Wisdom of The Week

“FOLLOW THE  LIGHT”

Our son,  grandson and I went cross country skiing last night. What a beautiful setting!  It was about 26 degrees, a light snow was falling, and the propane lights, placed periodically along “Shorty’s Loop,” were reflecting off the groomed path and the snow-laden trees on either side.  Our grandson Luke was just learning to cross country ski but is definitely “hooked.” He didn’t want to quit and commented that of all the winter activities he is able to do when they come to Montana, this is his very favorite. He said he especially liked the “ker-plunk” sound when he fell!
The lights are placed in such a way that there is a short stretch where the track is pretty dark and you need to look toward the next light to make sure you are still going in the right direction, because there are other loops which take off from the lighted one. If you get “sidetracked” onto one of them, it would be very dark and you would definitely have difficulty staying on course.
I couldn’t help but think of how God has “lighted” our pathway. There often seem to be some  “dark” stretches where we can’t really see the track we are following. We need  to “keep our skis in the track” and look to the next light ahead. Initially when God created the heavens and the earth, there was darkness and “Then God said, ‘Let there be light;’ and there was light” (Gen. 1:3).  God, who is light, was the source, for He didn’t place the sun, moon and stars as the light source until the 4th day of creation (Gen. 1:16-19).  But sin and spiritual darkness entered creation as Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Eventually the darkness became so great that God judged the earth with a world-wide flood. God spared Noah and his family because Noah walked with God and after the flood subsided, God took the light which He had created and split it into parts, giving us the gift of His rainbow as a promise that He would never again destroy the world with water. But sin affected more than the physical world. The spiritual was also infected, and a flood could not wash it clean, nor could the sun give it life. Another Light was needed–the same Light that shone in the beginning before the sun, moon, and stars were put into their places–and that Light was Jesus, but it would be centuries before He would make His appearance as  “The Light of the World”  (Jn. 8:12).
Meanwhile, as we travel through history, which is really “His-story,” we see numerous times when God manifested His light to mankind. For example, God guided the Israelites in their wilderness wandering with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night (Ex. 13:21,22). He manifest His presence in the Tabernacle and Temple with His Shekinah glory (Ex. 40:34-38). Despite all the miraculous things that God did for Israel, they failed miserably in their duty of sharing the light and glory of God with the nations, and for many, many years “His-story” became very  dark.
But then, the  prophet Isaiah made a proclamation that brought hope to the world again:  “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them…For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace”‘ (Isa. 9:2,6).  The world, however, was left to ponder that promise of light for 400 silent years. It was one of those “dark stretches” between the appearances of God’s light.
There is no  record of God’s communicating with man from the time of the prophecies of Malachi until the angel of the Lord appeared to Zacharias to tell him that his wife would bear a son who would go as a forerunner of the promised Messiah (the light of which Isaiah had prophesied) (Lk. 1:13-17).  Then the angel Gabriel came to the virgin Mary with the startling news that she too would bear a son saying,  “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David…for The Holy Spirit will  come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God” (Lk. 1:26-35).  Then when Mary gave birth in the little town of Bethlehem, the humble shepherds saw the glory of the Lord and heard the angels’ proclamation of good news about the coming Light of the World (Lk. 2:8-14).
Then it was God’s special light that drew the magi to Bethlehem as well (Mt.  2:1,2,9-11).  Way back in the book of Numbers, God had spoken through Balaam, prophesying that “A star shall come forth from Jacob” (Nu.24:17).   God hung His brightest star right over the place where His Son, the Light of the World, had entered the world. The Light was back for all the world to see. The  Gospels are punctuated with “light” as the writers relate the life and ministry of the Light of the World.  And at one point, Jesus let three of His disciples get a little glimpse of the awesomeness of His light and glory (Mt.  17:1-6).
The religious  leaders and the pagan world didn’t receive the Light and they set about to put out the Light (Jn. 12:35-37; Mt. 26:3,4).  They plotted and were allowed to carry out Jesus’ crucifixion and the light went out–they thought (Lk.  23:44-46). Had darkness won? Hardly. This was all part of His-story, prophesied in Gen. 3:15 and lived out for us in Jn. 10:11,18, as the “Good Shepherd” who laid down His life for the sheep.  Was that the end of His-story? Praise  the Lord, “no!” After three days, He rose from the dead (Lk. 24:1-9).   Then Acts1 tells us that the earthly work of Jesus was done and He ascended back to heaven.  All of a sudden, a bit of twist appears in His-story (I Pet.  2:9). Not only has the light been revealed to us in the person of Christ, but we now have the privilege and responsibility of reflecting that light to others.  Paul wrote: “For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8).  “For God, who said,  ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (II  Cor. 4:6).  And the Apostle John wrote this: “And this is  the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him  and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (I Jn.  1:5-7). 
In Matt. 5:14-16 Jesus reminds us that we are now “the  light of the world” and challenges us to let our light shine before our world in such a way that they will see our good deeds and we can point them to the true Light. Because, remember, it is, and always has been His-story!

