Speaking of Big Productions!

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Pastor Dave

 Four years ago China, using thousands of individuals who obviously practiced for many, many hours, put on an amazing (and a bit disturbing!) opening ceremony in Beijing for the XXIX Olympiad. This past Friday, London had an opportunity to show its creativity and ingenuity in the spectacle that opened the games of the XXX Olympics.  It was impressive to see the imagination of the producer, Danny Boyle, as he portrayed some of the history of their nation as it went from an agrarian society to an industrial nation, with huge smoke stacks rising right out of the field far into the air. I was reminded of how man, being made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26,27), has such creative abilities. We might enjoy watching whales surfacing in the ocean, or hummingbirds performing their aerial acts, or some trained dogs performing on “America’s Got Talent,” but only man can put together productions like we witnessed this past Friday night, because only man was made after God’s likeness, with the ability to  plan, produce and perform. Such abilities and talents did not arrive through millions of years of evolving, but through the special creative act of an all-wise, all-powerful Creator.

     And, speaking of “big productions,” we “ain’t seen nothing yet!”  Our Creator Redeemer has an event planned which will be the biggest extravaganza this world or the universe has ever witnessed. It is described for us in the New Testament of the Bible where we read about the new heavens and new earth which God is going to make after judging the current heavens and earth with fire (II Pet. 3:10-13). John, in his vision as an exile on the Isle of Patmos wrote this: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.’…And he carried me away in the  Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are those of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel…And the city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. …And the material of the wall was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrosoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass…and the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb (Christ).”  
     “And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of the street.  And on either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His bond-servants shall serve Him; and they shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. And there shall no longer be any night; and they shall not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall illumine them; and they shall reign forever and ever” (Rev. 21:1-23; 22:1-5)
 
     We may have had some amazing spectacles produced by the ingenuity of mankind, but nothing man has done can begin to compare, first of all to God’s creation of the heavens and the earth, and then to the coming new heavens and new earth and the New Jerusalem which apparently will hover over the earth during the Tribulation and Millennial Reign of Christ on earth and then descend to the earth for eternity, as the center of heaven and the abode of God and those who have trusted Christ as Savior during their life on earth.  Wow, I get excited just thinking about it. And then to read the promise in Rev. 22:7, “And behold, I am coming quickly.”  Just as God the Son came to earth the first time, at just the moment God had planned (Gal. 4:4), so He will return the second time to bring to a conclusion human history and usher in the eternal state. When Jesus ascended to heaven some forty days after His resurrection, His disciples “were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing,” (Acts 1:9,10) and two angels said to them, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven” (v. 11).
     As we witness the downward spiral of moral and family values–now in our own nation–and see the pieces fitting together for the final events prophesied to occur just before Christ returns to earth, we can’t help but believe that His coming is drawing very near. John’s closing benediction to the final book of God’s revelation to man is: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).   
    Are you ready?  Have you drunk of the “Water of Life,” by trusting Jesus as your personal Savior?  If not, here’s the final invitation given in God’s Word: “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost’ ” (Rev. 22:17). Come and drink!
 
                                                  Forever His,
                                                            Pastor Dave
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Good Neighbors

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Pastor Dave

Our son, Grant, has been here helping teach a two-week tennis camp. We’ve also, inspite of the 95-100 degree weather, been working on some outdoor projects, one of which was putting up a new sign he painted for us at the turnoff to our lane. As we were working on it, we needed to remove a large post from the ground, along with a section of fence. I looked up and there were two of our neighbors pulling up the big post for us, and then helping with the fence.  On other occasions, we’ve needed to have some heavy rocks or other objects moved and they are right there to help. The grass in our barrow pit is often mowed by one of them, or our mailbox plowed out in the winter without our ever asking for help. We know that if we need someone to help water when we are gone or to watch our place, that they are always willing to come to our aid.  How great it is to have neighbors who not only are there for us when we need them, but often see a need and just meet it without ever being asked.

