Wisdom of The Week

     Many Christians struggle to make decisions when faced with a number of options because they think they have to wait for God to speak to them or in some other way make it clear to them which choice to make.  It might involve major decisions like whether or not to get married, or whom to marry, what vocation to pursue, where to live, what school to go to, what church to attend, what mission organization to apply to, etc.  Or it might be less consequential decisions such as what kind of vehicle to purchase, what house to live in, what clothes to wear, where to go on vacation, etc.  Many, wanting to be in God’s “perfect will,”  waste much time waiting for God to give them clear direction.  Sometimes, like Gideon, we think putting out a “fleece,” and helping God out in giving us directions is maybe the way to approach our decision making. 

     While living in Portland and working for Hyster Company, I was struggling through this concept of decision making and the will of God.  After much study of Scripture, I had concluded that God’s “perfect will” for our lives (Ro. 12:1,2) is to be obedient to His moral will as revealed in Scripture and if we are doing that, we are free to make decisions that fit within  that will.  We don’t have to look for a “dot in the middle of a circle” (hit the “bulls eye”) to remain in the “perfect will of God.”  We simply need to be obedient, applying the principles of God’s Word, looking at the pluses and minuses of each option, asking God for wisdom, making a decision and then allowing God to orchestrate the details or change our path if He chooses, knowing “The mind of man plans His way, but God directs His steps” (Prov. 16:9).   Making plans (i.e., making choices) that are within the confines of Scripture is the freedom God gives us. We can say, “Lord willing, I am going to….”  (cf Jas. 4:13-15).  

     As I was working through this concept of decision making, I heard about Garry Friesen at Multnomah School of the Bible (in Portland) who was working on a book, Decision Making and the Will of God.  I had the privilege of going to visit with him, and was encouraged to hear that his Scriptural research had led him to the same conclusion that I had reached.  It is so freeing to know that we don’t have to “hear from God” for every decision we make, because we have already “heard from God”–we have the completed revelation from God in His Holy Word which is all sufficient for “everything that pertains to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him…” (II Pet. 1:3). We have the “once-and-for all-delivered -to-the saints faith (teachings)” (Jude 3) which enables us to make decisions within God’s will.  It’s good to have the counsel of trusted, mature Christian friends, and to look at the positives and negatives of our options, but ultimately we are to apply the directives of God’s inspired Word which is “profitable for teaching, reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (including our decisions!)” (II Tim. 3:16,17).  

     We got to apply the “Way of Wisdom ” method of decision making when we made the choice to leave my job at Hyster and come back to Montana to work with Rocky Mountain Bible Mission.  I had been doing lay ministry work with Campus Crusade for Christ and had profited much from involvement with them and could have applied to be on staff with that organization, yet we also felt drawn to return to Montana to raise our family here. Was one choice God’s “perfect will” and not the other?  Well, Ironically, it was Campus Crusade that helped us make the choice to return to Montana!  One of the workers pointed out Psa. 37:4,5: “Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it.” The CC worker asked, “Are you delighting in the LORD? And, have you committed your way to Him?”  Yes we were and yes we had. He went on to say, “Then He will give you the desires of your heart, for He placed them there!”  While either option gave us an opportunity to serve the Lord, and God would have used us no matter which we chose, we were free to choose based on “our desires.”  

     As we spend time in God’s Word, and put it into practice in our every-day lives, we are growing in grace and wisdom and have insight into making decisions, based on that, which are within God’s perfect, moral will. We don’t need some special revelation from God to choose the options we have before us. What a freeing concept! It is “the way of wisdom.”  And, the encouraging, comforting thing about it is that God is in it all.  God is sovereignly and providentially involved, “directing our paths.”  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Pr. 3:5,6).  

     Following the “Way of Wisdom,” we can “use Scripture to make good, moral, and wise decisions while trusting in God to sovereignly accomplish His purposes…Using the guidelines of God’s Word (moral will and wisdom), we are free to do what we want with God’s blessing” (from God Doesn’t Whisper).  

     If you struggle, as a Christian wanting to do God’s will in making decisions, I highly recommend Decision Making and the Will of God by Garry Friesen (Multnomah  Press) and God Doesn’t Whisper by Jim Osman (Kootenai Community Church Publishing).

Forever His,

Pastor Dave 

     When I was attending Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, I attended Grace Bible Church. One of the church families, the Heetderks, had known the Kutz family when they lived in nearby Wilsall where my father-in-law pastored the Wilsall Bible Church. Pastor Kutz and family moved to Libby in 1955 to pastor Faith Bible Church which had just started. My family moved to Libby in 1958 and we ended up attending FBC, where I met Pastor Kutz’s daughter, Kathy!  We married between my junior and senior years at MSU.  Up until then, Kathy attended Prairie Bible college in Alberta, Canada. Before Kathy joined me in Bozeman, nearly every Sunday at church, one of the Heetderks said to me, “Tell the Kutzes that we pray for them every day.”