Forever His,
Pastor Dave

One of the new television programs this season that we have enjoyed is called “Undercover Boss,” and shows what takes place as the CEO of a company disguises himself and goes undercover and works for a week in various aspects of  his business. He is supposedly competing with another individual to get a job with the company and they are doing a reality show about the two, so have a  camera crew around as they work. In most cases, it is a very humbling experience  for the CEO as he is usually incapable of performing at a level to actually get  hired by his own company!  In a couple cases he even got fired in the very  brief time he worked for one of his employees!  He usually attempted to work at 4 or 5 jobs and/or locations. In doing so, he found some very dedicated  employees and how hard they really work and the difficult life situation  in which some of them are.
When he goes undercover he also leaves his family and his plush home and surroundings  and stays at a very modest motel near the job for which he is supposedly  applying. At the end of the week, he moves back home and then those he worked  for are called into the corporate office to give their evaluation as to which of  the two employees should be hired. What they don’t know is that they are really going to meet the CEO of the company who then reveals to them that he had gone undercover and worked for them. As they realize the hard time they gave their  “big boss,” it is rather embarrassing, especially if they “fired him!”  But  then he compliments them on what a hard, enthusiastic worker they are and  rewards them for their efforts and often makes some changes to improve the  company from the things he learned as he was undercover.  Then all the  employees of the company are gathered together where they get to hear about the  CEO’s experiences as he had gone undercover and what he learned and what changes  he and the company are going to make as a result.
I am reminded  as I watch the reality show of how our “CEO” went “undercover.” That is, how God  the Son, our Creator, came to earth and took on human form as a helpless little  baby in Bethlehem. How He had to be held and nurtured like any other baby. And  how He wasn’t born in a king’s palace but in a cave or a stable where He was  laid in an animal feeding trough and the only ones to welcome Him besides Mary and Joseph were a few astonished, smelly shepherds and probably a menagerie of  animals (and later some magi from the east).  What an inconceivable scene!  The Creator of the universe coming to take on the very form of one of His  creatures in order to die for them. Talk about humbling.
The Apostle  John, arguably Jesus’ closest earthly friend, rather than give an account of the  birth of Christ such as we read in Luke or Matthew, relates His coming to earth  this way:  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with  God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came  into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into  being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines  in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  There came a man,  sent from God, whose name was John (the baptist). He came for a witness, that he  might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through Him. He was not  the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light. There was the true  light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world,  and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know  Him.   He came to His own, and those who were His own did not  receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become  children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of  blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And  the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory  as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn.  1:1-14). 
The Apostle Paul also speaks about the incarnation (God becoming man)  as he writes to the church at Philippi, saying: “Have this attitude in  yourselves which was also in “Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form  of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied  Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of  men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming  obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:5-8).  
God the Son left the glory of heaven and made Himself helpless, vulnerable, hungry, and tired. He was misunderstood, mistreated, and ultimately crucified. Nothing could prepare us to understand the depth of His love as demonstrated in His unimaginable humility. His actions on that wonderful day we celebrate every year as Christmas displayed love better than any definition could ever hope to do. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one  and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal  life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to  save the world through Him” (Jn. 3:16, 17). These familiar verses are  the Magna Carta of the incarnation. Christmas is God unrecognized, God unexpected, God misunderstood (the “Undercover Boss”). It is also to our utter  amazement and joy, God delightfully revealed.  Though it had been  prophesied, His birth was nothing we expected, and more than we could have hoped  for. His humility touches us deeply, revealing to us the depth of God’s love from His humble birth to His humiliating and agonizing death on the cross. It is  proof of the love He has for us. We could never have sought, understood or  recognized such a God, so He had to come looking to us. That is the  inescapable conclusion of the Christmas story. God came pursuing us. He came to  reveal Himself to us because He wanted us to know Him. He wanted us to know the depth of His love for us. Words weren’t enough. Only actions could communicate  the extent to which He would go to bring us back home.
We can  never hope to capture the Christmas spirit unless we understand the meaning of  the incarnation, of how God loved us so much that He was willing to come to earth and to be one of us, to reveal Himself and then to be arrested, tortured  and put to death to pay the penalty for our sins.  We call it  Christmas–the incarnation. The day God became a man. With Paul we should all proclaim, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”    Have you received God’s love gift? Have you personally asked Christ to  be your Savior and Lord?  If not, why not do so. It will be your best  Christmas ever!

