Category: God’s Word

Let’s Just Settle Down

by Dale, posted in Discipleship, Forgiveness, God's Word, Grace, Jesus Christ, Ministry, Missions, Pastoring, Prayer Advances, Preaching, Serving, Speech, The Gospel, Uncategorized

My dad had many sayings. When my friends and I got rowdy as a kid, he would sometimes utter, “You boys need to settle down.”

Now in my 60’s and having been exposed to so much in the Christian and religious world for these years, could we as pastors/Christian leaders just settle down?

My background is one of . . . growing up in a pastor’s home (My dad was Church of the Nazarene until his Army days in Korea, and then came to understand the security of believer in Christ, thanks to a godly chaplain who taught him the Word!); The Wilds Christian Camp (Doc Hay, Rock Royer, Major Brooks, etc.); Bob Jones University (college and seminary plus a host of its graduates including all of its presidents to date, Bible Conference speakers, faculty, etc.); Tennessee Temple University graduates; the Sword of the Lord crowd; my Southern Baptist grandfather who pastored in Kentucky and southwest Virginia; the GARBC; the many men who fellowshipped in what was for years known as the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship (Now Foundations Baptist Fellowship); Dallas Theological Seminary grads; being mentored personally by the likes of J.B. Williams, J. Robert Martin, Randy Patten, Reynold Lemp and many others; plus being influenced from a distance by the likes of Charles Stanley, Chuck Swindoll, Adrian Rogers, Henry Blackaby, David Jeremiah, and more.

In more recent years, my background continues to be of the many mentioned above plus Men’s Prayer Advance, 9Marks, T4G, CoRE Conferences, plus many, many books authored by Tripp, Ortlund, Wells, Bridges, Payne & Marshall, Thomas, Huegal, Ryrie, Walvord, Pickering, etc.

“What’s the point?’, you may ask.

Well, I want to say that for all of us in ministry, none of us have it all figured out; none of us knows all the facts about everyone or every situation; none of us know more than our God; none of us have the absolute right methodology; none of us are the standard; and none of us have arrived!

For all of us in ministry, none of us have it all figured out . . . none of us have arrived!

We all come from various backgrounds and are all influenced by a diverse group of people, churches, institutions and movements, but we are saved by grace through faith alone in the cross work and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are one in Christ. We are made complete in Christ. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit. We are children of the living God!

Therefore, understanding that there are clear, biblical points of separation and the application thereof, such as preeminently, the Gospel (Galatians 1:1-10), may I say that we need to . . .

  • Give one another the benefit of the doubt.
  • Be gracious and kind.
  • Stop making fun of our brothers on social media whether you agree with him or not. (No wonder the lost world doesn’t want our Jesus, seeing the way we lampoon one another.)
  • Throw away our Pharisaical microscope.
  • Give one another space to grow in sanctification.
  • Cheer our brother on when he’s down. When revival breaks out where he pastors but not where you serve, rejoice and praise God with him!
  • Personally call up the brother we have issue with instead of talking about him behind his back or on social media.
  • Exchange the time of criticizing and posting for time on our knees in prayer.
  • Let God handle error by His righteous standard rather than us being “the enforcer.”
  • Meet with your brother for coffee; get to know him and disciple each other.
  • Confess and repent of our arrogance and pride.
  • Exercise grace.
  • Remember, we will live forever together in Glory!

Throw away your Pharisaical microscope.

In times past, I have jokingly said, for instance to a group of four men, “There are only four people in the world that’s perfect. That’s me and you three, and . . . I am doubtful about you three!”

Proverbs 22:4 recently challenged my heart again . . . By humility and the fear of the LORD (not man) are riches and honor and life.

May I suggest that we soak our soul often in the truths of Colossians 1:15-18 and go deep in meditation and prayer in Philippians 1:1-2:18?

Let’s join Paul in prayer . . . And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11)

Let’s just settle down.

Heart Transplant

by Dale, posted in Christian Living, God's Word, Heart, Jesus Christ, Renewal, Revival, Uncategorized

Since the heart is perverse and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), can it be changed?

