Wisdom of The Week

     So, how many of you cleaned behind your refrigerator this past week?  A severe thunderstorm visited Washington, Idaho and Western Montana this past Wednesday evening and left a widespread area across these states without power for about 18 hours. We have a small gas-powered generator that provides power for a couple appliances. We have two freezers and one refrigerator, so I kept switching cords to keep the three going (I believe that is called “alternating current”!).  The refrigerator had to be pulled out in order to gain access to the plug. Wow, it is amazing how much dust and crud collects behind your refrigerator!  It is not a place that gets cleaned very often!  So, it should be good now until the next major power outage!  I have several gas cans that I had planned to fill last week and had them set out to take in the night the storm hit. Fortunately I had just enough gas left to keep the generator going until the power came on, as the gas stations are also dependent on power to operate.

     When the power goes out it creates lots of problems for all affected. Fortunately, besides having a generator, we also have a hand pump on our well so we have water available, and we have a wood stove to heat water. Such is not the case with many.  One large local grocery store here has generator backup, but they ran out of gas for their generators!  So, they had an impromptu parking lot sale!   The storm reminded us anew of how dependent we are on the power grid. Life changes in a hurry when we are without power.  This past Thursday night, hurricane Helene slammed into the southeastern states, resulting in more than 50 deaths (with 600 still missing) and leaving several million without power. 

     As we experienced firsthand the challenges we face when we are without power, I couldn’t help but think of the importance of power in our Christian lives as well.  The Bible speaks a lot about power, with 272 references in 260 verses, 137 of them in the New Testament.  One of the attributes of God is His”Omnipotence.” God is “all-powerful.” He is El Shaddai (“God Almighty”…Gen. 17:1).  Nothing is too difficult for God. “Ah LORD God! Behold, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power and by Thine outstretched arm!  Nothing is too difficult for Thee” (Jer. 32:17). Some of the references in the Old Testament to God’s power (such as Jer. 32:17) use the word koach (ko’akh), which speaks of force and strength. Other references speak of God’s authority, using the word shalat (shaw-lot’), meaning to rule, govern, or have dominion.  As the sovereign God, He is all-powerful and has all authority. 

     Similarly in the New Testament, God’s power and authority are both mentioned.  When Jesus healed the  paralytic (recorded in Mark 2:1-12), He demonstrated His power by restoring his health, and His authority by forgiving the man’s sins (v. 10).  The Greek word, exousia (ex-oo-see’-ah) means authority or right.  Jesus again used that term in Jn. 10:18, saying: “No one has taken it (My life) from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again…”   Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry He manifested both His power and authority over His creation.  In what we call “The Great Commission” (of the Apostles) in Matt. 28:18-20, “Jesus came up to them, saying, ‘All authority (exousia) has been given to Me in heaven and on earth’ ” (v. 18).   

     Earlier, when Jesus sent out Apostles “to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing” (Lk. 9:2),  “He called the twelve together, and gave them power (dunamis) and authority (exousia) over all the demons, and to heal diseases” (v. 1). Jesus equipped them for the particular ministry on which He sent them.

      After Jesus resurrection, and forty days later, just before He ascended back to heaven, Jesus again called the disciples together and “commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised (the coming of the Holy Spirit…Jn. 14:26; 15:26; 16:7,13)” (Acts 1:4). Jesus went on to add, “but you shall receive power (dunamis) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witness both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (v. 8).  During the period after Jesus’ resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the disciples were living in confusion and fear. But after Pentecost, we see a transformed group who boldly went around preaching of the resurrection. What made the difference?  It was the power of the Holy Spirit that came to indwell believers.  From the Greek word dunamis, we get our English words “dynmo,” and “dynamic,” and “dynamite.”  

     Each of us who has trusted in Christ and been born again, has the Spirit of God dwelling in us (I Cor. 6:19,20), and has the same power (dunamis) and authority (exousia) to proclaim the Good News of the death, burial and resurrection. We are new creations in Christ (II Cor. 5:17), and  “God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power (dunamis) and love and discipline” (II Tim. 1:7). “Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power (dunamis) that works within us” (Eph. 3:20). “And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power (dunamis) which mightily works within me” (Col. 1:29). 

     Sadly, as Christians, we too often try do things in our own strength and find ourselves powerless. We fail to “abide in Christ” (Jn. 15:1-5) and so don’t draw upon the power of the indwelling Spirit by allowing Him to be in control (Gal. 5:16; Eph. 5:18).  Needlessly we suffer from a “power outage” when the power is available. We just need to stay “plugged in” to the power source. Even the Apostle Paul, a spiritual giant, had to admit: “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God” (II Cor. 3:5).  But then to the saints at Philippi, He wrote: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). “Strengthens”  means “empowered” (endunamoo). 

          If you are facing a “power outage” in your life, get plugged back in!  The power is available. 