Forever  His,
Pastor Dave

Yesterday, a friend at church gave me a copy of the following story about  attitude.

“There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and  noticed she had only three hairs on her head.
‘Well,’ she said, ‘I think I’ll braid my hair today.’
So  she did and she had a wonderful day.”
“The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two  hairs on her head.
‘H-m-m,’ she said, ‘I think I’ll part my hair down the middle today.’
So  she did and she had a grand day.”
“The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only  one hair on her head.
‘Well,’ she said, ‘today I’m going to wear my hair in a pony tail.’
So  she did, and she had a fun, fun day.”
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn’t a  single hair on her head.
‘Yea!’ she exclaimed. ‘I don’t have to fix my hair today!”   …author  unknown

Attitude is  everything!  The Apostle Paul also made that discovery. He faced a  tremendous amount of adversity and persecution in his life. You can read about  some of the things that happened to him in II Corinthians chapter 11:23-28:  “…in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without  number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been  in frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in  labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure upon me of concern for all the churches.”  Wow,  what a list!  Yet note what he wrote to the believers at Philippi:  “Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in  whatever circumstances I am…I can do all things through Him who strengthens  me” (Phil. 4:11-13).
During World War II, Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl was imprisoned  at Auschwitz, where he was stripped of his identity as a medical doctor and  forced to work as a common laborer. His father, mother, brother, and wife died  in the concentration camps. All his notes, which represented his life’s work,  were destroyed. Yet Frankl emerged from Auschwitz believing that “everything can  be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms–to choose  one’s attitude in any set of circumstances.”   We may not be able to  choose our circumstances, but we can choose our attitude toward them. Whatever our circumstances may be, we can draw on the power of Christ for the strength to face them. We always have a choice–and that choice will always make a difference. The Apostle Paul’s challenge to us is to “Rejoice in the  Lord always!” (Phil. 4:4) and to “Exult in our tribulations,  knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, and perseverance proven  character; and proven character, hope” (Ro. 5:3,4). 
Charles Swindoll wrote the following about attitude:
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance,  giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The  remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change the past…we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.  We cannot change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our  attitude.  I am convinced that life is 10 % what happens to me and  90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you…we are in charge of our  attitudes.”
Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.  What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!
Have a GREAT DAY…unless, of course, you have other plans!

Forever His,
Pastor Dave

We recently had the privilege of attending a wonderful concert by the Glacier Symphony. Some friends who had planned to attend got sick and were gracious to give us their tickets. Having played in band and orchestra from 5th grade through college, I really appreciate hearing a good group perform, as does my wife. What was a special treat was the guest soloist, a French horn player Jonas VanDyke who was amazing. French horn is the instrument I have played since  I was 10 years old, including lots of solo work during high school, so I  understood fully what a fantastic performance it was by Jonas, who is only 29  but has played with many of the major symphonies in the United States and now  with the Beijing Orchestra in China. He went to school nearby at Flathead High School in Kalispell, so that made it even more special.
When I listen to a band or orchestra I am always reminded of how God gives each of us as  believers a special gift (instrument, if you will) to use for Him and to participate in His body, the church (the orchestra) in helping to build it up and glorify Him (through beautiful music).  In the Apostle Paul’s discussion of spiritual gifts in I Corinthians, he wrote: “Now there are  varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. And there are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (I Cor. 12:4-7).  Every instrument in the orchestra, from the piccolo to the tuba, from the violin to the bass violin, is needed to produce beautiful renditions of a piece of music as intended by the composer. Each member of the orchestra must put in a lot of time on his/her own to master their instrument and then must practice with the rest of the members together to learn when to come in, and how loud to play each time they do. The instruments must be kept in good working order, and then, in order to make music pleasing to the ear they must be tuned to one another. Whether you play for the Glacier Symphony from the Flathead Valley in Montana, or the Beijing Orchestra in China, you tune your instrument to the same standard note!  Before the conductor steps on the podium and lifts his baton, the orchestra warms up and then tunes up to the first violinist.  The warm up and tuning time can sound a bit cacophonous, but it is all necessary if the orchestra is going to make beautiful music together.
Once the conductor steps up on the podium, all instruments are quiet, and all eyes are  focused upon him, everyone with the same piece of music before them, and their instruments tuned and ready. As the conductor raises his baton (or hands), each member of the orchestra is alert and ready to play his/her part, at the right time, with the right dynamics, hitting the right notes and pitches. The conductor will guide the timing and indicate when sections are to come in and if  more or less volume is needed. When all these things come together, it makes for beautiful music, pleasing to the ear. But, if everyone were to do their own thing in their own time, playing whatever notes they wished, at whatever volume they wanted, what a terrible noise they could make!  If every instrument is performing as intended by the composer and conductor, then they will add to the desired musical effect, even though you can’t always pick out what each separate  instrument is adding to the overall sound. But, should even one instrument play a wrong note, or play at the wrong time, it would really stand out, especially to the conductor! There may be occasions where one instrument or one section has a solo part, with the rest of the orchestra  adding the backup or accompaniment, but most of the time, everyone is just playing together to achieve the desired results.
Every believer is a member of God’s Divine Orchestra called the “Church,” and each has an  instrument (spiritual gift) to play. We may or may not ever have a solo part where we are the focus of attention, but we always have an important role to play. And we need to practice (developing our spiritual gift), to be familiar with the music (God’s Word), to be in tune with the other instruments (walking in harmony with our fellow believers) and then to carefully follow the Conductor (Christ living in us through the Holy Spirit).  When we do that, we can make some beautiful music together which will delight the Conductor and be pleasing to those who enjoy orchestral music. Just as not everyone appreciates band or orchestra music, not everyone appreciates the Body of Christ, the Church. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would  love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the  world, therefore the world hates you” (Jn. 15:18,19).  Satan,  remember, is the “ruler of this world” (Jn. 12:31), and he  hates God and opposes Him in every way he can. So, all who represent Christ,  will also face his hatred and persecution.
But just  because not everyone enjoys or appreciates the music of an orchestra doesn’t mean they quit playing and performing!  Similarly, just because not everyone appreciates the Body of Christ doesn’t mean we quit “making beautiful music together.” We’re playing, remember, for our Divine Conductor, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So, whatever instrument you play, whatever your task in the  Body of Christ, “Whatever you do, do your work (use your gift–play your  instrument) 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. 3:23,24).
Well, I feel an urge to get my French horn out and practice!