     I can’t help but think about the story in Scripture of the “Good Samaritan.”  A lawyer had put Jesus to the test by asking Him, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Lk. 10:25). Jesus replied with the question, “What is in the law? How does it read to you?” (v. 26). “And the man answered and said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF'” (V. 27).  To which Jesus responded: “You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE” (V. 28). But then the man wanted Jesus to clarify just who he neighbor is (v. 29) and Jesus responded with the story which we have commonly called “the Good Samaritan.”   Jesus tells of a man who, when traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho, was robbed and beaten and left in critical condition along the road. A priest and a Levite both came upon the poor man but did not stop to help him. Then a Samaritan came by, had compassion on the man, and stopped to administer first aid and put him on his donkey to carry him to an inn, paying the innkeeper to care for him, and nurture him back to health, promising to return and pay him further if need be (vv. 30-35).  Jesus then asked the man which of the three–the priest, the Levite, the Samaritan–proved to be a neighbor to the man left to die along the roadside (v. 36). The man, of course, said, “The one who had mercy toward him. And Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same'” (v. 37).
     The story has a spiritual parallel. Jesus is the Good Samaritan and the poor traveler who fell among the thieves represents us, marred by sin, and dying in our sinful condition. The failure of the priest and the Levite to assist illustrates the inability of the Law and the ordinances–religion–to save man out of his sad plight. The oil and the wine which the Samaritan applied represent the holy Spirit and the cleansing blood of Jesus. The inn symbolizes the Church and the money speaks of rewards for those who minister to man’s spiritual and physical needs. The promised return by the Samaritan would be a picture of the greater reward in the future when Christ comes again.
     But, while we can see an obvious spiritual lesson in this story of the “Good Samaritan,” we also see the importance of coming to the aid of those in need and not ignoring them and walking on by. Whether they live next door to us or not, we are to be a good neighbor to them. We shouldn’t just always wait to be asked for help, but should graciously meet a need when we see one. We are very grateful to have good neighbors who do that. I trust that we are the same to them.
     How about you? Do you get so busy with your life and your goals that you miss the opportunities to be of help to others. Paul tells us that we are to “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit; but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:3-5).  Be sensitive to the needs of those around you, and do what you can to assist them, and do it all in the name of Christ and for His glory. It may even be instrumental in those you help coming to know the Savior.    What could you do for your “neighbor” today?
 
                 Forever His,
                                Pastor Dave
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The Great Scam

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Pastor Dave

 “Mr. David Nelson, because you pay your bills on time and have an excellent credit rating, you have been selected by “Megamillions” and “The Winners’ Enterprise” to receive 2.5 million dollars, a new car, $30,000 in cash, and free gas for the next six months.”  That was the message I received over the phone this past week from a person speaking with a very foreign accent.  “You will receive your ‘package’ in a couple days,” the voice continued.  “All you need to do is go to a Wal-Mart or a Walgreens and get a money card for $550, using your credit card, and let us know and you will then be able to receive your package.”  The man was quite difficult to understand but kept asking about what credit cards we used and what limits we had on them. I, of course, gave out no information, and refused to buy his story, at which point he got quite perturbed and much more insistent that they really wanted us to have this “package.”  I hung up on him, but to no avail. He kept calling back. I asked to speak to his manager. Another person with the same accent gave me the very same pitch, and again was very hard to understand. I asked to speak to someone who spoke English. I was supposedly being transferred and then the phone went dead. Soon, however, I get a call from someone identifying herself as Theresa Campbell.

She was the “English-speaking” representative, who interestingly had the same accent as the two men. I asked her if she spoke Spanish and she said, “We all do, but we are going to night school to learn English!”  She gave me the same story as the two men, who, by the way, when I asked them for their names, gave me Bill Bradley and Tony Blair!  Each time I hung up one of them would call again, often within a minute. Another identified himself as Michael Williams, also with the same accent.
     I called the Better Business Bureau to report them and they suggested I call the Federal Trade Commission and register a complaint, which I did. They said, to call them back if I heard from them again, which I did!  This time it was from “Dorothy” of Fresno, California who called to say she had been skeptical too about the offer of the package, but had gone to Wal-Mart and gotten the money card and they delivered her “package” of a new Mercedes and $7.5 million and that I really should do what they say and get my package. (I thought, “No fair, she got $7.5 million!)  She said “I am very happy now!”  Interestingly, she had the same accent as all the rest.
     Then, of course, “Bill Bradley” called to see if I’d heard from “Dorothy.”  But this time our son Grant who is here visiting, answered. The man asked, “Where is my ‘good friend’ Mr. David?” Grant responded, “First of all, he is not your good friend.” “Mr. Bradley” replied, “Yes he is; he’s my wife’s sister!!”  Grant finally convinced them that we didn’t want the money and that they should give it to charity, “because that’s what my folks would do with it anyway.”   So far, no more calls. But that went on for five days, with the calls starting early in the morning. 
     This particular group of scam artists may not have been the sharpest knives in the drawer, but there are many deceivers out there who run some pretty shrewd scams.  It all started way back in Genesis in the Garden of Eden when Satan used the serpent, apparently a beautiful creature in its uncursed state, to play a scam on Eve. He suggested that if she ate of the forbidden tree “your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5).  Tragically she fell for Satan’s scam and then convinced her husband to do the same.  Satan has been scamming people ever since, often presenting some very attractive “packages.” He even tried them on Jesus in the wilderness after Jesus had been there fasting for forty days and Satan said, “If you are the Son  of God, command that these stones become bread…Then the devil took Him into the holy city; and he had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, ‘If you are the Son of God throw Yourself down; for it is written ‘He will give His angels charge concerning you; on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone…Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory; and he said to Him, ‘All these things will I give You, if You fall down and worship me” (Mt. 4:3-9).  Satan’s intention in the temptation, of course, was to make Christ sin so as to thwart God’s plan for man’s redemption by disqualifying the Savior. God’s purpose in the temptation (note that the Spirit led Jesus to the test) was to prove His Son to be sinless and thus a worthy Savior. Again, just as Satan had done with Eve, he quoted the Bible, but not accurately, omitting a phrase which was not suited to his purpose.
     In order to be a successful “scam artist,” you have to be a good liar, and Satan is the best. In fact Jesus referred to him as “the father of lies” (Jn. 8:44).   There are lots of people out there trying to scam you out of your money, but Satan is trying to scam you–if you are not a Christian–out of an opportunity to receive eternal life; or–if you are a Christian–to rob you of your joy and to destroy your testimony. He offers some very attractive “packages,” but his real intent is to rob and to ruin, like “the thief which comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy” (Jn. 10:10). In contrast, Jesus “came that we might have life, and might have it abundantly” (Jn. 10:10).  Satan is the greatest scam artist ever. Jesus’ offers are genuine and He can and will carry through on all His promises.
     Don’t be scammed by Satan. Paul says to “Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). Don’t believe his lies no matter how attractive they may seem. Make God’s Word your standard. Seek Christ only. Don’t settle for anything else. He delivers the real “package,” “For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete…” (Col. 2:9,10).
 