Forever His,

Pastor Dave Nelson

     “Artificial Intelligence” is the topic of much discussion and controversy.  The term was first used by Alan Turing in 1950 in a paper he wrote entitled: “Computing Machinery and Intelligence.”  He presented “Artificial Intelligence” (AI) as merely a theoretical and philosophical concept. But, AI as we know it today, is the result of the collective effort of many scientists and engineers over several decades. AI is technology with human-like problem-solving capabilities. It can recognize images, write poems and music and make data-based predictions. Modern organizations collect large volumes of data from diverse sources such as smart sensors and human-generated data. AI analyzes data and uses it to assist in problem solving and decision making. AI apps and technologies have increased exponentially in the last few years. AI with human capabilities remains a theoretical concept and research goal. Many are taking advantage of this technology by using AI generated Chatbots and Smart Assistants.   “Alexa” uses AI capabilities to understand and respond to user interactions. 

     But, no matter how amazing this modern technology is, keep in mind that it is artificial.  “Artificial” means “not the real thing; a substitute for the real thing; imitation.”  We live in a world of the artificial. We have artificial leather, artificial sweeteners, artificial grass, even artificial arms and legs (prosthesis)!  Tragically, we also have philosophies and belief systems which are artificial–substitutes for the real thing. 

     When my wife was staying with her brother in Seattle this summer as she had treatments on a melanoma discovered on the back of her eye, she noticed that he had written on his Bible “Authentic Information” (AI).  In a culture of substitutes and now “Artificial Intelligence,” we still have a source of genuine, original, “Authentic (and Authoritative) Information.”  It is God’s revelation to mankind, the Bible, a compilation of some 66 books written by some 40 authors over a period of 1600 years yet with one theme–salvation through Jesus Christ, second person of a triune God, who came to earth, took on the form of man in order to give His life as a ransom for sin to provide forgiveness and eternal life to all who believe in Him and His work at the cross and His subsequent resurrection.  

      Scripture, though penned by human authors, “is inspired by God (God-breathed), and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (II Tim. 3:16,17).  “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (II Pet. 1:20,21).  God’s Word is both authentic and authoritative information. It is to be our absolute standard for both faith (what we believe) and practice (how we behave).  It tells us how the world and life began, not by some evolutionary process of time and chance, but by the creative power of God, who could speak things into existence in an instant. God’s Word tells us that He created male and female and brought them together in marriage, setting the standard–one man and one woman–for all of time.  God gave us principles to live by in the family, in our work and in our culture.  He provided a means for us, though born in sin, to be made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8,9; Gal. 2:16). 

     God is unchanging (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8) and His Word is unchanging (Isa. 40:8; Mt. 5:18). God’s Word is to be the standard for every generation. Our beliefs and behavior are to  be governed by what God has written, not by what culture says or does.  The Apostle Paul warned in Col. 2:8-10: “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority.” 

     As with all technological advancements (which, by the way, happen because we are intelligent beings created in the image of God!), they not only provide great benefits to mankind, but also carry the potential for great evil because our adversary, the devil, does all he can to distract people from serving God and following His Word.  So, though “Artificial Intelligence” can be used for good, just remember, “Authentic Information” is only available in God’s Word, which is always up-to-date and will never change. So, spend time in it and allow it to be the “lamp unto your feet and light to your path” (Psa. 119:105). 

Forever His

Pastor Dave 

     In sports, we refer to the area around the center of mass of a baseball bat, a tennis racket or the head of a golf club as the “sweet spot.”  It is that area that is the most effective part with which to hit the ball.  If the bat, racket, or club connects near the sweet spot, they vibrate very little, feel solid, and produce the maximum results.  When a baseball batter connects on the sweet spot (versus near the handle or the end of the bat), we say they “barreled it up.”   Sports equipment manufacturers work at increasing the “sweet spot” of their products as a selling point.

     As Christians, we are instruments in God’s hands. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). When we become part of the body of Christ, the church, through faith in Jesus Christ, we are equipped with spiritual gifts that enable us to serve and help build up the body.  In the Apostle Paul’s discussion of spiritual gifts in his letter to the church at Corinth, he wrote: “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good…the Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills” (I Cor. 12:7, 11).  In Romans 12, I Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4, Paul lists some of these gifts (I’m sure the list is not exhaustive). Each believer has at least one gift but no one has all the gifts. That compels us to work together for the “common good ” of the body, to see it mature and become equipped for every “work of service” (Eph. 4:12).  