Forever yours,
Fellow orchestra member, Pastor Dave

Thanks to a  good friend in our church, I recently had the privilege of flying over our  beautiful Cabinet Wilderness Mountains. Our family has put in many days  hiking and camping in this area over the years and it was quite a thrill to view  it all from above–in just over an hour!  What a different perspective it gives you to get the view from above. When I think of the effort and time it takes to hike in to just one of the many lakes in the Cabinets, and then to  fly over that drainage and lake in under a minute’s time.  Wow!
This summer we also had the opportunity to hike to one of the area peaks and the view was spectacular, as we could see a great distance into Idaho and into Canada to the Canadian Rockies, as well as a viewing of our own
Cabinet Mountains. As we are hiking up the valley we are focused just on the trail and the small area around us, but when we get to the top, we get a sense of the vastness of the creation around us.
And then I think of the handful of privileged folks who have gone into space and get a view back at our earth and a view of our little piece of the Milky Way Galaxy, which itself is just one minute section of the universe that God created, my mind just is overwhelmed.
But, in each case, we have to come back down. After just over an hour in the air we landed again at the local airport. After having lunch on the mountain top and enjoying the view briefly, we had to make our way back
down the trail and to our vehicle for the drive home. After their brief time in space the astronauts have returned  to earth to the mundane, routine, every-day battles of life here.
It is so great to have those opportunities to get the “view from above” but those are rare times, the exceptions. Our life is primarily lived here in the valleys of the ordinary challenges of our circumstances and life in a world that is under the curse of sin. It would be nice to just stay up there and “enjoy the view,” and one day we will be able to, but for now, we have to realize that we have work to  do here “in the valley.”
I’m  reminded of when Peter, James and John had the amazing experience with Jesus recorded in Matthew 17, where it says: “And six days  later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John…and He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah  appeared to them, talking with Him” (vv. 1-3).  This was probably  the “goodly mountain” that Moses referred to in Dt.  3:25 (KJV) that he wanted to cross over the Jordan to see firsthand, most likely the 9200 ft., snow capped, Mt. Hermon. God took Moses up onto Mt. Pisgah so he could see into the land (Dt. 34:1), but then,  because of Moses’ disobedience and anger problem, he wasn’t allowed to enter the  Promised Land. He died in the land of Moab. But then, in a marvelous, mysterious way, Moses finally did stand on Mt. Hermon, along with Elijah, and Peter, James  and John, AND JESUS!
What a unique privilege for Peter, James and John. They undoubtedly wanted to just stay there and have that moment last forever. In fact, Peter said to Jesus, “Lord,  it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Mt. 17:4).   But just a few verses later it says, “as they were coming  down from the mountain…” (v. 9).  Their stay on the mountain was brief and they had to go back down to life in the valley. But, it was a picture of what will one day last forever, when Jesus comes to take us to heaven and we will be glorified so that we can see Him in all His glory, and life will never be the same again.
It’s great to occasionally get a “view from above” so that we get a bigger picture of what is really going on, but meanwhile, we need to continue being faithful as we live our lives out here in the valley, waiting for that day when “the Lord  Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to  meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord” (I Thes.  4:16,17).  As we await that “catching away” Jesus told us to  “occupy till I come” (Lk. 19:13 KJV), i.e., we are to  conduct business as usual until He returns, not go sit on a mountain and  wait!  We are to stay faithful to Him as we go about our ordinary, routine,  every-day activities. If we get a mountain top experience or two along, praise God, but don’t live constantly looking for the spectacular.  Be faithful in the little things of normal life in the valley. Have as your goal what the apostle Paul shared as his in Acts 20:24: “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, in order that I may finish my course, and the  ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.” And, as he wrote in his letter to the Colossians,  “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord  Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (Col. 3:17).
      We may not understand how all the little pieces of our lives “in the valley” fit together, but one day, we will all get “the view from above” and see the big picture of how God is “Causing all things to work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose” (Ro. 8:28).