Can our deceitful heart be transformed into a truthful heart?

Can our our hypocritical heart be converted into a holy heart?

Can our idolatrous heart be changed into a worshipping heart for God?

Yes! The heart of change is having the heart of Christ.

The heart in scripture represents all that we are. As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man (Proverbs 27:19). It’s our inner person (Proverbs 4:23; Ephesians 3:16-17). The functions of the biblical heart involve your will, emotions, spirit or soul and mind.

To have the heart of Christ is to first of all be born again (Read John 3:1-18; Regeneration).

Second, to have the heart of Christ is learn of His heart as you study His earthly life from (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and the Christ-life (Romans 6-8; Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians) as the Holy Spirit reveals Him to you (John 16:12-15).

While sitting on my back porch meeting with the Lord as I read His Word, the Holy Spirit revealed Christ’s heart to me again. As I began to read Luke 15, a passage of three parables about lost things Jesus used to answer the accusations of the Pharisees, a statement from the Pharisees about Christ spoke to my heart. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives/welcomes sinners and eats with them” (15:2).

Why does Jesus welcome sinners; those who are lost? Luke 19:10 says, For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

At that moment the thought came to me, “The heart of Christ is to receive, to welcome sinners who are broken in their sin, hell-bound and without hope.”

Then I was reminded of Bill Pickel, a man who lived out the heart of Christ, and it could have been said of him, “He received sinners and ate with them.”

During my junior and senior years of college, I served as youth and music leader at a church in upstate South Carolina. Every weekend I would stay at the Pickel’s home. Often he was not home, sometimes arriving back home around 2-3:00 in the morning.

Why? He was out spending time at some local beer joint . . . loving, listening, caring, and sharing with sinners the Good News of Jesus Christ. Sometimes he brought these broken men into his home for a meal or a bed. Many of them he saw humble themselves before the Lord, repent of their sins, and receive Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

Yes, Bill was criticized by the “religious Pharisees” because he had the audacity to found in a beer joint. Nevertheless, Bill chose to live out the Christ-life and “eat with sinners.”

What have you learned about the heart of Christ today as you gazed into His Word? But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18).

What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you today of Christ? How has the Holy Spirit worked in your heart to bear the fruit of Christ through your life (Galatians 5:22-23)? He can do the same in your life as He did in Bill Pickel’s life.

The lyrics of a favorite song in our home when our girls were young said, “Change my heart, O God. Make it ever new. Change my heart, O God, make it more like you.”

Teach Me to Hit a Ball

by Dale, posted in Christian Living, Discipleship, God's Word, Ministry

For years I watched it happen in the back yard of our next door neighbor.

There was Dad patiently, sometimes frustratingly, teach his son and daughter the mechanics of pitching a ball, swinging a bat or fielding a grounder.

There it was . . . discipleship . . . mentorship . . . training in action!

Discipleship is not the latest “buzzword” in Christian circles.

Discipleship describes the Christ-life, who we are as believers in Christ.

Discipleship is a growing, intimate follower of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:9; Philippians 3:10; 2 Peter 3:18) whose passion in life is to help others come to know and follow Christ (Matthew 28:18-20).

But it does not end there. The goal for God’s glory is to see a disciple disciple others; it’s reproduction (1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 2:1-2; Titus 2:1-10; Heb. 3:12-13; 10:24-25).

As I would watch my neighbor teach his kids how to play ball, he was sharing what he had learned from someone else. One day, perhaps, his children will teach others as well.

Today, the local church needs:

  1. Believers living out the Christ-life of discipleship.
  2. Believers who are hungry to grow and change in Christlikeness, willing to meet with others for the purpose of searching the Scriptures and learning to appropriate who we are in Christ in practical ways.

Are you a genuine, passionate follower of Christ?