     Not only does God provide us with spiritual gifts, but He also provides places of ministry for those special, God-given abilities (I Cor. 11:4,5). Each of us, as members of the body of Christ, has a special niche where we can contribute the most effectively.  Paul uses the analogy of the human body (I Cor. 12:12-26) and how each part plays an important role and is dependent upon all the others.  Our eyes are obviously a very important part of our body, but what if we were just one big eye! How grotesque!  And, “If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?…And the eye can’t say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’;  or again, the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary” (vv. 17-21).  Every member of the body is important.  We need hands and feet and ears and a nervous system and organs and circulatory system and respiratory system. Each part of the body is equipped by God, in His amazing design, to play a special, important role. Even “the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary…And if one member of the body suffers, all the members suffer with it” (vv. 22, 26).  If one member of our body is hurting or not operating properly, it affects our whole body.  

     The same is true for Christ’s body, the church.  Each of us has an important role to play, a special niche where we fit best–our sweet spot, where we are–in dependence upon Christ–using the gift(s) God has granted us in the area of ministry He provides.  It is there we will be most efficient and effective and be the most fulfilled.  

     When we lived in Portland, Oregon while I worked in engineering at Hyster Company, we had our two children, Heidi and Grant. We attended Montavilla Baptist Church where a there was a wonderful lady, Mrs. Forsman, who worked with nursery. She was a gifted teacher who had tried ineffectively to teach a variety of age groups. Then she gave the nursery class a try and found her sweet spot.  She loved it, and was so good at it that when our children were sick and unable to attend, they literally cried–they loved Mrs. Forsman so much!  That’s how it is when we find our sweet spot of ministry. We enjoy it a lot and–when depending on the Lord–are very effective at whatever it is, for it is God at work in and through us (I Cor. 12:6).  

      You can still hit a baseball off the handle or end of the bat. You can get a tennis ball over the net even if you don’t get it on the sweet spot, and you can hit a golf ball even if you miss sweet spot on the club head, but when you hit the sweet spot, you will have more control, can hit the ball harder and further and it will feel good and solid when you make contact. Well, the same is true in our Christian life and ministry. It is important to find out how God has equipped you and find that special niche of ministry–your “sweet spot,” and focus on that. 

     Have you found YOUR “sweet spot”?

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     Last week, in commemoration of Labor Day,  we looked at how we were created by God to be productive workers and that man was given the command to cultivate the ground and to rule over God’s creatures and to be good stewards of what God made (Gen. 1:27,28; 2:5-7,15).  We saw the emphasis of Scripture on the value of work and how we are to do our work as unto the Lord, not just to please man (Col. 3:17,23,24). We also looked at how work became much more difficult because of sin and the curse God placed on the earth (Gen. 3:17-19), but emphasized that work itself was not part of the curse (as many would like to think!) Working hard at a task, and doing it as unto the Lord is exactly what God purposed for us. As even Solomon acknowledged, labor is actually a gift “from the hand of God” (Eccl. 2:24). 

     But, because of our strong desire for significance and the lure of the old sinful Adamic nature which is in rebellion against God, we have the tendency to look for our purpose, our fulfillment,  and our significance in what we do, how much we make or what we accomplish. The tragic part is that even if we climb the ladder of success, we find it leaning against the wrong wall. It doesn’t promise what we had expected.  The whole reason is that, while created to be workers and to achieve and to accomplish, we are to do it for the glory of God–not for ourselves. If we leave God out of the equation, we find ourselves disappointed and disillusioned because we were created with a God-shaped vacuum in our heart which only Jesus Christ can fill. True significance and satisfaction can only come through an intimate relationship with God through Jesus Christ. No  matter how successful we might be or how much wealth we may accrue because of that success, there is still an emptiness if Christ isn’t first and foremost in our life.  Solomon also said, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity” (and he should know, as we’ll see in a minute” (Eccl. 5:10). 

     History is replete with examples of those who were great successes in their fields yet remained empty and unfulfilled.  Ty Cobb, one of baseball’s all-time greats, made a revealing admission: “For years I ate baseball, I slept baseball, I talked baseball, I thought baseball, I lived baseball.”  But then he added, “When you get beyond those years of playing professional baseball, you can’t live on baseball.”  Elvis Presley, the “King of Rock and Roll,” sold an estimated one billion records in his short lifetime. He made a fortune from his recordings, films, concerts and spent a sizable chunk of it on a variety of “toys” still scattered around Graceland today. He denied himself nothing that money could buy. But, fame and fortune ended up destroying the “King.” The entertainment world had offered Elvis every material and worldly prize, but it couldn’t provide the meaning and significance for which every heart aches. He tried astrology, numerology, and other occult practices. He joined a Yoga organization.  Then, the use of illegal substances became his eventual undoing, as he searched for a spiritual meaning to life that he never discovered and on August 16,1977 Elvis slipped pathetically into eternity. How tragic is his story, but it has been repeated an untold number of times. 