                                            Forever His,
                                                    Pastor Dave
 
P.S.  The “package” never arrived!
    
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Clear Directions

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Pastor Dave

Andrew, one of the young people from the church we attend was just graduated from high school and plans to attend a one-year Bible school this fall. Since Andrew was also on the high school tennis team which I help coach, I have gotten to know him quite well and he invited me to go with him, his dad, a fellow graduate who is also a Christian and played on the high school tennis team, and another man from our church to visit Montana Wilderness School of the Bible which is on the east side of the continental divide (we live on the west).  We left Friday morning and returned Saturday evening, staying over night at the school.

     Since none of us had been to the school, and it is very remotely located at the base of the Scapegoat Wilderness (just south of the Bob Marshall Wilderness and Glacier Park), we definitely needed some “clear directions” to find MWSB.  So, we followed our on-board-GPS, “Sally’s” directions. The problem was, I don’t believe the school was registered in Sally’s data bank, so her instructions took us on the proverbial “wild-goose-chase.”  She told us to go through Augusta and take Warden Road which turned out to be a very bumpy gravel road that was leading us into a very desolate area some thirty miles from the school. When you have five men on board the vehicle, it is pretty hard to admit that you need help, but we finally came upon a little adobe house on top of a hill and saw a vehicle parked beside it, so stopped to ask for directions. The resident had never heard of MWSB, but when we told him the address for the school, he pointed to a mountain thirty miles to the south and said it must be located near that. Well, we backtracked to Augusta, got further directions, and managed to find the Bible school which is in a very beautiful setting next to the wilderness. We had a chance to do some hiking in the area before returning home. What a view!  I would love to have gone to such a school as a high-school graduate.
     As I was thinking of our attempt to locate the school by following “Sally’s” directions (and we, of course, can blame it all on her!), I couldn’t help but compare that to all the false information that millions (in fact billions) of people are following in hopes that they can gain eternal life in heaven. Some, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, believe they must be baptized as JW’s and that only 144,000 will achieve heaven, while the rest, through door-to-door work hope to gain everlasting life on earth. The Mormons believe that they will be resurrected by faith but saved (i.e., exalted to godhood) by works, including faithfulness to church leaders, baptism, tithing, ordination, marriage, and secret temple rituals–no eternal life without Mormon membership. Members of the Unification Church believe obedience to and acceptance of the True Parents (Sun Myung Moon and his wife) eliminate sin and result in perfection. Those in Christian Science believe that humanity is already eternally saved and that sin, evil, sickness and death are not real. The Unity School of Christianity teaches that each person is as much a son of God as Jesus is and that there is no evil, no devil, no sin, no poverty, and no old age. A person is reincarnated until he learns these truths and becomes “perfect.” Scientology teaches that there is no sin or need to repent. Salvation is freedom from reincarnation. Wiccans do not believe that humanity is sinful or needs saving. It is important for them to honor and work for the preservation of nature which they equate with the supreme being call the Goddess. Those in the New Age Movement believe they need to offset bad karma with good karma and that they can tap into supernatural power through meditation, self-awareness and “spirit guides.” This new self awareness is being “reborn.”  Islam teaches that humans are basically good, but fallible and need guidance. The balance between good and bad deeds determines eternal destiny in paradise or hell. Allah’s mercy may help tip the balances to heaven, for his will is supreme.  Salvation comes through submission to Allah and good works. Hinduism teaches that salvation is the release from the cycles of reincarnation and is achieved through yoga and meditation, which can take many lifetimes. Final salvation is absorption or union with God (Brahman). Transcendental Meditation teaches that humans have forgotten their inner divinity and that salvation consists of doing good in excess of evil in order to evolve into the highest state (final union of self with Brahman through reincarnation.  Buddhists’ goal of life is Nirvana, which comes through eliminating all desires or cravings, and in this way escaping suffering. It comes through following an eight-step plan.
     Well, there you have some of the many teachings on how to have eternal life in “heaven!”  Wow, no wonder people are confused as to who has the right way, or if there is one, or whether they all lead to heaven. Fortunately, the One who created the heavens and the earth and made each one of us (Gen. 1:1; Jn. 1:3; Col. 1:16), has given us very clear instructions on how to find eternal life in heaven. We can read it in the Bible, whose scriptures are inspired and infallible, being the very words God wanted recorded by the approximately 40 human authors (II Tim. 3:6,17; II Pet. 1:20,21).  God said in His Word that eternal life in heaven is achieved, not through human effort, or reincarnation, or God consciousness, but through putting faith in the sacrifice of God the Son, Jesus Christ, who came to earth to take on a human body so He could die, shed His blood, and pay the penalty for our sin. The Apostle Paul, wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast” (Eph. 2:8,9).  He also wrote: “…knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law, shall no flesh be justified” (Gal. 2:16). Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (Jn. 14:6). The Apostle Peter, “filled with the Holy Spirit” spoke these words: “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:8,12). 
     There was only one way to get to Montana Wilderness School of the Bible. You didn’t happen to drop in there on your way to somewhere else; you had to specifically be going there and know how to get there, and follow the correction directions.  There was ultimately only one road that led there. Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it” (Mt. 7:13,14).  There may be only one way, and it may be narrow, but praise God THERE IS A WAY, and it is through the God-Man, Jesus Christ. He is the “gate,” and He is the “narrow way.”  Have you put your complete trust in Him? 
 