     How encouraging–and empowering–to have others who are committed to pray for us on a regular basis.  As believers, we all need a “support team” that is backing us in prayer, for we are in a spiritual battle against an adversary that does all he can to discourage and discredit us, rob us of our joy and destroy our ministry.  Missionaries often have to raise financial support but even more, to develop a prayer team if they are to be successful in their ministry.  The Apostle Paul, in writing to the church at Colossae, asked them to devote themselves to  pray for him (and his mission team) “that God may open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ…” (Col. 4:2,3). 

       As important and encouraging as it is to have others supporting us in prayer, just imagine how valuable and crucial it is to have Jesus praying for us!  In the evening before His betrayal, arrest, trial and torture, Christ turned to Peter and said, “Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Lk. 22:31,32). Peter, of course, boldly proclaimed that he would never deny Christ, but Christ knew better (vv. 33,34). Actually, Satan’s request was not just concerning Peter, but for all the disciples, for the pronoun “you” (in “sift you”) is plural. Satan knew (and still knows) that the fall of Christian leaders causes many others to fall (the “ripple effect”) and if all of the disciples could be made to abandon the faith, the gospel could not be spread. 

     Jesus turned specifically to Peter, who was the recognized spokesman for the disciples, and even though He knew Peter would deny Him, informed him that He would be praying for him that his “faith may not fail.”  And we know that Peter, though he denied even knowing the Lord, did turn around once he had the opportunity to see–and visit with–the risen Lord and he became a leader in the fledgling church in Jerusalem as well as a missionary boldly preaching the resurrection and need for repentance. Through the witness of Peter and the other apostles (including Paul), the gospel ultimately came to us–PTL!

     Satan continues to attack those who are spreading the gospel. He knows the destruction it causes in the lives of those influenced by the one who falls.  The “ripple effect” may last for years, and many weaker Christians may never recover. But, be encouraged!  The One who prayed for Peter and the other Apostles “…is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). 

     In Jesus’ “high priestly” prayer just before His arrest in the garden, Jesus prayed for His disciples that the Father would “keep them… that they may be one, even as We are one… that they may have My joy made full in themselves…keep them from the evil one…sanctify them in the truth” (Jn. 17:11-17). But then Jesus went on to pray: “I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father , art in Me and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me. And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me…” (vv. 20-24).  

     We, as followers of Jesus Christ, are included in “those also who believe in Me through their word” !  Jesus prayed for us, just as He prayed for His apostles, and He continues to intercede for us when we are attacked by “the accuser of the brethren” (Rev. 12:1).  Just as God answered Jesus’ intercessory prayer for Peter, so He will answer His intercessory prayer for us!  PTL!

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     Millions of people in North America from Mexico, across the United States and into Canada will experience the rare phenomenon of a total solar eclipse today, April 8, 2024.  Since the moon is closer to the earth than during the last total eclipse on August 21, 2017, the width of “totality” will be greater (108-122 miles) than it was in 2017 (62-71 miles) and will last longer (4 1/2 minutes versus 3 minutes in 2017). It will also pass over more densely populated areas than in 2017, including such cities as Dallas, Little Rock, Indianapolis, Cleveland and Buffalo.   A total eclipse occurs when the orbit of the moon passes between the sun and earth, completely blocking the face of the sun, darkening the sky as if it were dawn or dusk. The source of light gets blocked off as something comes between. 

      While solar eclipses are relatively rare (the next total eclipse won’t be until 2044), “spiritual eclipses” are much more common, as people allow something to come between them and “the Light of the World,” Jesus Christ . The Apostle John, in the introduction to his gospel, speaks of the “Word” (Jesus)  becoming flesh and dwelling among us (Jn. 1:14) and writes, “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 (i.e. did not overcome it) (Jn. 1:4,5). Later in his gospel, John records Jesus saying: “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life” (Jn. 8:12), and in John’s first epistle, he writes: “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). 

     Tragically, many experience a “spiritual eclipse” because they allow something to come between them and God, the source of spiritual light.  First of all, our adversary Satan tries to blind people from the truth of the “Good News” (the Gospel) about Christ’s death, burial and resurrection to pay the penalty for our sins. “If our gospel is veiled; it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God” (II Cor. 4:3,4). 

     Then many, when they do hear the truth about God and Jesus Christ, “suppress the truth…and their foolish heart is darkened“ and they end up worshiping created things rather than the Creator. They “exchange the truth of God for a lie” (Ro.1:18-25).  John, in speaking of such folks, writes: “And this is the judgment that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (Jn.3: 19,20).  Many substitute idols for the true God and their hearts become dark, cut off from the One who is the only source of light. Consequently, they walk in darkness. 