             From the Kootenai River Valley,

Forever His,
Pastor Dave

OUT OF THE MOUTH OF  BABES

We can’t help but be totally amazed as we contemplate the majesty of God’s creation,  whether the infinite vastness of the heavens or the beauty of the setting of a mountain lake or the delicate intricacy of a wild flower. David, the psalmist,  wrote: “O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Thy name in all the earth, who  hast displayed Thy splendor above the heavens!” (Psa. 8:1).  Interestingly, in the very next verse, David switches from his observation of God’s awesome universe to the words that often come from the mouth of a little child, writing: “From the mouth of infants and nursing babes, You have established strength, because of Your  adversaries, to make the enemy and the revengeful cease.”   Children were nursed up to 2 1/2 – 4 years old, so they were talking.  How often we hear praise for God coming from the lips of a child. The simplicity of a child can silence the complexity of man.  In Matthew’s gospel, he recorded Jesus talking to His Father, saying,  “I praise you,  Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children” (Mt. 11:25).   From nursing babes to heavenly bodies, God is Lord of all!

During our worship service yesterday, Lucas, who just recently turned four kept putting his fingers in his mouth and wouldn’t stop when his mom asked him to, so she grabbed  his hand and “ushered” him down the aisle (from up front where his family sits) and down the back stairs, at which point he began crying. She knelt down, looked him in the eye and asked him why he was crying? “Are you afraid you are going to get a spanking for disobeying?” Lucas responded: “No, I’m afraid  we’ll have to go sit out in the van and I will miss pastor Dave’s  message and Sunday school!” (We have our Sunday school classes after the worship service)  Not quite the words you expect from a little four-year-old boy.  Would that we all had that much desire to be in God’s house to learn of Him. I remember when our children were in the nursery Sunday school class at Montavilla Baptist in Portland, Oregon they had a teacher, Mrs. Forsman, whom they just loved, and if one of them was sick and couldn’t go, they too cried.

About five weeks ago Lucas was having trouble getting settled when he was tucked into bed.  Finally his mom went in and asked him what the problem was. Lucas said, “I don’t  want to be bad anymore. I want to be good.”  His mom said,  “Well, Jesus wants you to be good too, and He would help you if you ask  Him.” At that, Lucas stood up on his bed, put his hands around his mouth as if he was going to call out to someone at a distance, and screamed out  “Jesus, help me!”  And then he said, “Mom, it worked. He’s here. He came to live in me.”   The next Sunday when his family got to church, he came up to me and said, “Pastor Dave, I have Jesus in my heart!”  “Out of the mouth of babes!”  I like Psa. 8:2 in the Living Bible:  “You have taught the little children to praise you perfectly. May their example shame and silence your enemies!”   

The Sunday before Lucas cried out for Jesus to help him, two of his siblings were in a Sunday school class where one of the ladies in our church came in as a guest to tell a  Bible story. She related the story of the blind men who were sitting by the road near Jericho. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they  “cried out, saying, ‘Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!'” (Mt.  20:30).  When she came to the part in the story where they cried out, she loudly, screamed out “LORD, HAVE MERCY ON US, SON OF DAVID!”  Her voice is normally very soft, so when she screamed out, she really got the children’s attention!”  Lucas wasn’t in that class to hear the lesson, but he too “cried out” unto God.  Now, we don’t have to shout to get God to hear us, but our heart does need to “cry out to God.” At some point in our life we needed (or need) to cry out like the tax-gatherer of Luke 18:13: “But the tax-gatherer, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating  his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!'”  The account goes on to say, “I (Jesus) tell you, this man went down to his house justified…” (v. 14).   