                                                                                                            Forever His,
                                                                                                                Pastor Dave
 
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Fret Not

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Pastor Dave

 I’m sure there are times in your life–there are in mine–when it seems that “being good” doesn’t seem to pay. You work really hard to follow God’s Word and to obey Him and yet your world often seems to cave while others around you who could care less about God, let alone doing His will, seem to prosper and have a much easier time in life. Well, you aren’t the only one to feel that way, nor the first. David felt that way, and for good reason. He was the bulls eye for the wrath of King Saul, and had to stay on the run and hide out to avoid being killed. But God helped him work through his emotional roller coaster and he wrote Psalm 37 where he tells us, “Do not fret because of evil doers, be not envious toward wrongdoers” (Psa. 37:3). 

     Does it bother you to see how much attention is paid in our culture to people who stand for all the wrong things and yet seem to have success?  Perhaps it is entertainment stars who get the headlines while espousing immoral philosophies in their music, movies, or programs. Or it could be professional athletes who have great success in their sport but whose lifestyle is very ungodly. Or maybe it is leaders who openly thumb their noses at biblical principles and biblical patterns of living about marriage being of one man and one woman, or sexual purity, sanctity of human life, life beginning at conception, etc.
     It is tempting and easy to fret about this and wring our hands in despair, or to get angry and wonder, “God, where are you?” But David suggests a better response in Psalm 37. David says, “Fret not!”  While it is biblically correct according to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5:13-16) be “salt and light” in this decaying and dark world by attempting to counter sin by standing up for our Christian convictions and by reflecting Jesus’ light wherever possible, we cannot let negative forces cause us to live in anger or wrath or despair. David goes on to say, “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret, it only leads to evil doing” (v. 8). Instead we are to rely on God to have the ultimate say about evildoers, and here’s what He, through David, said: “For they will wither quickly like the grass, and fade like the green herb (grass)… Evil doers will be cut off…Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more” (vv. 2,9,10). 
     And beyond not fretting, we should also follow David’s approach to:   
        1)  “Trust in the LORD and do good” (v.3)
        2)   continue to  “cultivate faithfulness” (v. 3).
        3)  “Delight yourself in the LORD” (v. 4).
        4)  “Commit your way to the LORD” (v. 5).
        5)  “Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him” (v. 7).
 
     We may be repulsed by some of the things happening in our society and may tend toward anger and/or despair. But remember this: GOD IS IN CONTROL!!  Trust Him to do what is right and “don’t fret.”  God will have the last word.  And note what that last word is in David’s Psalm when we “fret not” but “Trust, Delight, Rest, and Cease from Anger:”     
        1)  “He will give you the desires of your heart” (v. 4).
        2)  “He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noonday” (v. 6).
        3)  You will “inherit the land and delight in abundant prosperity” (vv. 9,11).
        
    So, remember that God is still on the throne and in control. He is not up there wringing His hands saying, “Oh, my, what shall I do?”  He is accomplishing His purpose and bringing all things to His perfect conclusion in His perfect time. Don’t despair,  God WILL have the last word. Don’t forget it is His Story. And here’s what He said: “I am the LORD, and there is no other; besides Me there is no God…The One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and calamity; I am the LORD who does all these…It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it. I stretched out the heavens with My hands, and I ordained all their hosts…I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure; calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it” (Isa. 45:5-7,12; 46:9-11).  “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps” (Psa. 135:6), and “As for God, His way is blameless (perfect)” (Psa. 18:30). 
 