     But, “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).  When God opens our eyes to the truth about Jesus Christ, and gives us faith to trust in Him for eternal life, He “calls us out of darkness into His marvelous light” (I Pet. 2:9). The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesian believers, wrote: “For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, walk as children of light” (Eph. 5:8). 

     As those who have been taken out of spiritual darkness into God’s marvelous light, we are to “walk in the light as He Himself is in the light” (I Jn. 1:7).  That is, we are not to let anything, or anyone, come between us and God.  That happens when we allow sin to go unconfessed (Isa. 59:2; Psa. 66:18) or we decide to follow the desires of our flesh (old sinful nature) instead of letting the Holy Spirit control our lives.  Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mt. 16:24). If we are to “walk in the light,” we must have Christ first in our life in all things. We have to be “all in” for Jesus–willing even to lay down our life for Him. 

     “Nothing between my soul and the Savior, naught of this world’s delusive dream;

     I have renounced all sinful pleasure–Jesus is mine, there’s nothing between.

     Nothing between, like worldly pleasure; habits of life, tho harmless they seem, 

     must not my heart from Him ever sever. He is my all, there’s nothing between.

     Nothing between, not even hard trials, Tho the whole world against me convene;

     watching with prayer and much self denial–triumph at last, with nothing between!”

     Chorus:

     “Nothing between my soul and the savior, so that His blessed face may be seen;

      nothing preventing the least of His favor: keep the way clear–let nothing between”      …..                                                          Nothing Between by Charles A. Tindley

     Don’t let anything come between you and the One who is “The Light of the World.”  If you are experiencing a “spiritual eclipse,” turn toward The Light, let Him remove whatever is blocking out His Light and let that light flood over your soul. 

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

      We had a beautiful morning yesterday for our “Son-rise Service!”  What a joy to celebrate the most significant event in the history of mankind when Jesus Christ arose from the grave after three days (according to Jewish reckoning where any portion of a day or night is equivalent to a day and night)!  Although it was a fairly chilly morning, about 30 degrees, the sun had just risen over the mountains and its warmth on our backs felt great. It was bright enough that the pastor, who was facing into the sun, had to have on dark glasses as he spoke. I was reminded of how Moses had to veil himself when he came off the mountain, having been in God’s presence and “glowed.”  

     Because the “Son is up,” we too feel the warmth of His love and presence.  We are doubly blessed because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We had two needs that were met on that historic day in Jerusalem nearly 2,000 years ago.  We needed forgiveness for what we have done (sinned) and deliverance from what we are (sinners).  

     First of all, Jesus, who came to earth to “seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk. 19:10), bore our sins as He hung on the cross and God the Father, poured out His wrath on those sins. Jesus suffered in our place and paid the penalty for all our sins. “He (the Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (II Cor. 5:21).  “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed (restored spiritually)” (I Pet. 2:24). “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7).  As we acknowledge our own sinfulness for which Jesus died, and that He paid the price in full on our behalf, and we put our faith in His work at the Cross, we are “born again” (Jn. 3:3), forgiven, and we receive Christ’s righteousness, so that we then stand before God “justified” (just as if we hadn’t sinned).  There is nothing more we need do, nor can do, to add to what Jesus did on our behalf. “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).  “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ro. 5:1).  Jesus’ resurrection was proof that our sins were paid for.  “Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith…” (Ro. 3:24,25a).  The word “propitiation” means that God’s holy demands were satisfied by Jesus’ laying down His life for us. It is the same Greek word that is used for “Mercy Seat” (Heb. 9:5 cf Lev. 16:14) where the High Priest sprinkled blood to satisfy God’s holy demands. In this case, Jesus, our High Priest, sprinkled His own blood.  Rom. 4:25, in reference to Christ’s death,  says “He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of (on the basis of) our justification.”  On the basis of God’s holy demands being met to pay for our sins, God raised Jesus from the dead. So, through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, we have forgiveness for what we have done. He paid the penalty for all our sins.

     But, again, we are doubly blessed by the resurrection. Not only do we have forgiveness for what we have done, but we also have deliverance from what we are (sinners by nature).  In Rom. 5:10, Paul wrote: “For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”  Through Jesus death on our behalf, we can be reconciled to God through forgiveness of sin and receipt of Christ’s righteousness. But now, through the resurrected Christ who lives in us as believers (Gal. 2:20), we have the power to overcome sin. That’s what Romans chapter 6 is all about. Paul writes, “Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin…For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace…and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (vv. 6,14,18).   We still have our old sinful flesh (as Paul describes in Ro. 7 and Gal. 5), but because Christ and the Holy Spirit now indwell us, we no longer have to obey its desires. As we “walk in the Spirit” (i.e., in obedience to God’s Word and in dependence upon Him), we no longer are under sin’s power (Gal. 5:16).   We have deliverance from what we are–sinners. 

