 hours of birth. I would love to be there that day to watch those goslings make it to the creek. I hope they have enough “goose down” to bounce when they hit the ground!  Amazingly, though they won’t be able to fly for 2-3 months, the goslings will be able to dive and swim 30-40 feet under water when they are just one day old.
     I’m afraid we humans are often a lot like these silly geese that have chosen to nest atop a power pole. We find something that is quick and easy and convenient and we make a choice without thinking of the consequences in the future because of that choice. We fail to think it through to a conclusion before we make our choice. Although everyone of us is susceptible to making foolish decisions which we regret later, young people seem to be especially vulnerable. They face tremendous peer pressure to be sexually active and to experiment with drugs and alcohol, not thinking about where that path may lead and how it may affect their future.  It is easy to get caught up in the “heat of the moment” and just react to what feels good at the time and make a poor choice that we pay for down the road, maybe for the rest of our lives.  The culture we are living in doesn’t help any either, for it is one of “if it feels good, do it.” There is no right and wrong. Truth is what you make it. With that philosophy, we have lost our moral compass. There are no longer any absolute standards in people’s thinking.
     The problem with that is that God’s standards have not changed and there is a “law of harvest” which—whether we believe it or not—is in effect: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Gal. 6:7). Just as there are natural laws like gravity which God incorporated into the design of His physical creation, there are also spiritual laws that govern our lives, such as the one given in Gal. 6:7.  We may decide that gravity doesn’t exist, but if we jump off a building, we will still fall to the ground below, just as the goslings will when they leave the nest. The unfortunate thing that we face today is that because of our enemy’s efforts to remove God’s Word from society, fewer and fewer people even know—let alone believe and follow—God’s standards for His creation and our lives, and we are facing the consequences of our rebellion and ignorance. We are experiencing the reality of which the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth…For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator…For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions…And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do the things which are not proper” (Ro. 1:18-28).  
    Notice the repeated phrase (underlined): “God gave them over.” What a tragic consequence there is when we ignore God and His Word in our choices. If we know the truth and suppress it or try to eliminate it, that doesn’t change the truth or the consequences of violating it. We will still reap what we sow, and we are seeing that in our culture today. We end up being governed by our old sinful natures and what a mess results. We see it all around us with broken lives, broken homes, and a broken nation. But, it’s easy to point a finger at everyone else for the mess we are in. Individually we too need to make choices based on the principles of God’s Word. So, that means we need to spend time in it so we know what the truth is, and then by faith in our loving Creator-Redeemer, obey. Think through your choices before you make them. Be like Daniel in the Old Testament, who “made up his mind (ahead of time) that he would not defile himself…” (Dan. 1: 8).  Don’t be a “silly goose,” dare to be a Daniel!
                Forever His
                        Pastor Dave
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Divine Appointments

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Pastor Dave
We had the opportunity a week ago to meet up in Phoenix, Arizona with our son from Oregon City and to attend several spring-training baseball games and do some hiking in the area. Some dear friends from our church have a condominium in Scottsdale where we were privileged (spoiled!) to stay. Their granddaughter (Alanah) whom they raised, and who sort of “adopted” us as another set of grandparents, is attending Grand Canyon University and was on spring  break so we got to spend some time with her as well and get some guided tours of the area and of the campus of GCU—quite an impressive place!
     On the one day that we didn’t have a baseball game on our schedule, we (Alanah included) drove up to Sedona to hike. A flashing highway sign told us that due to an accident ahead, there would be a delay, so we didn’t quite arrive when we had hoped, but still had plenty time for the two hikes our son, Grant, had—through his research—lined up for us to take. When we reached the trailhead for the first hike, it was lunch time and there was a picnic table, so before we headed out, we sat and soaked up the amazing beauty of the big red-rock canyon and ate our lunch.  As we hiked to our first destination, a high mesa, we were in continual awe of the scenes before us. At every turn in the trail we couldn’t help but continue to utter “Wow!”  We took many, many pictures but they can’t begin to do justice to being there to see the amazing aftermath of the Flood of Noah (Not the explanation given on the signage, of course!).  When we reached the mesa we had a 360 degree panoramic view that was so spectacular. We dreamed of being able to camp there (which you can’t) and seeing a beautiful Arizona sunset and sunrise from that perspective.