                                                                                                        Forever His,
                                                                                                            Pastor Dave  
 
    
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Jersey Influence

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Pastor Dave

Professional athletes in our country face a huge amount of pressure to perform or to not have their contract renewed and get traded, or worse, to end their career. There is also the constant threat of injury which can hamper or end a sports career as well. They are also scrutinized by the press, written about in the sports columns and discussed on talk shows. In the past few years we have had several athletes whose careers have been marred by alleged substance abuse, others by their bad behavior. But we have also had “Tebow Mania,” and “Linsanity,” as a couple Christian athletes who are very vocal about their faith have had their moment in the limelight and used it to glorify their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are happy for those who use their success and subsequent media coverage as a platform of testimony. Some call it the “Jersey Influence,” the impact that professional athletes can have because of their position. Remember Eric Liddell who won the 400-meter run at the 1924 Paris Olympics, setting a world record?  His story, and his refusal to run on Sunday, became the basis for the movie Chariots of Fire.

     Have you heard of Hunter Smith? He won a Super Bowl as a punter with the Indianapolis Colts, but was then traded to the Washington Redskins where God used a career-ending play to spiritually challenge and mold him. “It was drizzling rain at Washington’s FedEx Field on Dec. 12, 2010, and seven seconds remained on the clock. As the holder, Hunter was getting ready to help his new team send the game into overtime against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  All he needed to do was what he had done countless times before this–grab the snapped ball, hold it for the kicker, and watch the extra point sail through the goal posts. But this time the center’s snap was high, and after it caromed off of Smith’s outreached and slippery hands, the Buccaneers recovered the loose ball as time expired. Tampa Bay won 17-16” (Sports Spectrum, Vol. 26, Number 1, p. 8).  As Hunter went to the locker room, God was really dealing with him and he had some decisions to make before the inevitable post-game interviews took place. He thought of all the excuses he could use to pass the blame: the snap was high; it was raining; the kicker had missed field-goal attempts of 34 and 24 yards earlier in the game; the offense had first-and-goals from the 8-,6-, 5-, and 2- yard lines, yet only scored two touchdowns. What about all the dropped passes, the missed scoring opportunities?  What about?  What about? And, this was only the second time in 12 seasons in the NFL that he had missed a hold, both coming in the rain, the other during a superbowl, although it didn’t cost them the game as it had this time.   But all the press would want to talk about was his mistake that cost his team an opportunity to send the game into overtime.
     As Hunter was struggling in him mind with what he would say, he sensed God speaking to His heart over what really mattered in his life. Hunter realized the significance of his “jersey influence” as a Christian both in time of success and victory and in time of failure and defeat.  He thought about his beautiful wife and three wonderful children and the faithfulness of His God. It wasn’t that his failure to hold a ball didn’t mean anything to him because it hurt his team, but he knew at that moment that he could put that behind him and move forward to the next game against the Dallas Cowboys.  When interviewed, he assumed all the responsibility for his mistake, without making any excuses or passing the blame. Two days later, the Redskins let Smith go and he hasn’t played since. That ended up being the final play of his NFL career!  But, he’s okay with that. He writes in his book, The Jersey Effect, “You see my ultimate hope is in Him, it’s not in this game. My life is in His hands. God is my reality. I’m not saying the game doesn’t matter, of course it matters. People’s livelihoods are on the line when athletes don’t perform well. But ultimately my life is in God’s hands, and His purposes are more important in my life than anything else. In the midst of this moment of defeat God impressed on my heart that my jersey as an athlete is to be used for His glory not only in victory but also in moments of defeat. And He will be glorified in me if my reality is in Him and not contingent upon Him giving me all I want in areas of success.”  (Amen!) 
     As believers in Christ, we have folks watching our lives to see how we respond both to success and to failure.  They watch to see how we act when we make a mistake, whether we make excuses and pass the blame to others, or whether we assume full responsibility for our actions. I believe that Hunter Smith was as much a testimony for Christ during his time of failure–maybe more–than he was during all his successes as an NFL punter. I’m reminded of the Apostle Paul who wrote this to the Philippian believers: “…I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:11-13).  To the church at Rome he wrote: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Ro. 8:28). And obviously not all the things that work together for good are “good things.” Think of all the difficulties, suffering and adversity that Paul faced. But all of those things were working together for the purpose he goes on to describe: “…to become conformed to the image of His Son” (v. 29). God’s molding process involves failures as well as successes in our lives.
     We may not all wear a “football jersey,” but we all have areas where we have opportunities to influence others through our work, our friendships, our recreation, our hobbies, etc. What kind of “jersey influence” do you have?
 
                                                                                                                Forever His,
                                                                                                                        Pastor Dave
    
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Don’t Be a Missing Link!

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Pastor Dave

Each of us as believers probably have family and friends who have yet to trust Christ for eternal life. We share with them when we can but we also pray that God will bring other Christians across their path who will help move them to a decision for Christ. It often takes a whole chain of people to bring someone to that place where they receive Christ as personal Savior. Each of the links in that chain are essential in that person’s coming to salvation.