     So, we are “doubly blessed” by the resurrection. We experience what Jesus promised in John 10:10: “…I am come that you might have life (eternal life through forgiveness of sin), and might have it abundantly (through victory over sin’s power)”.  And, praise God, a third blessing awaits us in heaven where we will finally be freed from the very presence of sin!

Forever his,

Pastor Dave

     In our evening home Bible study, we are studying John’s gospel and have recently been looking at Jesus’ arrest, trial, torture and crucifixion. It was John’s aim to exalt Jesus Christ in His majesty and deity so that his readers would “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, (you) may have life through His name” (Jn. 20:31). Even in the events of the Passion Week, John continued to focus on how Jesus was not the victim, but the victor, totally in control of every detail that took place. 

     Several times during Jesus’ ministry there were attempts on His life, but it was not time for Him to die, so He would always escape (Eg., Jn. 7:30).  Also on a number of occasions John stated that “His hour has not yet come” (Jn. 2:4; 7:8,30; 8:20).  The time for Him to offer Himself as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29), hadn’t arrived yet. All would be accomplished in the Father’s perfect timing and in the exact way planned.  Even as Jesus came to Jerusalem for His final Passover, He made sure to fulfill the prophecy in Psa. 118:26 and Zech. 9:9. He had his disciples obtain the “foal of a donkey” on which for Him to ride. The crowd waved palm branches and shouted “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD, even the King of Israel!” (Jn. 12:13).  And then Jesus said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (v. 23). The time had come for which He had been working throughout His ministry; namely, the time of His death and resurrection. After celebrating the Passover with His disciples in the upper room, Jesus poured out His heart to the Father, beginning with: “Father, the hour has come…” (Jn. 17:3). 

     Next came the betrayal by Judas, the arrest, trial and torture, and crucifixion; the details of which fulfilled the prophecies given centuries ago by the Psalmist (Psa. 22) and by the prophet Isaiah (Isa. 53).  During the political trial, Pilate said to Jesus, “Do you not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify you?” (Jn. 19:10).  But, notice Jesus’ reply: “You would have no authority over Me unless it had been given you from above…” (v. 11).  All throughout Jesus’ ministry and then in His suffering, death and resurrection, we see the Sovereignty of God in control of every situation and every detail, fulfilling every Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah’s mission on earth. Never was Jesus at the mercy of the evil and hatred of sinful mankind unless it was all part of God’s plan from before the foundation of the world. God, speaking through Isaiah said, “Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you transgressors…For I am God, and there is no other; 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…Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it’ ” (Isa. 46:8-11). 

     It would appear that it was the jealousy and hatred of the Jewish leaders, the cowardice of Pilate and the ruthlessness of the Roman soldiers that cost Jesus His life. But note what Peter said in his sermon at Pentecost: “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know–this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. And God raised Him up again, putting an end to this agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power” (Acts 2:23,24).  Then, in Acts 4:27,28, in a prayer offered by Peter and John and their companions, they said: “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.”  In both passages we see that responsibility for the death of Christ is laid upon both Jews and Gentiles, but only because that was all in the predetermined plan of God.  God works out His purposes through both holy and sinful men. No sinful, hateful man will ever, even for a split second, violate the plan of God.  “Man’s steps are ordered by the LORD…The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes” (Pr. 20:24; 21:1). 

      Jesus was in total control of all the events surrounding His death and resurrection. First of all, to fulfill prophecy, Jesus had to die by being “lifted up” (Jn. 3:14 cf Nu. 21:9; Jn. 12:32,33). He couldn’t die by stoning and as the “Passover Lamb” (I Cor. 5:7) none of His bones could be broken. From the beating and scourging by the Romans, the dividing of His garments and gambling for his seamless priestly tunic by the soldiers, being crucified between two criminals outside the city, the spear thrust in his side, His death at the very time of day of the Passover sacrifice, to the burial in “the rich man’s” tomb and His resurrection on the third day, everything was orchestrated by the design and purpose of God.  As Jesus hung from the cross, inspite of the agony and physical suffering of having been beaten, scourged and impaled on the cross, He made sure to fulfill every detail of the prophecies concerning His suffering and death.  “Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, ‘I am thirsty.’ And a jar of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop, and brought it up to His mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit” (Jn. 19:28-30).  The Scripture Jesus referred to that had to be fulfilled was Psa. 69:21, which says “...For My thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”  

     How did the soldiers know to divide up Jesus garments and gamble for his tunic?  How did the soldier know to ram the spear into Jesus’ side? How did they know to have a jar of sour wine at the foot of the cross?  How did Joseph of Arimathea know to provide his tomb for Jesus?  Did all these have a script to follow?  No, they were directed by the hand of the Sovereign God and His design.  

     I’m so grateful that this same Sovereign God is in control today. In spite of what the world around us looks like, God is still on the throne and in total command, carrying out His plans and purposes. As Dar Williams praise chorus says, “The World is not falling apart.” It is falling into place as God has ordained.  Aren’t you glad that He is “Our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psa. 46:1).  “Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride” (vv. 2,3). 