     Consider Solomon, another “King” who lived nearly 3,000 years before “The King of Rock and Roll.” This king, son of David and Bathsheba, became perhaps the wealthiest, wisest king who ever lived. People, like the Queen of Sheba, came just to observe his wealth and splendor and wisdom. No good thing was withheld from him. He had everything money could buy from horses and chariots to gardens, fountains and women!  So, how did Solomon feel about the abundance and prestige he enjoyed? Well, read the book of Ecclesiastes he wrote to describe his experience.  What an incredible portion of Scripture, coming straight from the heart of an old man who had become disillusioned with life!  No matter what he acquired or what pleasures he tried, he described it all as empty and wearisome (Eccl. 1,2). He even described his own activities and labor as “vanity and striving after the wind” (2:10,11). 

     So, what in the world happened to Solomon? Why had he become so disillusioned with life?  The reason is, he looked for fulfillment and significance in all the wrong places–much like Elvis. Before King David died, he gave his son, Solomon, this charge: “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your fathers, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind…” (I Chron. 28:9). In other words, “Solomon, in all your ‘getting,’ get to know God and live for Him with all your heart.”  Solomon failed to fully follow his father’s advice. He ended up disobeying a clear command given in Dt. 17:14-20 that Israel’s king should not “multiply horses for himself…neither multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself…that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left…” 

     So, how did Solomon do?  Well, “Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had 1400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen” (I Kg. 10:26). “The weight of gold which came in to Solomon in one year was 66 talents (approximately $20 million)” (I Kg. 10:14). “And the king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem” (v. 27).  And, on top of all that, “King Solomon loved many foreign women…from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the sons of Israel, ‘You shall not associate with them, neither shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.’ …And he had seven hundred wives, and three hundred concubines, and HIS WIVES TURNED HIS HEART AWAY AFTER OTHER GODS; AND HIS HEART WAS NOT WHOLLY DEVOTED TO THE LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been” (I Kg. 11:1-4).  

     Now we see why the defeatest attitude in the book of Ecclesiastes–even regarding work. Solomon had disobeyed God and started looking outside of his relationship with God for purpose and significance, and like Elvis Presley, the “King of Rock and Roll,” he lost all meaning in life. It seems the more he got and the more he accomplished, the more bored he became. He discovered the emptiness of riches, fame, women and accomplishments. He tried to replace an intimate relationship with God with these things and found them empty, vanity, meaningless, and wearisome.  That’s what always happens when we look for fulfillment in God’s gifts instead of in God the Giver.  Work, accomplishments, success, family and friends can never take the place of God in our life.  He is the only significant One in the universe so true significance and purpose in life can only be found in a relationship with Him. Solomon realized that, but only in his old age, when he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes and challenged the reader with these words: “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth…The conclusion is…Fear God and keep His commandments ” (Eccl. 12:1,13). 

     The Apostle Paul discovered that. He said, “For me to live is Christ…”  (Phil. 1:21).  

Unless you make Christ your purpose for living, all your work, accomplishments and success will leave you empty. Work doesn’t ultimately produce anything that lasts. Work was never meant to give us what only God can give us–purpose, meaning, fulfillment, security and hope. How do you view working? Do you view it as an idol you ask to fulfill you, or do you see it as a gift from God to be enjoyed  as you do it as unto Him, with Him as your hope?  How would you fill in the blank: “For me to live is ______________”?

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     Today (the first Monday in September) we celebrate Labor Day,  a federal holiday established by President Grover Cleveland in 1894 as a time to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the contributions workers make to the achievements and well-being in the United States. Probably few really take time to reflect on the purpose for the holiday, but see it simply as a final day to enjoy summer before the grind of school and the fall work schedules begin.

     Much discussion takes place about work and some do their best to avoid the activity. Many of our young people have grown up never really learning how to do physical work. Is work just a means of making enough money to survive or does it really have a higher purpose?  Since it is not always the favorite of our activities, many joke about work.  The world is full of willing people: some willing to work and some willing to let them!  Some people are like blisters. They don’t show up until the work is done.  Robert Frost said, “The reason why worry kills more people than work is that more people worry than work.” Someone else said, “I love work. I could sit around and watch it for hours!”

     You would think work is part of the curse back in Genesis as a result of sin.  While the curse made work more difficult, God’s purpose for mankind was to work, to be productive, to be good stewards of the earth He created for us. “And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth’ ” (Gen. 1:27,28). Man was to “fill,” to “subdue,” and to “rule over” “God’s creation–that meant work!  Then we read in Gen. 2:5,6: “Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth; and THERE WAS NO MAN TO CULTIVATE THE GROUND.” So, “The LORD God formed man of the dust from the ground…and took the man and put him into the garden of Eden TO CULTIVATE IT AND KEEP IT” (vv. 7,15).  God gave Adam a reason to live. God’s purpose was for man to cultivate, care for and rule over His creation.  That was all before sin occurred.  When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, the ground was cursed by God, death and decay would take place and work would become “toilsome” (Gen. 3:17-19).  That did not mean that work became a curse.  Work was not a result of the Fall.  God’s purpose for man hadn’t changed. Rather, it meant that work would become much more difficult.   But that work, no matter how difficult, is to be done for the glory of God, and it helps each of us grow and become productive members of society, contributing according to the talents (and spiritual gifts–in the case of believers) that God has given us.