     We saw that the trail continued over the other side and knew it ended up on the other hike we wanted to take, but also led to another trailhead. We met a couple gals from Iowa who had come up that other side and had them come over to take our picture. In our conversation with them they told us that there was a cut-off trail on the side they had come up that would lead us back to our original trailhead so we could make a loop. How “timely” that we met them at just that time to discover we could accomplish both hikes and do it as a loop. We were about to continue on when we met another young gal who had come up our side and was interested also in making the loop but, not being sure of where to go and being alone was afraid to try it. We invited to have her hike with us, which she did and we had a delightful time getting to know her. She is an elementary school teacher in Virginia and was on her spring break. If you are familiar at all with Sedona, you know that there is a lot of mysticism and new-age spiritualism regarding the area which is thought by some to have magical powers. In fact that morning, there was a designated area where people could visit the “vortex” and be “energized!”   This gal had gone there but said she didn’t feel anything. We said, “Good.” It was quite obvious that the young lady is searching for truth and was very open to talk. Each of us got time to interact with her as we hiked. When we arrived back at the trailhead where we were parked, we exchanged email addresses so we could stay in touch. I have to believe that our encounter was a “divine appointment,” and that God is working in her heart. We plan to follow up with her, so pray for us and for her heart as we do.  I will keep you posted.
     As I thought about how God had worked out the timing for us to meet this school teacher from Virginia—including the “delay” caused by the accident, I was reminded of how God controls situations to bring people together to reach souls for the Kingdom, and to carry out His plans.   We saw it on numerous occasions during Jesus’ ministry. For example, Jesus, once when taking His disciples from Judea to Galilee, purposefully went through Samaria, which was not the normal route. Since Jews hated the half-breed Samaritans, they would cross the Jordan and go up the east side so as to bypass Samaria. John chapter 4 records the story and tells of a woman who was an outcast even among the Samaritans because of the immoral lifestyle she had lived. While others came in the cool of the morning to the well at Sychar to draw water, she had come during the heat of the day to avoid seeing anyone else.  But it was at that precise time that Jesus, having sent his disciples to town to buy food, met her at the well. It was a divine appointment. After asking the woman for a drink (Jn. 4:7), Jesus offered her “living water” (v. 10), and said to her: “Everyone who drinks of this water (from this well) shall thirst again; but whosoever 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 spring up to eternal life” (vv. 13,14).   The woman ended up believing on Jesus and rushed back to town to tell people about what happened to her. Many believed because of her testimony and others came out to hear Jesus in person and believed (vv. 39-42). All this because of a “divine appointment” between Jesus and an outcast Samaritan woman at a well near Sychar during the heat of the day.
     An example from the life of the Apostle Paul is the story of Onesimus, a slave who had stolen from his master, Philemon, and had run away. Eventually he made his way to Rome, where he crossed paths with Paul (possibly in jail!) where Paul took the opportunity to share Christ with him and he got saved. Think of all the events God worked out to bring about that encounter!  Paul sent Onesimus back to his master, accompanied by a letter of intercession on his behalf (the letter became part of the New Testament).
     God also orchestrates the details of our lives, including what we see as delays and interruptions, to bring about “divine appointments” with those He is drawing to Himself. The amazing thing is that we are the instruments through whom He works—what a privilege, but what a responsibility!  When we cross paths (or hiking trails) with others, it is not by chance, but because God put us both there at that time and place. I think of how often I have probably not been listening to God or am not available to Him and have missed the opportunity He presented. God, help me to be sensitive to these “divine encounters” and to be a faithful vessel through whom You can work. We should pray, as did the Apostle Paul, “God, open doors, open hearts, then open my mouth and give me the right words to speak” (cf Col. 4:3,4).
     God may have a “divine appointment” for you today. Be watching and be ready (cf I Pet. 3:15).