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     I have an old, worn out pair of shoes that I really need to throw away. I have a new pair, but I find myself continuing to put on the old pair, as they are “more comfortable,” even if they are full of holes and the sole is separating!  Whether it is a baseball glove, a cap, a purse, or maybe a tool, or even a vehicle, it is hard to part with an item that has been part of our life for some time, and one with which we are comfortable.  At one time, when I was doing quite a bit of cabinet-type work, we ordered a quality, commercial table saw. It sat in the box for a couple years before I even got it out to use, as the old, much-less expensive, saw was doing “just fine,” and I was comfortable with using it. 

     The same principle is true when it comes to our spiritual lives.  It is hard to let go of the old habits and the old way of doing things and to start living the new life we have in Christ (II Cor. 5:17).  When the Israelites were freed from some 430 years of bondage in Egypt, they spent the next 40 years wandering in the wilderness before entering the land promised to them, because they kept complaining. It started from the moment that they faced the Red Sea in front of them and Pharaoh’s army behind them. “They said to Moses, ‘Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt…It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness’ ” (Ex. 14:11,12).  Then they complained about the lack of good water and being hungry. Again they grumbled to Moses, saying, “Why, now have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” (Ex. 17:3). God miraculously provided water for their thirst and manna for their hunger (Ex. 15-17). Then they even tired of eating manna and griped about that, and asked for meat (Nu. 11:4). They said, “We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic…but now there is nothing at all to look at except this manna” (Nu. 11:5,6).  It seems that their physical desires somehow clouded their memory of the harsh treatment they experienced under the Egyptian taskmasters and would rather be back in Egypt.  But, as an old Keith Green song said, “You Can’t Go Back to Egypt.”   Even if the old life was difficult, it’s hard to put it behind us. 

     The same was true when Jesus came to establish a New Covenant with Israel.  The Old Covenant, the Law, though it was perfect, could make no one perfect. In fact, what it did was to reveal sin so that the Jews would see their need of the Messiah Jesus as their Redeemer and Savior (Gal. 2:16; 3:1-3,19-29).  Even when they put their trust in Jesus and His death, burial and resurrection to save them, some had the tendency to lapse back into Judaism, under the Law, which only condemned and couldn’t save.  Paul called them “foolish,” asking them, “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish?  Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Ga. 3:1-3).  It would appear that the author of the book of Hebrews was addressing the same problem with the Jewish believers, many of whom apparently tried to mix Law and Grace and go back under the Old Covenant.  After all, it was a “known,” and in that sense more comfortable. They knew exactly what was expected, even though they were powerless to perform. 

      Jesus taught the parable of the wineskins to deal with this issue. He said, “No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins” (Lk. 5:37,38). The point He was making was that the new teaching of the grace of Christ cannot be contained within the old forms of the Law (cf Jn. 1:17). Some people were finding it difficult to accept that the old ministry of the Law was meant to give way to the new ministry of grace through the high priesthood of Christ. They were tempted to say, “The old is better, more comfortable.” But the “Law was meant as a signpost, not a solution” (Today in the Word, 3-15-2024). 

     As believers, we have a whole new life in Christ. We are partakers of the Divine Nature, with the Godhead living within us (I Cor. 3:16; 6:19,20; Gal. 2:20). We not only have forgiveness for what we have done–sinned (Eph. 1:7), but deliverance from what we are–sinners (Ro. 6:6 cf Ro. 5:10). Unfortunately we still have trouble letting go of the old habits and patterns and tend to fall back into our old way of doing things. It’s more comfortable.  But, the Apostle Paul challenges us with these words: “In reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the Spirit of your mind, and put on the new self which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth (Eph. 4:22-24).  He repeats this challenge in Col. 3:8-11 with a list of things to “put on and put off,”

     Do you have some things left over from your B.C. (Before Christ) days that need to be “put off” and thrown away and some new things that need to be “put on”?  Ask God, He will help you do it!

 Forever His,

     Pastor Dave

     Have you ever been in a situation where you felt underqualified and/or overwhelmed?  Probably so, I know I surely have on many occasions.  For example, when I resigned my engineering job at Hyster in Portland, Oregon to return to Montana and work with Rocky Mountain Bible Mission as an understudy of my father-in-law, Pastor Clarence Kutz, who had joined the mission when he retired from his pastorate at Faith Bible Church in Libby, Montana. When I walked out the door of Hyster, we suddenly had no income. We had to raise support, but at that moment we had none. I’m supposed to be the provider for my family, but at that point I had to totally depend on the Lord to lay it on people’s hearts to help in our support. Once I made my commitment to resign and worked my last day, the support began coming in, but it was a very overwhelming feeling to begin a new venture for which I felt quite unprepared. 