     Obviously God has to do the work of drawing someone to Himself (Jn. 6:37), but He uses human links in the chain that draw them. The Apostle Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. We are God’s fellow workers” (I Cor. 3:6-9).  Some plant the seeds of God’s Word in a person’s heart, others water it with their deeds of love done in Jesus’ name, still others cultivate through their interaction with the person. Then God the Holy Spirit works in the heart that the seed germinates and the person is regenerated, born into the family of God. That part only God can do. We can’t save anyone, but we each play a role in others coming to that place where they trust Christ.
     As I have been contemplating that process, I wonder how often I have been a “missing link” in the chain of people who help someone to cross over from death to life (cf Jn. 5:24)?  It is not by chance that God puts people into our lives. If they are believers, we have a responsibility to encourage them in their walk with God, to help them grow in faith and love and become all God wants them to be. If they are nonbelievers, we have a responsibility to show them Christ and if given the opportunity to tell them about His love and forgiveness through Christ. We may not get to be the one who has the joy of leading them to their decision for Christ, but we should help them closer to that step, not push them in the opposite direction. Our interaction with them will nudge them in one of two directions, either further into their unbelief and rejection, or closer to making the choice to put their trust in Jesus.
     God puts people into our lives in many ways: by locating them next to where we live,  having us work with them, shop where they work, go to them for a service (plumber, electrician, doctor, etc), through our hobbies or recreation, and on and on. All of these people are currently either headed to heaven or hell. If it is heaven, we can have fellowship with them, and encourage them in their walk with God. If it is hell they are bound for, we can be a testimony to them of the grace of God in our lives by showing them what a difference He makes. What if we are harsh or dishonest in our dealings with them? Well, we are confirming them in their unsaved condition, not pointing them to Christ. And we will be accountable for our influence on them. What a sobering thought as I think of my testimony before the people God has placed in my life. Which way have I influenced each one of them? 
     I have interacted with a number of unsaved folks–you probably have too–who claim that they aren’t interested in Christianity because of Christians they have known. That doesn’t make them inexcusable before God, but it may really be the reason they haven’t seriously considered Christianity for themselves. C. S. Lewis, put it in these words: “Christians are the best argument both for and against Christianity.”  I believe he is “spot on,” because our lives as believers are a showcase before the unsaved and are pointing them either toward or away from Christ by how we live before them and by how we treat them. A Christian should not ashamed of the Gospel (Ro. 1:16) nor a shame to the Gospel. Jesus said that we are to be salt and light, and that we are to “Let our light shine before men in such a way that they may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 5:16).
     Think about your relationships with those that God has placed in your life right now through various avenues. Have you been an encouragement to those who are already Christians? Have you been a positive testimony to those who are yet unsaved, influencing them to seriously consider Christianity?  If you haven’t been, it would be good to ask for their forgiveness to re-open the door of witness to them.
 
                                                                                                       Forever His,
                                                                                                               Pastor Dave
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It Really Makes You Appreciate….

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Pastor Dave

On our recent trip to Oregon to visit our kids and grandkids, we had the opportunity to attend an elementary school band and choral concert and an elementary school track meet.  We were greatly impressed with the quality of the band and choral concert. For a small IA school, North Clackamas Christian School put on a great program. The 5th and 6th grade band sounded really good and the choral director did an amazing job putting on an elaborate presentation about God’s creation which included all elementary grades. It was obvious that many, many hours went into preparing for the program. 