     God put work into your life and He expects you to put life into your work.  All of our work, when done as service to our Lord, has significance.   The Apostle Paul, in writing to the believers at Colossae, said: “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father…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). 

     We need money to live in our world, but money’s not the prime reason for working. and by itself does not make a job useful or purposeful. The worth of a job is not defined by what it allows you to do when you’re not working.   Nor is the workplace merely a place to evangelize or earn money to support pastors and  missionaries. The work itself should be productive and done as unto the Lord. A job should employ God-given talents in a way that glorifies Him. He is the One who gave us the ability to work. Again, we are made in His image! People formed in the likeness of a Creator God are naturally creative beings. As we use those creative talents and gifts from God we bring glory to Him and we contribute to society.  

     Yes, the curse of the Fall means that work will be hard, but it does not mean that work must be joyless or purposeless.  “Our position, as followers of Christ, gives every job we do a higher, clearer, ultimately more satisfying sense of purpose” (Paul Nyquist, past President of Moody Bible Institute). A mother mending a hole in her child’s pants participates in God’s redemptive work just as much as a surgeon removing a brain tumor, or a pastor giving his Sunday sermon. In the program of providential God, the slightest acts of obedience can have dramatic consequences. God calls a few to socially significant roles, and God calls many others to make each act significant by doing it for God. Martin Luther said, “even the lowliest Christian laborer is a Kingdom worker.”  That’s the “Theology of Work”–everything we do should be done as unto the Lord and for His glory and to contribute to the world in which we live. 

     So, a question: If you got paid as much if you didn’t go to work, would you still work?”  Unfortunately there are some who wouldn’t have to think twice about just living a life of ease and pleasure. But, God made us to be workers and the only way we can be fulfilled and find that significance that we search for, is to be what God made us to be.  We have a sense of value and worth when we contribute, when we are givers, not just takers.  After all, that’s the purpose for which we were made.  (Oh, and it does say, “If anyone will not work, neither let him eat” …II Thes. 3:19…There’s that!)

Happy “Labor Day”!

Pastor Dave

     This past Saturday (August 17th), we had the privilege of attending the first wedding held at Elohim Bible Camp, which Three Lakes Community Bible Church (that I pastored) started in 1978. As my wife and I sat there waiting for the ceremony to begin, we couldn’t help but think back to the spring of 1978 when we were piling and burning brush and getting the site ready to start a Bible camp. A couple in our church, Al (Ellis) and Ida Stewart, had a vision for ministry to young people and donated property to start the camp. The area was quite heavily wooded and required lots of clearing and “brushing out” to make places for a kitchen and cafeteria and for big army tents to house the campers. We built pallets from 2×2’s for the campers to sleep on in sleeping bags and brought water to the site from a nearby creek. It was very rustic (including outhouse bathrooms), but by the first week of July, we held our first camp.

     Since that time huge improvements have been made to the facility and several thousand young folks have attended camp, with many making decisions to follow Christ.  A Bible Training Center for Pastors was started that has helped a number of folks become equipped for full-time Christian ministry. The camp has been used for retreats, family reunions and family camps, but this was the first time it was the venue for a wedding.  The groom, Landy Marcott, is the eldest son of the camp directors, Landon and Nicole, and the bride, Grace Rodriguez, the daughter of the pastor of an hispanic church in Missoula, Montana. There were more than 300 people there and what a perfect setting and beautiful, Christ-centered ceremony it was. Every portion of the event was designed to bring glory to God.  What a fitting way to begin together a life of service to God.  

     As was pointed out in his welcome, Pastor Dave Donnerberg of Faith Bible Church in Libby, and a frequent speaker at Elohim, related the history of mankind on earth which began with a marriage performed by God in the Garden of Eden as God provided a bride for Adam and the two became one flesh (Gen. 2:18-24).  Then in his charge to the couple, Pastor Bernardo Rodriguez spoke about the first miracle of Jesus being perfomed at a wedding in Cana (Jn. 2), and how believers will all participate in the “marriage of the Lamb” and the “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:7,9) in heaven. 