                                    Forever His,
                                        Pastor Dave
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Because He Lives

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Pastor Dave
I trust you had a joyous time yesterday celebrating Jesus’ resurrection. What a blessed hope we as believers in Jesus Christ have. We are not followers of a religious teacher who died and remains in the grave. We serve a risen Savior. Hallelujah, “He’s alive and I’m forgiven! Heaven’s gates are opened wide!” 
     The resurrection of Jesus Christ is more than important to Christianity; it is central. Without the resurrection of Christ, Christianity would be only a hopeless religion perpetrated by a person who claimed to be God and who falsely promised that He would rise from the dead. All New Testament truth stands or falls based on the resurrection of Christ. According to Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, if there is no resurrection, then: Christ is not risen, our preaching is vain, our faith is vain, Paul and the Apostles were false witnesses, we are still in our sins, the dead in Christ have perished, Christians are the most miserable persons on earth (I Cor. 15:12-19).  “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man (Adam) came death, by a man (Jesus Christ) also came the resurrection of the dead” (vv. 20,21). He’s alive and I’m forgiven. And because He lives, I have: the presence of His resurrected life, the power of His resurrected life, the purpose of His resurrected life.
     Because He lives, I have the PRESENCE of His resurrected life. Jesus had prophesied that He would return to live in the disciples (Jn. 14:18,20,28; 16:7). That’s why it was to their advantage that He leave and send the Holy Spirit through whom He and the Father would come to live in each believer (cf Jn. 7:37-39). But in order for the life of Christ to be imparted to us, He first had to die and be raised and return to His Father and send the Holy Spirit (Jn. 12:24). Also, if Christ is to live His resurrected life in us, we must receive Him, invite Him in as Savior and Lord (Jn. 1:11,12). Saul of Tarsus (who became Paul the missionary) did that as a result of His meeting the risen Savior when he was headed to Damascus to persecute believers. He was then able to share this testimony: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me” (Gal. 2:20).  No matter what our circumstances, no matter how great a problem we face, no matter where we go—“For this we have Jesus,” and He will never leave or forsake us (Heb. 13:5). He is our friend at all times (Jn. 15:14,15) and we need not fear (I Jn. 4:4).
     Because He lives, I also have the POWER of His resurrected life (Jn. 14:12). Paul said, “I can do all things through Him (Christ) who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). The power is not something from within ourselves but rather comes through the Holy Spirit coming to live within (Acts 1: 8), and through the Holy Spirit, Christ living in me. We are saved from the penalty of sin through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, but we are saved from the power of sin through the life Jesus lives in us, as we submit to His control (Ro. 5:10). When Christ comes into our life as we are born anew (Jn. 3:3), we are a new creation in Christ (II Cor. 5:17), and batteries are included! We are empowered, and enabled to serve.
     Because He lives, I have the PURPOSE of His resurrected life. The meaning of life is incomplete without Christ. There’s always a missing ingredient no matter how successful we are at our ventures. We lack the real purpose and direction in our life if we are going it alone without Him. We are like a ship without a rudder. Unless we build our life on the Lord Jesus Christ, we are building on sand. We need a solid foundation on which to build our marriage, our education, our job…etc., and “other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 3:11). So, just what is His purpose for our life? He didn’t save us just to take us to heaven, but to conform us to His image (Ro. 8:29), and that we might be His witnesses, His ambassadors (II Cor. 5:20), and that we might be salt and light in this decaying, dark world (Mt. 5:13-16). 
     What difference has it made and does it make in your life that Jesus rose from the grave?  Do you know that Christ lives in you? Are you experiencing His power in and through your life? Does your life have purpose and direction? Because He lives, all of that is possible. Praise God, He’s alive and I have a new life in Him, and with His living in me, I have the power to do all He desires for me to do, and have a real purpose for living: to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Mt. 6:33).  How about you?
                Forever His,
                        Pastor Dave
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Freedom from Religion

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Pastor Dave
The “Freedom From Religion Foundation” is an organization of atheists, agnostics and skeptics who are the “voice for free thought” that protest any semblance of Christianity displayed publicly, be it crosses along the highway, the Ten Commandments on a billboard, “In God we Trust” on our coins, “one nation under God” in our pledge, or a nativity scene on the courthouse lawn. They, of course use the guise of “separation of church and state,” as their argument. 