Have you ever “cried out” to God, saying, “God be merciful to me a sinner?”  Have you ever trusted Christ for eternal life?  He is the only One who can “make you good.”   The Bible says “There is none righteous, not even one…There is none who does good, there is not even one” (Ro. 3:10,12). There is only One who is righteous. There is only One who is good, and that is God. When you invite Christ (who is God) into your life as your personal Savior, you then have His righteousness, His goodness.  “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (I Cor. 1:30).  “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the  righteousness of God in Him” (II Cor. 5:21).   Does He live in you?  If not, cry out to him today, acknowledging that you are a sinner, and ask Him to come in and be your righteousness.

Forever His,

Pastor  Dave

Someone said, “Grandchildren are so wonderful, we wish we’d had them  first.”  Well, it doesn’t work that way, and children are wonderful  too!  The psalmist wrote: “Behold, children are a gift of the LORD;  the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are  children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them…”  (Psa. 127:3-5 NASB).   Then regarding grandchildren, Solomon  wrote: “Children’s children are a crown to the aged…” (Pr. 17:6  NIV).
We had the  opportunity to attend “Grandparent’s Day” at Santiam Christian School near  Albany, Oregon a week ago and spend the day with Alicia, our daughter’s younger  daughter. It was truly a wonderful day. Each class through 6th grade shares some  thoughts about grandparents and then sings several songs to them. At that point  we get to go to our grandchild’s classroom where they have prepared something  special for their grandparents. Alicia’s class had made placemats with Proverbs  17:6 printed on them. Then each of us traced a hand on construction paper to put  on the placemat and on each finger, Alicia put things about us that she  appreciated. We also traced her hand and did the same. These were glued to the  placemat which was then laminated for us to keep.
After  that Alicia was free to leave so we could take her to lunch at the  place of her choice–Arby’s. After lunch we had Alicia go with us to help pick  out gifts for an “Operation Christmas Child” shoebox, a program which our church  is participating in for Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse  organization. Alicia had the greatest time picking out items for a girl her age.
Next we went  home to change and took Alicia to a nearby tennis court to play tennis with her.  (We were fortunate to have a dry day, as it rained much of the time we were  there).
We also got to  go see Alicia play volleyball with her team as well as to watch our other  grandchildren in soccer, football and volleyball, and watch a volleyball match  of high school girls that our son coaches at North Clackamas Christian School in  Oregon City.  It was a busy, but great week enjoying the children and  grandchildren. Truly they are a “gift from God” and a “crown to the aged”!   We consider ourselves so blessed to have children and grandchildren who love the  Lord and are walking with Him. John wrote in his third epistle, “I have  no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth” (v.  4).  Amen!
And  speaking of grandchildren, I have a funeral service today for a lady (Edith  Pival)  who passed away last Wednesday at age 101. She was one of the  early members of Faith Bible Church which my father-in-law started here in  Libby. She had 7 children (five surviving) and has 21 surviving grandchildren,  35 great grandchildren, and 25, great-great grandchildren!!   Her  quiver was definitely overflowing!   She knew the Lord so it will be a  time of great rejoicing, but there will undoubtedly be some there who have not  received Christ, so pray with me that they too will trust Him for eternal  life.