     In his letter to the believers at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul tells us in Eph. 5:22-32 that the relationship between believing husbands and wives illustrates that which exists between Christ (the bridegroom) and the church (His bride). Paul refers to it as a “mystery” (v. 32), for it was something hidden in the Old Testament that is now being revealed–how God, through Christ, would enter into a relationship with those who put their trust in Christ for eternal life. Jesus prayed in the Garden before going to the Cross” “I do not ask on behalf of these alone (the Disciple) but for those also who believe in Me through their word (that’s us!), that they may all be one even as You Father, are in Me, and I am in You, that they also may be in Us…I in them, and You in Me…” (Jn. 17:20-23).  As believers in Jesus Christ, we are part of the “bride of Christ,” the church and are thus identified with Him in His death, burial and resurrection (Ro. 6).  We symbolize that union with Christ by believer baptism as we go into, under and out of the water.  We look forward to the “marriage of the Lamb” which is coming soon, when in heaven, we are presented by the Father to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ and then celebrate at the “marriage supper of the Lamb.”  

     After the marriage ceremony on Saturday,  we gathered in the activity building, seated around tables, to a scrumptious meal while we fellowshipped with one another. It was a loud, joyous time. Just imagine what that scene will be like in heaven as people from every tribe and nation sit down and celebrate at the “marriage supper of the Lamb”!  

      Each Christ-centered marriage between a believing couple is a beautiful picture of our relationship with Jesus Christ and all we have to look forward to when we are taken to the Father’s house to be presented to His Son and then to celebrate together. If that doesn’t get you excited, nothing can!!  In our wedding ceremonies, the bride and groom normally say vows about being faithful to their spouse “for as long as they shall live.”  Well, in heaven there will be no death, so that will be forever. We will enjoy our relationship with the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, for eternity to come. Hallelujah!

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     We attended an 80th-year birthday celebration this past weekend for someone that you all know. You have probably seen him in parades, seen him on posters and heard him give his famous tagline: “Remember…Only YOU can prevent wildfires.” I refer, of course, to “Smokey Bear,” that  beloved fictional park ranger hat-wearing black bear created by artist Albert Staehle for the United States Forest Service in August, 1944 as a symbol for its wildfire prevention campaign. 

     In May 1950, the name was given to a real bear cub that was rescued from a forest fire in New Mexico’s Capitan Mountains. Discovered by a group of native American firefighters, he was found badly burned but was nursed back to health by veterinarians in Santa Fe. “Smokey” was then flown to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. where he lived until his death on Nov. 9, 1976. He was returned to New Mexico to be buried near the site where he was found. There is now a “Smokey Bear Historical Park” which includes his gravesite.  

     In 1952, singers Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins wrote a jingle for Smokey and added “the” to his name to maintain the song’s rhythm, but his official name is “Smokey Bear,” not “Smokey the Bear.” (NOTE: If you heard the catchy little song it was likely sung by none other than Gene Autrey!). The chorus of the catchy little jingle goes like this: “Smokey the Bear, Smokey the Bear, prowlin’ and a growlin’ and a sniffin’ the air. He can find a fire before it starts to flame. That’s why they call him Smokey, that was how he got his name.”

      The words of the chorus reminded me of one of the spiritual gifts God has given to members of His body, the church that we call “the gift of discernment” (or “distinguishing of spirits”…I Cor. 12:10). The spiritual gifts are special abilities that God gives to each member of the body of believers and the purpose is “for the common good” of the body (I Cor. 12:7).  They are not for personal edification but for the building up and protection of Christ’s body, the church. The gifts are listed in I Cor. 12,13; Ro. 12 and Eph. 4.  (NOTE: I would guess those lists are not exhaustive and that God can equip you with any special ability you need to accomplish a task He leads you to perform).   No believer has all the gifts but all believers have one or more gifts. That means we need to work together in dependence upon one another. So it is important that each of us discover, develop and deploy our gifts for the body to be healthy and growing.  

     I believe a gift that is not often focused upon but that is very vital for the well-being of a local assembly of believers and the body of Christ in general, is that of “the gift of discernment,” which is the unique ability to detect wrong and evil before it manifests itself and devastates a body. It is the ability to distinguish between the spirit of error and the spirit of truth before it is manifest by the results. It is a difficult gift to exercise because others might think you are just being paranoid or imagining a problem that doesn’t exist. But we need to listen to those with that gift for they can save a lot of grief, heartache and division.  

     Smokey Bear “could find a fire before it starts to flame.”  That is a perfect description of someone with the “gift of discernment.”  We need those among us with that gift and we need to listen to them and in doing so may avoid being led into doctrinal error or false practice.  If you happen to have that gift, be sure to exercise it with love (I Cor. 13), but please use it!  With all the “winds of false doctrine” tossing believers about these days, we definitely need folks with the “gift of discernment” to speak up. And, don’t just assume others see or sense the dangers of which you are aware. Remember, not all have that gift.

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     We have quite a large raspberry patch and have been blessed with lots of berries this summer. It is interesting how you can go through a row and pick all the ripe berries you see and then go back through from the opposite direction and find ones you missed. And then, if you get down on your hands and knees and look up, you find many more.  In other words, “perspective” matters.  As we look at things from a different angle or viewpoint, we often discover things we initially missed.  