     While I believe they are completely misguided and under the influence or control or our enemy, Satan, I too believe we need to be “free from religion” in the sense of it being a system of human effort to appease God and achieve heaven.  During Jesus’ public ministry while He was here on earth, He came down very heavily upon those who merely had religion without a relationship with Him. They substituted rules and ritual for actually knowing and following Jesus. A couple groups in particular that Jesus often dealt with very harshly were the scribes and Pharisees who measured their faith by their hard work at learning and following the law. Most of them, by the time they were 12 had the first 12 books of the Bible memorized, and by the time they were 15, had memorized the whole Old Testament and had committed to memory the more than 300 prophecies about the coming Messiah!  Yet when Jesus, the Messiah, came, they didn’t recognize or acknowledge Him. They knew all about Him, but they didn’t know Him. They were all about following rituals and rules and even condemned Jesus for breaking some of their rules.
     Eight times, to their faces, Jesus called them hypocrites, a word which comes from Greek ancient classical theater. Greek actors were called hypocrites. Often a single actor would play several characters by using a different mask for each character. You never saw the real actor—just masks of who he was pretending to be. What they appeared on the outside was not who they really were. On the outside, the scribes and Pharisees appeared to be very devout, very religious in their adherence to a system of rules, but inside were spiritually corrupt. The Apostle Matthew records seven “woes” which Jesus pronounced upon the Scribes and Pharisees (Mt. 23:13-33). Jesus said, for example: “Woe to you, scribes, and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgent. You blind Pharisees, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but on the inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (verses 25-28).  Everything they did was for show (Mt. 23:5). You might say they were professional pretenders.
     They needed to be set free from religion and come to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Do you remember the story of one of these Pharisees who came secretly to see Jesus to find out how he could have eternal life?  His name was Nicodemus which means “superior man.”  He was a very religious Jewish leader, but Jesus said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:3).  Nicodemus was a member of the prestigious Jewish Sanhedrin (like their supreme court), a well-respected religious leader, and was undoubtedly very devout in his adherence to rules and rituals. In other words, he was “very religious,” but he needed to be reborn, i.e., he needed to be “born from above.” He needed to be spiritually regenerated. He needed a relationship with Jesus and freedom from religion. Nicodemus was representative of those who were caught up in legalism, which is the mind set that God’s love for us is conditioned on something we can be or do. It is attempting to please God by externals—keeping of rules and rituals—rather than by acknowledging that we cannot merit or earn salvation and grace but must humbly accept what Jesus has done for us as the only means of salvation and Christian living and ask Him to come into our life and be Lord and Master, allowing Him to change us from the inside out.
     Jesus said, “and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free…If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed” (Jn. 8:31, 36).  Jesus also said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (Jn. 14:6). To be set free from the bondage of religion, of rules-keeping to please God, we need to respond to the “truth,” i.e., to the person of Christ, by acknowledging that He alone is the way to the Father and the secret of the Christian life. Paul, who as Saul of Tarsus, had also been very religious, had an encounter with Jesus Christ when Paul was on the road to Damascus to persecute Christians (called then “Followers of the Way”). For the first time he realized who Jesus really was and came to know Him and his life was transformed. He fully understood that “by grace we are saved through faith; and that not of ourselves  it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast” (Eph. 2:8,9). Not only did he realize that salvation was a gift of grace, but he also realized that the Christian life was not one of external rule following, but of a personal walk with Christ who now lived in him. He wrote: “For me to live is Christ..I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 1:21; 4:13).
     Have you, like Nicodemus and Paul, experienced “freedom from religion”?  Or are you still depending on your performance—church attendance, rituals and rule keeping—to merit the favor of God. Listen to what Paul wrote to Titus, who came to Christ through the ministry of Paul: “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Tit. 3:5-7). If you’ve never done so, why not put your trust in Christ alone today for your salvation. And if you have asked Him to save you, allow Him to be your life, depending completely on Him for your every-day living, reading and heeding His Word through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. You will experience freedom—freedom from religion.
            Forever His,
                Pastor Dave
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