     One of the locations we went to with Pastor Kutz to minister was just a few miles south on the Bull Lake Road near Milnor, Savage and Schoolhouse Lakes. Pastor Kutz taught the adults in the living room of a trailer house while my wife Kathy, and her mom had a children’s class in a bedroom and I had a youth group in the shop.  The group grew to where we were maxed out in the trailer and shop,  so one evening after Bible study they decided they needed to start a church. One couple donated property, a collection was taken and we began excavation for a church building. But just then Pastor Kutz found out he had a rapidly progressing type of leukemia and by the time we poured the walls for the foundation, he  had passed away.  

     Suddenly, “by default,”  I was thrust into the role of pastoring the Three Lakes Community Bible Church near Troy, Montana.  I felt totally inadequate. I had an engineering degree but had not been to Bible school. My father-in-law was a tremendous Bible teacher and left some big shoes to fill!  But I realized I didn’t have to be Pastor Kutz. I just had to be me, and let God enable me because I was inadequate in and of myself. But then, each of us is!  Even the Apostle Paul said, “By the grace of God I am what I am” (I Cor. 15:10) and “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God” (II Cor. 3:5). 

     When we recognize our inadequacy, we need to cry out to God, as I did, saying, “God, I can’t; You can; please do!”  I appreciate the encouraging words Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica: “Faithful is He who calls you, and He will also bring it to pass” (I Thes. 5:24).  When the Lord calls us to a task or ministry, He will equip us and, through Him we can accomplish it.  Paul also wrote “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). 

     God richly blessed the ministry at Three Lakes and provided a fantastic family and support group. We grew together as we physically built the church facility and God brought in many new families to become part of the “team.”  God enabled us to start a Bible camp (“Camp Elohim”) and a school (“Three Lakes Christian School”).  After 13 years the school had to close due to the loss of jobs in the area and people having to move, but the camp, now run by Rocky Mountain Bible Mission, has expanded and grown into a nearly year-round ministry, impacting about 1100 lives annually.  God granted me the privilege of shepherding the Three Lakes Flock for a little more than 37 years, for which I am so grateful! “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).  

     I am teaching a class this week (9:45-12:30 a.m. each day) at the training center here in Libby for International Messengers. I have been privileged to teach a class there for several years and it is such a blessing. The folks who come here to the “Mountainside Ministry Training” center are preparing for ministry with IM. Many of them end up going to places in Eastern Europe or Africa.  What a joy it is to be able to spend time with them and see their passion for following Jesus no matter what the cost. But again, I feel very inadequate (because I am!) for the job of teaching them. So, I pray once again: “God, I can’t; You can; please do!”  And He does!!  

      Do you feel inadequate and overwhelmed by what God has called you to do?  Good, because, just like me, you are!  But He is able! Just admit your need and trust Him. It is amazing what God can do through a willing instrument. For, it is all about Him; it is not about us!  To Him be all the glory and praise. “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (Ro. 11:36).  

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

          I’m sure most of you have seen the “He Gets Us” ads on billboards or on television or on the reader board at an athletic event. One of the ads was even aired (for a mere $7 million!) during the recent Super Bowl showing people from apparently opposing identity groups washing one another’s feet.  If you check out their website, you will see that the whole emphasis is on the unconditional love that Jesus has because, having also become man, He understands us.  And, it is true–He does. Heb. 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” Earlier, the author of Hebrews wrote, regarding Christ taking on human flesh: “…For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted” (Heb. 2:14-18).  And, the Psalmist David wrote: “And He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust” (Psa. 103:14). 

     So, yes, “He gets us.” He knows our weaknesses and failures and still loves us with His unconditional, no-strings-attached love.  But He more than gets us. He died for us so that we wouldn’t have to remain in our sinful state, ruled by the desires of our old flesh and under the condemnation of sin. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Ro. 5:8). That was the main reason God the Son came to earth and took on human flesh. True, it enabled Him to relate to our humanness (except for the sin nature), and it allowed God to reveal Himself to us in human form that we might know what God is like (Jn. 1:14,18; 14:7-9; Heb. 1:1-3).   But ultimately, Jesus came to earth not just so He could better understand us, but to die and pay the penalty of sin so that we wouldn’t have to stay the way we are. “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk. 19:10).  He came that “we might have life, and might have it abundantly” (Jn. 10:10). 

     Jesus took on human flesh so that He could die in our place as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29).  Jesus didn’t die to keep us in our sin; He died to deliver us from our sin!. Yes, Jesus loves us the way we are, but He loves us too much to leave us the way we are!  “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (I Jn. 4:9,10). 