     Then we got to attend an elementary school track meet that is run by Santiam Christian where our other grandkids attend.  There were ten schools in attendance, which meant hundreds of competitors and lots of fans. It was held on the campus of Linn-Benton College. Each school has a designated area around the track to set up canopies for their students and fans. There are lots of port-a-potties and wash stations, a broadcast booth and command center, a lunch area, and a staging area at the center of the field where the upcoming-event participants gather. There have to be judges for each lane, others to hold the tape, line up the runners, shoot the gun, take the results to the command center, etc. They have about a half dozen running events, including hurdles and relays, and a half dozen field events, all of which require helpers to run the event. Each class, first grade through sixth grade, is run separately. When you consider the planning that has to go into pulling off this meet, it is a bit mind boggling. All of this takes place too, in about six hours, with a half-hour break for lunch!  All went smoothly too, except for the relays where they had trouble getting the right number of runners at each leg of the race, resulting in a few delays.
     I thought back to when I was a youth group leader and planned a summer outing for our teens and all the planning that went into it, or the times when our Christian School at Three Lakes put on an elementary track meet for our students and the homeschoolers and how much work that was to get ready and to run. Think about the thousands of people who are presently working long hours to prepare for the upcoming summer Olympics in London, England!
     All of these examples, and I’m sure you have many of your own from your own experiences, make you really appreciate the story of Moses and the exodus from captivity in Egypt.  When God called to Moses from the burning bush, as recorded in Exodus chapter 3, Moses was out taking care of his father-in-law’s sheep. Something he had been doing now for some 40 years.  Consider the challenge God gave him of leading the people out of Egypt to the Promised Land. Moses’ only leadership qualifications at this point were from his experience of tending a flock of sheep!  It is estimated that at this time, based on Ex. 11:37, that there were between two and four million Israelites in Egypt. (If the average family had four children, there were approximately 3.6 million Israelites). You and I would probably have had a conversation with God much like the one we read in Exodus chapters three and four. Moses offered several excuses and suggested that God had contacted the wrong person. Well, that’s not an argument Moses was going to win!  In fact God became quite angry with Moses. Moses, of course, ended up going, with his brother Aaron as a helper. 
     So, if you have ever organized, say a group of young people, or boy scouts, to go on a several-day hiking and camping trip, you know what a challenge that was. Now consider what Moses faced leading a group of 2-4 million people, including children–and, oh, not to mention all their livestock– on a hiking and camping trip that would take some forty years!  If allotted a 50′ x 50′ space per family to camp plus an equal area for their livestock, the total space needed would be 300,000,000 sq. ft. or 7,500 acres!  If the caravan were placed 50 abreast, it would take the “parade” 16 hours to march past the same point if going 2 1/2 mph. And think about the need for food and water. It would take 30 railroad boxcars of food (1500 tons) plus 300 tank cars of water DAILY!  Yet God met their needs for 40 years! 
     God took care of all these needs. Do you think God will have any problems taking care of your needs or my needs?  Remember what God said to Abraham and Sarah when she laughed at the LORD’s saying that she–at age 90–would have a baby? He said, “Is anything too difficult for the LORD?” (Gen. 18:14).  Remember what the angel told Mary after the news that she a virgin would conceive and bear the “holy offspring,” and that her cousin, Elizabeth, “in her old age,” is six months pregnant (Lk. 1:26-36)?  The angel said, “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Lk. 1:37). 
     God may not call you to lead a group of 2-4 million people; He may not provide a child in your old age; but whatever He calls you to do, He will enable you to do it. As the prophet Jeremiah wrote: “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).  No matter what you are facing today, God “is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us” (Eph. 3:20).  Just trust and depend upon Him.
 
                                                Forever His,
                                                        Pastor Dave
    
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A Still Small Voice

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Pastor Dave

 After Elijah’s contest with the 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel where fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and licked up the water (I Kgs. 18:38), Elijah slew them (v. 40). When King Ahab told Jezebel (who brought Baal worship to Israel). what Elijah had done, she threatened to kill him, so he ran to Beersheba where he left his servant and then went on into the wilderness and requested that he might die (I Kgs. 19:4). But an angel came and ministered to him, giving him food and water. He ate and drank and then lay down and rested . The angel later awakened him and said, “Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.” “He arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb (Sinai), the mountain of God” (vv. 7,8).  There he hid in a cave where God spoke to him, asking him what he was doing there, then told him to go and stand on the mountain before the LORD and the Lord passed by. There was a great wind that was literally breaking the rocks apart and then an earthquake, and then a fire, but the LORD was not in the wind or earthquake or the fire. Then came “a gentle blowing” (v. 12…KJV has “a still small voice”), and God spoke to Elijah, asking again, “What are you doing here Elijah?”  (v. 13).  Elijah gives a sad story of what had transpired and how he was the only one left that had not bowed his knee to Baal. God reminded him that there happened to be 7,000 others who had not bowed to Baal (v. 18). God is never without a witness and with God, I am never alone! God has always been in the remnant business. God told Elijah to return to the wilderness of Damascus and anoint Elisha as prophet in his place (v.16).

    
     We  often look for God in the “strong wind, the earthquake, and the fire,” but sometimes miss the “still small voice” when he speaks to us. Well yesterday we had the privilege of hearing a “still small voice.” We had a guest speaker at church who had just retired from his pastorate and came to visit our pastor and his wife since they had worked under him for a number of years. His vocal cords are paralyzed, so he can only whisper. Even with the amplification system you had to listen carefully to hear him, but it caused you to do so and what a powerful  message he preached on how God loves the prodigals of life and he challenged us to be a “prodigal-friendly church.”  God really spoke through his “still small voice!” 
 
     I was reminded of when we were living in Portland attending Montavilla Baptist and our pastor had gone back east for a pastor’s conference to hear a very well-known speaker. It turned out that the key-note speaker got sick and couldn’t be there. In his place was an elderly gentleman who spoke very quietly and our pastor said “You had to strain you ears to hear him.” But what a blessing and challenge our pastor and the others attending received. The man’s name was Dr. Walter T. Wilson, a medical doctor, that throughout his practice had led many, many souls to a saving knowledge of Christ and he shared a powerful message that greatly impacted all who heard him. God has no “substitutes.” Obviously it was His plan that Dr. Wilson speak to these pastors. And God often speaks in a “still small voice.”   It isn’t the charisma, or the eloquence, or the appearance of God’s servants, it is the Spirit-directed message that they share that impacts our hearts. And I think when it is the “still small voice” it makes us listen more carefully. I know that was the case with our pastor in Portland and it was the case for us yesterday.
 