Forever His,
The “aged”   grandpa, Pastor Dave

When we have to  say “good bye” to Christian friends who have come to visit and are leaving, or  maybe to some who are moving to another part of the country, we often find  ourselves saying, “If we don’t see you before, we’ll see you on the way  up!”  We refer, of course, to that future event we believers call  the “rapture,” when, as Paul relates, “the Lord Himself will descend  from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet of  God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall  be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the  air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another  with these words” (I Thes. 4:16-18).  We call this the “rapture”  which is taken from the Latin word for “caught up.”
It’s a great  encouragement to know that any earthly separations we experience with Christian  family and friends is only temporary. If we don’t have opportunity to meet again  here on earth, we will for sure meet “on the way up,” when Christ returns in the  air to catch His Bride, the Church, the Body of Christ, to be with Him forever.  And on the way up, we will be reunited with our believing family and friends,  even those who have died and whose souls have gone to heaven. That’s  why, as believers, when a loved one dies, we don’t “grieve, as do the  rest who have no hope” (v. 13).  So, we really never have to say  any final “good byes” to those who are part of the “family of God.” What a  blessed comfort and hope that brings.
We all have  times in our lives when we are separated from those we have grown to love so  much and will really miss them. It happens to our physical family as our  children grow up, leave home and establish their own families and home. It  happens when good Christian friends have to move to another location for  employment. It happens when one of our dear friends or family members is killed  or dies from illness or old age. “Good byes,” are really hard aren’t they!   We all struggle with them, because love really binds us together and these folks  have become an integral part of our lives. Well, the good news is–those “good  byes” are just temporary. We may have to be apart for awhile, but one day we  will again be together–forever–and that’s a long, long time!!
The  background of the passage quoted above is that when Paul had first ministered in Thessalonica, he had obviously taught about the return of Christ to take believers to heaven, but now some of their loved ones had died and they didn’t know if they’d get to see them again. Paul assured them that when the rapture took place, they would be reunited with their loved ones who had died.  Their souls which went to heaven would return with Christ and their bodies resurrected and those who were alive at the rapture would be transformed with new, glorified bodies and join their departed loved ones.  No wonder he could say, “Therefore comfort one another with these words.”   That was great news!  It still is!
The Apostle  Paul also mentioned this event, the rapture, when he wrote to the believers at  Corinth, saying: “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep  (die), but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed…Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (I Cor.  15:51,52,58).
      Although the disciples couldn’t fully comprehend what He was saying in the Upper Room prior to going to the Cross, Jesus gave these words of comfort  and promise to them: “Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God,  believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go (to the Cross) to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (Jn. 14:1-3).    That is the “blessed hope” of the believer (Tit. 2:13).
So, we may have  to say our “good byes” here to those we love, but if they are believers, we know  that it is only temporary and even if we don’t get to see them again here on  earth, we will see them “on the way up” and for eternity.  Now that’s something worth getting excited about. Amen?
Forever His,

Pastor  Dave

 
 
      Dave and Mary Jo Nutting have a creation ministry entitled the  Alpha Omega Institute located in Grand Junction, Colorado. A number of  years ago we had the privilege of having them come to the Troy High School  auditorium and put on a seminar on “Creation vs. Evolution.” They did an  excellent job and have a very effective outreach ministry as they present the  scientific evidence for creation.
 
    This past July they  came to Montana to teach two weekend creation family camps at Glacier Meadows  Lodge as well as a church seminar in Chester, Montana. In between seminars they  had a couple of days off so got to do some hiking in Glacier National Park and  got to witness something very amazing. They watched a sow black bear trying to  teach her three cubs to swim across a river. They related the story in their  September/October 2010 newsletter Think and Believe. I contacted the  Nuttings and asked permission to share their story and application as it really  fits the purpose and goal of the “Wisdom of the Week” articles I share with you.  Here’s the scene that the Nuttings had the unique privilege of observing:
 
     “The mama bear  swam part-way out into the water again and again but the cubs would not follow.  So back to the shore she would go. Occasionally we’d see her up on the shore  with the cubs following. Then she would try another spot–or return to the same  spot. I can only imagine what she was telling them, but she was very persistent  in her efforts!  Finally, two of the cubs followed her across the river, but we could hear the third bawling loudly on the other shore. So back across she went. However, instead of staying put on the shore, the two cubs that were  already safely across followed her back–one swimming in the water and the other jumping on her back for a ride!  At this point you would think any mother would lose her patience or just give up, but not this mama. She continued working with those cubs until she finally succeeded in getting all three cubs safely across the river.
 
     “Reflecting on this experience, I am reminded of how important it is to be diligent and  persistent in teaching our ‘cubs’ the knowledge and skills they need to survive in the hostile environment in which they live. There are many dangerous ‘rivers’  which young people need to learn to navigate in order to survive and thrive in  this world with a vibrant faith. Students need careful and persistent teaching  to learn to ‘swim’ safely through the currents of popular philosophies and  teachings. There are also many dangers and obstacles to faith. Some of these are just natural hazards of living in a fallen world; others are dangers arising  from our own sin nature. However, some are traps which are laid for the purpose  of demolishing the faith of students and causing them to fall. In our  experience, evolution is one of the major philosophies destroying the faith of unprepared Christian youth. It permeates our society and underlies many of the other destructive philosophies and obstacles to faith. Schools, textbooks,  museums, national parks, the media, and even many churches present evolutionary philosophy as though it were scientific ‘fact.’ As a result, many students begin to doubt or even reject the plain teaching of the Word of God. This can lead to  ungodly thinking, destructive lifestyles, or even to out-and-out rejection and mocking of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
 
    “Scripture warns:  ‘Beware lest anyone take you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of  the world, and not according to Christ’ (Col. 2:8).  It also says,  ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the  faith’ (I Pet. 5:8).
 
      “If we as parents, grandparents, and mentors really believed that there was a lion seeking to devour our children, would we be complacent or would we do everything in our power to protect them?  Like the mama bear in Glacier  National Park, we must be diligent and persistent in guarding our children and training them well for life on their own ‘in the wild.’  ”         (Amen!  Good words,  Mary Jo!)
 