      God’s plan isn’t just for Jesus to understand us in our sinful condition, but that we, through His death, burial and resurrection, be delivered from the bondage of sin and have a whole new life (and future) in Christ.  The Apostle Paul wrote: “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (II Cor. 5:17).  In His first Letter to the Corinthian believers, Paul wrote: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, not thieves, nor covetous,, nor drunkards, nor revilers nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God” (I Cor. 6:9-11).    When the woman caught in adultery was brought before Jesus by a group of Scribes and Pharisees, Jesus stooped down and wrote something in the dust on the ground and then told the men, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”  Whatever He wrote convicted them, for they filed out, leaving Jesus alone with the woman.  He said to her, “Woman, where are they?” Did no one condemn you?…Neither do I condemn you; go your way. From now on sin no more” (Jn. 8:7-11).  Jesus didn’t just “get her,” He forgave her and gave her opportunity for a whole new life.

     It’s great to have someone who “gets us” and shows us love, no matter our condition or world view, but what we really need is Someone who can offer us a new life. That’s what Jesus came to do. To accomplish it, however, He not only walked among us so He could empathize with our needs, but He laid down His life to pay for our sins and to redeem us and to reconcile us to God.  You see, “He (God the Father) made Him who knew no sin (Jesus, God the Son), to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (II Cor. 5:21).  Jesus not only gets us, He gave Himself for us, so that by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, we could have eternal life, so that we could turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan (and sin) to God, in order that we might receive forgiveness of sins and receive an inheritance with Christ in eternity (Acts 26:18; Ro.8:16,17). Praise God, He more than just “gets us”!

Forever His, 

Pastor Dave

      If you’ve ever watched the television series Blue Bloods, you know that every Sunday after church the family gathered around the table for a meal together. The family consisted of the retired N.Y. City Police Commissioner, his son who was the current Commissioner along with his two sons and daughter and their children. One of the sons was a detective ( he had a  wife and two teenage sons), the other son was recently married and both he and his wife were also on the police force. The daughter (with her daughter who was in college and a very “free thinker”) was the assistant District Attorney.   So, you can imagine their conversations as they worked through the events of the week and in their personal lives. The discussions could get a bit heated as they had the opportunity to express their views and involvements.  But in the end their families ties were strengthened in their support of one another in spite of differing views. 

     Family meal time is one of the few times in our busy, hectic lives when the members can sit down and spend some quality time communicating and sharing feelings and supporting one another.  It is interesting how often in Scripture we see the value of shared meals.  Jesus, in fact, quite often is found sitting around the table, sharing with family and friends (such as Mary, Martha and Lazarus).  It is one of the best times to get others to open up and communicate what is going on in their lives and talking it through.  Several chapters in John’s Gospel are alloted to Jesus’ final Passover meal with His Apostles (Jn. 13-16). 

     Tragically, families sitting down to eat together has become a rarity in our culture and time. So, that very valuable time of in-depth communication is missing and as a result, many feel lonely and isolated and do not learn how to communicate their feelings with a loving support group. Former Vice President Mike Pence recently published a book entitled Go Home For Dinner in which he discusses the importance, in this busy world in which we are pulled in so many directions, of carving out time to have the family together on a regular basis, and the best time is around the table.  In an interview with Decision magazine, Mike Pence said, “It’s the dinner table where we learn how to disagree agreeably and respectfully on issues that matter. I came from a big family–six kids–and once we all got into our teenage years, the dinner table became a vigorous place of discussion and debate. But there was always the guardrail that we never forgot that we do love each other there. And I’m not sure that it isn’t at the dinner table that, over the generations, Americans have learned how to deal with people we differ with and to never forget that we’re all Americans. So, I honesty think that if we revive the principle of sitting down together as a family, over time we’ll also revive civility in our politics. I think there’s an epidemic of loneliness in America today, which was exacerbated by the pandemic…I think the loneliness fuels division in the nation.”  (That’s a very interesting take on the state of the current chaos in our country!)

     God is the One who created the family as the basic unit of society.  If the traditional family is strong, the nation will be strong. But if the family struggles or crumbles, so will the nation.  “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psa. 11:3).  Our adversary, the devil, knows this, so it is not surprising how viciously he has attacked the family unit. Not only are families torn apart due to busyness and being drawn in so many directions, but our culture now has trouble even defining marriage or family due to the very anti-biblical, anti-Christian trends of transgenderism, LGBTQ, and gender identity.  These “progressive” ideas not only destroy the foundation of marriage and family, but they also create controversy and division within our nation. Probably never since the Civil War has our country been so divided and full of anger and protest. Government agencies, rather than carrying out their intended purposes, end up being used as political weapons against those who have different (biblical) world views, What a mess!  And much of it can be traced to the disintegration of the family unit.  As Mike Pence suggests, we no longer have a place where we can learn to disagree in an agreeable way without fear of consequences that the family dinner table provides. He also astutely adds that “If the priority of family continues to crumble in our society, no amount of legislation and no number of conservative leaders being elected will every make up for that erosion.” (Amen!)