     It also emphasizes to us that if we make ourselves available to God, no matter what our abilities or inabilities, and depend completely on Him, He will use us for His glory.  So often we’re like Moses when God appeared to him in the burning bush and asked him to go and lead the Israelites out of Egypt. At this point in Moses’ career, he had spent the last 40 years tending sheep in the desert, and felt he was totally inadequate for the task God was putting before him. He even argued with God (not a good idea!), saying, “I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past…for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue” (Ex. 4:10), to which God replied: “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes him dumb or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say” (vv. 11,12).  How can you argue with that? Yet, note what Moses said in response: “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever Thou wilt” (v. 13). In other words, Moses said, “Send anyone but me!  You’ve got the wrong guy.”  I wonder how many times we have said a similar thing to God. Don’t forget that just as God promised Moses whatever He asks us to do He will enable us to do. He had already told Moses, “I have come down to deliver them” (Ex. 3:8). Moses obviously missed that, for he said to God, “Who am ‘I’, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that ‘I’ should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” (3:11). 
  
     When God provides an open door of ministry for you, don’t forget that He will be with you and He will do it (as He promised Moses in Ex. 3:8,12)–even if all you have is a “still small voice.” 
 
                                 Forever His,
                                            Pastor Dave
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God Is In The Details

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Pastor Dave

Someone coined the phrase, “The Devil’s in the details,” but I believe without a doubt it is God who is in the details!  Occasionally we get the privilege of getting to see how God has orchestrated the details in the events of our lives to accomplish His purpose. When we see how He puts the right people in the right place at the right time, there is no doubt that God was in it all. The Bible is full of examples of God at work.  As my wife would put it, “It’s His-story.”  For instance, just think about what it took for the Messiah to be born in Bethlehem as Micah 5:2 had prophesied, or that He be scourged and crucified among thieves and buried in a rich man’s tomb, all of which had been foretold hundreds of years before.  Think of how Jesus’ virgin birth avoided a curse that God placed centuries before on the household of King Jeconiah stating that none of his physical descendants would get to reign over Israel (Jer. 2:24-30). Joseph’s lineage went back to David through Jeconiah (Mt. 1:11). Mary’s ancestry also went back to David, but not through Jeconiah. God always works out all the details to make sure every one of His prophecies and His purposes is fulfilled, right down to the tiniest of matters. According to the laws of probability, it would require 200 billion earths, populated with four billion people each, to come up with one person whose life would fulfill 100 accurate prophecies without any errors in sequence. Yet the Scriptures record not 100, but more than 300 prophecies that were fulfilled in Christ’s first coming alone!

     The same God who was in the details of Christ’s coming and His mission of dying for sin, is at work in each of our lives. So often we are even unaware of His “behind-the-scenes” work, but as we become more and more sensitive to His presence and His working, we see His hand more and more, for He is at work in and through us to accomplish His purpose and to glorify His name. The Apostle Paul wrote this to the Philippian believers: “…it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13).  The author of the Book of Hebrews, wrote in his concluding benediction, “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (Heb. 13:20,21). 
     Not only is God at work in the details of our lives, but also all around us are tiny details of His handiwork. Since spring comes a bit late here in northwest Montana, we are just at the peak of our spring flowers season. We have quite a large vegetable garden and it is bordered by a variety of narcissus and tulips–mostly narcissus (daffodils), since the deer love tulips but the daffodils are poisonous to them. We also have some beautiful crown imperials which grow about three feet tall with cascading orange blossoms on a top that looks like a crown with jewels. Our bleeding heart is also in full bloom and our fruit trees are just starting to blossom. As we went for a walk yesterday, I had my camera along, and was stopping frequently to take pictures of shooting stars, Oregon grape, star flowers and a variety of other spring wild flowers. I happened to be lying on my side taking a close-up of some shooting stars when a lady walked by and wondered what in the world I was doing. We showed her the beautiful shooting stars and she commented that they were the first ones she had seen. We were on a walking path that makes about a mile and a half loop and she was on her second lap. All along the path were literally thousands of these flowers and she hadn’t noticed them until she saw me taking a picture of them!  Unfortunately so many people are going through life missing all the beauty of God’s handiwork, and never stopping to admire His work and give Him the glory for the great things He has done. I guess since I enjoy photography, we may watch more for those details, the frost framing the outline of some alder leaves on the ground, drops of water on the rose petals from a recent rain, a tiny iridescent beetle crawling across the sidewalk, or the amazing motions of the hummingbird as it hovers at the feeder. God’s world is just full of details, but so many never stop to notice. Paul said, “God…richly supplies us with all things to enjoy” (I Tim. 6:17).  And as we enjoy them, and give credit to the One who made them, we are worshiping and bringing glory to Him.
     Don’t get so busy in life that you miss what God is doing and what He has made. We serve an awesome God who had made amazing things, and wondrously works out the details of our lives. Don’t miss it all!  Stop and smell the roses, take note of what God is doing and praise Him for it all. “Searching for God’s design is the source of true art and science” (Albert Einstein).
 
                                                            Forever His,
                                                                    Pastor Dave
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