 
 
     And by the way,  the Alpha Omega Institute website has lots of great material to help you train your ‘cubs.’ Check it out at www.DiscoverCreation.org.  
 
You might also ask to be put on their mailing list for the bimonthly publication of Think and Believe and the accompanying Kids Think and Believe Too.
 
 
 
                                                                                                                   Forever His
 
                                                                                                                     Pastor Dave

     We live right next to the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area and have always enjoyed hiking and camping in the area which includes numerous beautiful mountain lakes. We haven’t been real excited about the Fish and Wildlife Service’s program to introduce grizzly bears into the Cabinets. It is not only the risk of a grizzly encounter while out hiking or hunting, but the program has also resulted in the shutting down of numerous roads and logging and mining operations just to be sure we don’t bother the bears. Timber projects get stuck in court and a major mine proposal remains in limbo while our county copes with the highest unemployment rate in Montana. Many fingers point to grizzly bears as the chief culprit.  Our local grizzly bear specialist with the  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates the grizzly population at 40-45 in the Cabinets and nearby Yaak.  Other local surveys suggest a much higher population. Throw in the surging wolf population in the area and its affect on our big game population and local livestock and pets, and public tempers here are running pretty hot.
 
     This past summer another grizzly was trapped in the Whitefish, Montana area (close to  Glacier Park) and transplanted to the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area.  The 4-year-old female was released near Silver Butte Creek on July 25. The bear, fitted with a GPS monitoring collar, was located on August 5 back near Whitefish very close to her original capture site!  As the Fish and Wildlife was tracking this bear, they detected the signal for another grizzly that had been moved from the Whitefish Range to the Cabinets in September 2009.  That bear spent the winter in the West Cabinets but this summer was located about five miles northeast of the Big Mountain sky area near Whitefish. The first bear traveled about 73 miles in seven days, while the second bear covered 60 miles in six days, based on information downloaded from their collars.   As the information was examined it showed that, after crossing Highway 2 South of Libby, both bears followed a relatively straight and direct course back to the Whitefish Range. The Fish and Wildlife Service, of course, were amazed at how they managed to find there way back so quickly and in a straight path. They had been transported initially in a culvert-like trap in the back of a truck, so obviously couldn’t see where they were going so they could plan their escape and return!!
 
     I think that often God’s creatures show a bit more intelligence than we humans–the crown of  creation–show!  And what a demonstration of the “Divine Guidance System”  (DGS) that God places in His creatures. Think of the amazing feat of the migration of the salmon from the ocean and up the rivers to the very place of  their beginning to spawn and start the cycle all over again. Or consider the many species of birds which will migrate for hundreds and even thousands of miles to return to their same nesting sites. Isn’t evolution a marvelous thing!  (NOT!–But we serve an amazing, awesome, intelligent Designer/Creator whose works are beyond our comprehension.  As the Psalmist said, “O LORD,  how many are Your works! In wisdom You made them all; The earth is full of Your possessions” (Psa. 104:24).
 
      If God can guide the fish and birds and animals, just think of what He can do in our lives if we ask Him. Solomon wrote: “Trust in the LORD  with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all you ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight” (Pr. 3:5,6 NASB).   The KJV says “…He will direct your paths.”  The  Psalmist wrote: “Make me know Thy ways, O LORD; Teach me Thy  paths.  Lead me in Thy truth and teach me, for Thou art the God of my salvation.  All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies…I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you” (Psa.  25:4,5,10; 32:8).
 
      If God cares so much about His creatures, think about how much He must love you and me!  Jesus, in His “Sermon on the Mount,” said, “For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not worth much more than they?” (Mt. 6:25,26). 
 
      Whether you are hiking in a wilderness, navigating at sea, or driving your car across country, the GPS is a valuable instrument to safely guide you to your desired destination.  How much greater, though, is God’s “Divine Guidance System” (DGS).  There have been some who have actually been led astray by a GPS and ended up in a dangerous situation.  Never will God mislead you. “As for God, His way is blameless (perfect);  The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God, the God who girds me with strength and makes my way blameless?  He makes my feet like hinds  feet, and sets me upon high places. He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation, and Thy right hand upholds me; and Thy gentleness makes me great.  Thou dost enlarge my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped” (Psa.  18:30-36).   When we ask Him, God guides our life–through His written Word and the indwelling Holy Spirit. David wrote:  “Thy Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path” (Psa.  119:105).  Jesus said, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit,  whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (Jn. 14:26).  
 
      Are you letting God direct your life through His Word and the indwelling Spirit?  Remember, His way is perfect–you can’t improve on  that!
 
 
 
                             Forever His,
 
                                         Pastor Dave