     How true that is in life as well.  One of Solomon’s wisdom proverbs says: “The first to plead his case seems just, until another comes and examines him” (Prov. 18:17). It is always wise to hear both sides of the story before making a judgment. That is why we need to hear from several witnesses’ perspectives before we come to a conclusion.  

     When it comes to the issues of life, we need to have a “biblical perspective,” i.e., we need to have our thinking and judgments guided by the truths of God’s Word, for His “Word is truth” (Jn. 17:17).  When we look at things through the lens of Scripture, we are seeing things from God’s perspective.  The absence of that perspective results in a chaotic culture where “everyone does that which is right in their own eyes” as was the case in the spiritually dark period of time in Israel’s history before they had a king (Judges 21:25).  When we don’t have a standard by which to evaluate beliefs and behavior, we leave what is deemed right and wrong up to the whims of man’s depraved nature. What does that look like?  Well, take a look at our culture today. What took place in the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympics is an example. When we don’t behave according to the standard of God’s Word, anything and everything goes. The depravity of man is put on display.   If God’s Word is not our absolute authority for faith and practice, then what is?  There is no other absolute truth to go by.  

     So, what is your “perspective” on life?  On what is it based?  After Jesus made some difficult statements as recorded by John in his gospel, many stopped following Him (Jn. 6:66).  Jesus asked the Apostles, “You don’t want to go away also, do you?” (v. 67) . “Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life’ ” (vv. 67,68).  If you walk away from the One who is the truth (Jn. 14:6), to whom will you turn?  Jesus Christ alone is the source of eternal life and truth.  When we refuse to follow Him we end up with the philosophies and traditions of man and we end up in a messed up, morally and spiritually dyslexic society without an anchor and solid foundation upon which to build our lives.  You have what our country has been becoming by ignoring God and the truth of His Word.  

     As we discovered in picking raspberries. You get the best perspective by being on your knees looking up. I guess the spiritual lesson there is pretty obvious!  We need to humbly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is God, the only source of truth and the only way to eternal life. And to live with a godly perspective we need to read and heed His Word, making it our absolute standard for what we believe and how we behave. What a difference it would make in our culture  if more of us did that. 

     When Christ (and His Word) is the center of your focus, everything else comes into proper perspective. 

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     After performing His first miracle at the wedding in Cana and spending a couple days in Capernaum, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When He entered the temple he saw “those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers seated. He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out…and poured out the coins of the moneychangers, and overturned their tables…and He said, ‘Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a house of merchandise’ ” (Jn. 2:14-16).  Needless to say, Jesus was angry as He observed the perversion of the place that was to be sacred and holy into a place to make profit.

     Later in His ministry as Jesus approached Jerusalem, “He saw the city and wept over it” knowing what the future held for those living there. Rome would soon (70 A.D) come and besiege and destroy the city, not leaving “one stone upon another” (Lk. 19:41-44).  

     In these two passages, we see how the “Holy City” had been corrupted and would face the hand of God’s judgment. Jesus was both mad at how the sacred had been perverted and sad at the judgment they would have to face.

     I definitely experienced both emotions of anger and sorrow as we watched the opening ceremonies of the Paris 2024 Olympics and saw our Christian faith openly mocked in the most offensive way imaginable as transgenders and drag queens desecrated something as holy as the “Last Supper” (which was beautifully depicted by famous Italian painter, Leonardo da Vinci in the 15th century). The parody by the drag queens was shameful, blasphemous, disgusting, abhorrent, and sickening–an insult to our Christian faith. It was a grotesque spectacle, an affront to what we, as followers of Jesus, hold sacred. 

    Yes, as you can tell, it made me mad, but it also makes me sad, for I know that such folks have been duped by the great deceiver, Satan, and Jesus warns us: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one that sows to his own flesh (our old sinful, perverted nature) shall from the flesh reap corruption…” (Gal. 6:7,8a).  In his letter to the Romans, Paul speaks of those who knew the truth about God but suppressed it and 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, sadly, it says: “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 (from Satan) and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator…For this reason, God gave them over to degrading passions, for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural and in the same way also, the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error” (Ro. 1:18-27).  

     Wow, it couldn’t be any clearer than that.  When God speaks, He doesn’t stutter. He doesn’t make suggestions; He gives us His commands and His plan to follow–and it is for our good and His glory. In the beginning, God created male and female and He created marriage between a man and a woman and sex to be confined to that institution.  Again, pretty clear and simple! But, the deceiver, Satan, comes along and perverts what God has created and deceives people into thinking they are just being tolerant, accepting, inclusive and loving.  God’s Word gives a warning to those who mock what He has done and said. To the prophet Isaiah, who wrote some 700 years before Christ came, God  said: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isa. 5:20).  