     And, speaking of the value of family mealtime, the body of Chrst is also a family, and sharing meals togerther is a great way of strengthening the “family unit.”  Think of all the folks you have been able to fellowship with at the church potlucks or when you invite a family over for a meal.  That also reminds me that one day the “family of God” will be seated at the table for the “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9).  According to the marriage custom of Christ’s time on earth, a betrothal (like our engagement) took place and then there was a waiting period while the bride prepared herself and the groom made a place for them at his father’s house. Then, the bridegroom, accompanied by his male friends, went to the house of the bride who, along with her female friends, would join the “parade” back to the home of the bridegroom (at his father’s house) where the marriage supper would take place. It might last for days, as illustrated by the wedding at Cana (Jn. 2:1,2). Our “betrothal” took place when we said “yes” to Jesus’ offer of salvation. We are now awaiting the return of the Bridegroom from His Father’s House, to take us to His home (we call this the “rapture”).  Then the “marriage supper of the Lamb” will take place in heaven. It will be a glorious celebration for all who are “in Christ.”  

     Will you be there?  If you have said “yes” to Christ, you will be, and what a day of rejoicing that will be as we sit around the table with saints from every tribe and nation!  As you think of how loud and animated the conversation often gets at the dinner table at, say Thanksgiving, just imagine that scene in heaven!   

      If you haven’t yet said “yes” to Jesus, “the Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come, let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost” (Rev. 22:17).   Come to the “table.” It is soon time for the family dinner!

Forever His,

Pastor Dave

     In 1996, representatives from three tech industries–Intel, Ericsson, and Nokia–met to plan the standardization of a short-range radio technology that would enable mobile devices, computers, and other electronic devices to easily communicate with each other using a short-range wireless connection.  During this meeting, Jim Kardach from Intel suggested “Bluetooth” as a code name for their project in honor of King Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson who was famous for uniting Denmark and Norway in 958. His dead tooth, which was dark blue/grey in color, earned him the nickname “Bluetooth.” The code name was only to be temporary, but the name caught on fast and before it could be changed, it spread through the industry, becoming synonymous with short-range wireless technology. We take for granted its significance and how much it impacts our lives. From smartphones to headphones and beyond, we rely on “Bluetooth” technology to free us from the tether of wired technology (Much like battery-operated tools free us from the nuisance of extension cords). 

     In His Omniscience, God sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost–God’s “Bluetooth” if you will–to unite all the members of His body called the “Church.” Ever since Pentecost, when a person repents and trusts in Christ as Savior, he or she is immersed into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. Paul writes in  I Cor.12:12-13: “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized (immersed) into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit” (cf Eph. 4:4).  In his discussion of spiritual gifts in Romans 12, Paul writes: “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (vv. 4,5). God’s “Bluetooth” unites us with every other believer, and makes us members of one body. We become members of the “Family of God,” as brothers and sisters in Christ, and are enabled, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, to communicate with and minister to one another. The phrase “one another” appears some 254 times in the New Testament, exhorting those of us in the body of Christ to: “love one another” (Jn. 13:35; 15:17; I Pet. 1:22), ” be devoted to and give preference to one another” (Ro. 12:10), “serve one another” (Gal. 5:13), “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2), “forgive one another” (Eph. 4:32), “submit to one another” (Eph. 5:21), “admonish one another” (Col. 3:16), “comfort one another” (I Thes. 4:18), “encourage one another” (I Thes. 5:11; Heb. 3:13; 10:25) and “stimulate one another” (Heb. 10:24).God enables us to do all of this by His “Bluetooth,” The Holy Spirit, who is that invisible (“wireless”) connection tying us all together on one body. 

     In that body “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).  The creation of this body made up of all believers from every nationality and walk of life is something that took place because of God sending His Holy Spirit. Paul refers to it as “the mystery of Christ…to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel”(Eph,. 3:4-6).  “Mystery” here refers to something that had been hidden (in the Old Testament) but is now being revealed. 

      We experience the beauty of the body of Christ when we join together with other believers to worship and learn from Scripture. We sense that invisible connection joining us together, no matter what gender, age, vocation, nationality, background or giftedness.  We experience “body life” as members of the family of God. There is a sense of unity in our diversity. 

     Since many of our founding fathers of this nation were followers of Jesus Christ, I think it is significant that the national motto that was chosen for the Continental Congress when a single country was created from the 13 colonies, was  E PLURIBUS UNUM, which means “out of many, one.”  That was what Danish King Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson attempted to do with Scandinavia and that IS what God did through sending the Holy Spirit (God’s “Bluetooth”) to immerse each believer into one body, the church, enabling us to communicate with and minister to and work together with the other members in the body, each of whom He equipped in a unique way to serve for the “common good ” of the body (I Cor. 12:4-7,11). 

(NOTE: Our national motto was changed in 1956 to “In God We Trust” when signed into law by President Dwight.D. Eisenhower.)

Forever His,

Pastor Dave