     What is really sad, about those who have suppressed God’s truth and listened instead to Satan’s lies, is that they not only promote an ungodly, immoral, perverted, blasphemous lifestyle, but they celebrate it, as we just witnessed in the opening ceremonies for the Olympics!  Blatant, in-your-face, sin is bad enough, but then to flaunt and celebrate it is disgusting!

     We recently had a “Pride” (LGBTQ) celebration in our own little rural community in northwest Montana.  Hey, God gave us the rainbow as a promise that He would not again flood the earth. Each time we see the beauty of a rainbow, we are reminded of the grace and mercy of God. For the LGBTQ to take that beautiful sign and pervert it to represent their ungodly lifestyle also makes me mad and sad. And I guess “Pride” is a good moniker for their lifestyle for that is really how sin began with Lucifer and the basis of all sin–thinking we know better than God. But, hey, leave the rainbow alone–that’s God’s!

     As believers we (at least I) can’t sit idly and silently by while our beliefs are under attack. We need to be righteously angry as well as sad, seeing the moral degeneration caused by sin and what the results will be. Our hearts need to be broken with what breaks God’s heart. And remember, that is what physically caused Jesus’ death on the Cross. He died of a broken heart as He bore our sin and suffered the wrath of God in order to pay sin’s penalty (Psa. 69:20; I Pet. 2:24).I also believe the International Olympic Committee needs to apologize to the Christian community.  

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     This past Saturday, I spoke at the celebration of life service for a good friend and brother in Christ, John Alex, who was a member of our leadership team in the early years of Three Lakes Community Bible Church. John served as elder, secretary, treasurer, administrator of Three Lakes Christian School, drove bus for the school, did illusions for chapels, vacation Bible school, and Bible camp, but most of all was a great friend. It was because of encouragement from folks like John that we were able to continue in ministry for so many years at Three Lakes.  One of John’s special qualities was his concern for others and their needs. If you ever mentioned a need to John, he wouldn’t just say, “I’ll be praying for you,” He would stop right then and  there and pray for you.  In fact when John went into the hospital on June 30th, we stopped in to see him after church, had a great visit (for which we are very thankful) and before we left, held hands with him and the family members with him, and prayed for him. As soon as I said, “Amen,” John began praying for us!  That was just who he was and not only will he be greatly missed, but we will all miss his praying for us.  

     The same week that John went to be with the Lord (on Saturday, July 6th),  my sister, Audrey, also spent her final day on earth (Tuesday, July 2nd).  She was definitely my “favorite” sister! (Oh, that’s right, she was my “only” sister!).  Even though she was eight years older than I, she didn’t mind letting little brother traipse along on some of her outings.  My two brothers were 12 and 14 years older, so her watching out for me meant a lot.  It was after my brothers had left home that my folks, Audrey and I finally ended up in a church that preached the gospel and all got saved, so Audrey became not only my biological sister, but a “sister in Christ.”  She and her husband, Jim, were always encouragers and supporters of the ministry into which God led us.  She was not only my “favorite” sister, but was a lot of “fun.”  I could share some stories of life with Audrey that would entertain you, but I best not take the time and space to do that. Suffice it to say, we enjoyed her a lot and have some great memories.  Not only was she a favorite and fun, she set an example for us of being “faithful” to her Savior. She used her musical gifts wherever she was to serve in the local church, and, like John Alex, was a real encourager in the body of Christ.  

     As I shared Saturday at the memorial for John, death is a reality we all face, for “It is appointed for men to die once…” (Heb. 9:27). Unless we are alive at the Rapture of believers, we will all face death and we never know when it will come so we need to be ready (as were John and Audrey) by having trusted Christ for eternal life.  Death is a real enemy for it separates us from family and friends that we love and we miss them a lot. But, praise God, that enemy will–based on Christ’s resurrection–one day  be abolished (I Cor. 15:22,26).  Death is an enemy but it is also a friend, for it is a release from the pain and suffering and pressures in this life because of the curse of sin and it means the end to the temptations of the old, sinful nature which will finally be gone–PTL! (I Cor. 15:42-44).  Also, death should be a reminder to all of us that we are not going to live forever on this earth (as it is now), that our “appointed time” is coming and that we need to be ready (with Christ in our life…I Jn. 5:11,12). So, death should elicit a response in those who have not yet surrendered their lives to Christ to do so, not knowing how much time they might have left on earth (II Cor. 6:2). 

     Finally, death provides a reunion, for we are then reunited with all who–as believers–have been taken to heaven before us–biological family as well as brothers and sisters in Christ.  And just think, we will get to meet Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Rahab, Ruth, Peter, Paul, Joseph and Mary…and JESUS!  “When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout victory!”

     Death is the last chapter of time, but the first chapter of eternity. When a Christian dies, earth’s story ends and heaven’s story begins (and will never end!). Christians never say “goodbye” to each other for the last time, only “See you later,” or “See you soon!”

Forever His,

Pastor Dave