  • Would you be willing to mentor that young lady who is longing for help in her marriage and blended family situation?
  • Would you be willing to meet with that man who is struggling with a divided heart, wanting to live for Christ but experiencing a strong pull from the world’s allurements?
  • Would you be willing to meet every other week with a man at a restaurant and read through Scripture and/or a book like Disciplines of a Godly Man?
  • Would you be willing to invite a lady into your home to study the Word and then train her how to plan and cook a week of meals for her family?
  • Would you be willing to sit down at a coffee shop with a young man who just graduated from high school who needs encouragement to continue to follow Christ?

Discipleship is hard, supernatural, rewarding work. The needs are great! Every believer should be involved in the lives of others helping them take the next step toward Christ.

Will you pick up the spiritual bat, ball and glove and show someone how to follow Christ? The rewards are eternal!

It’s Friday . . . and Sunday’s Coming!

by Dale, posted in Church, Family, God's Word, Hope, Jesus Christ, Ministry, Pastoring, Prayer, Preaching, Uncategorized

Preacher, are you ready?

May I share three things to encourage you toward Sunday?

1. Prepare your heart

In this atomic age when forces are being released that stagger the thought and imagi­nation of man it is well to remember that prayer transcends all other forces. (F. J. Huegel)

Men, Jesus said, Without me, you can do nothing (John 15:5)! Preparing your heart through prayer is more important than delivering your sermon. Passionate, dependent, scripture-filled prayer says, “Lord, You are able, I am not!”

2. Prepare your message

Men, we have been challenged to Preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:2) since the day we sensed God’s call to the ministry. Those folks who gather to hear you Sunday need hope and to see Christ. Therefore, preach the Word under the control of the Holy Spirit from a heart set on fire by God!

Give the sheep good grain, a message from God’s Word, not just a sermon.

3. Prepare your family

Saturday evening, gather your family together and share what the Lord has taught you and what you will deliver in the message on Sunday. Have them pray for you and with you.

Make your family a vital part of the ministry team!

Preacher, will you be ready?

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily. (Colossians 1:27-29)

The Oasis

by Dale, posted in God's Word, Hope, Journaling, Ministry, Pastoring, Uncategorized

So, how does a pastor fight through the battle that wages a war in his mind on Mondays after giving his all on Sunday? How do you move on through the rest of the week? You go to the Oasis. (If you read my post from Tuesday entitled A Monday, you understand.)

As in all of life, the answer is in the Word of God, the very Word we proclaim to gathered folks every Sunday and during the week. This is the very Word that I need to preach to my own heart rather than listening to my heart. The very Word that set us free from our lost, sinful condition and has placed us secure in Christ. The very Word that reveals the character of God to us. The very Word that is the light in the darkness of our thoughts.

The Word this week has been so penetrating and encouraging to my heart and life. Here’s a sample of the scriptures of which I speak:

This I know, because God is for me.
10 In God (I will praise His word),
In the Lord (I will praise His word),
11 In God I have put my trust;
I will not be afraid. (Psalm 56:9-11)

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:20-23)

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by.

2 I will cry out to God Most High,
To God who performs all things for me.
3 He shall send from heaven and save me; . . .
God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.

7 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise.
8 Awake, my glory!
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.

9 I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the nations.
10 For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth. (Psalm 57:1-3, 7-11)

God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

It now must be said of Jacob
And of Israel, ‘Oh, what God has done!’ (Numbers 23:19, 23)

Each of these passages found their way into my heart and into my journal. They have been my meditation and fresh air; my oasis!

Preachers, may we find that the Word we preach is the same Word that we embrace in our minds, love with our hearts, and soak in our souls!

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. (Psalm 19:9)

A Monday

by Dale, posted in Church, God's Word, Ministry, Pastoring, Preaching, Uncategorized

Mondays can be challenging for pastors as your thoughts include such things as . . .

  • Forgetting to recognize from the pulpit the family with a new baby.
  • Blowing the introduction to your Sunday AM message.
  • Reading the tweet from another pastor who had seven salvation decisions, twelve who became members of the church, plus ten baptisms on Sunday.
  • Feeling like you failed again.
  • My heart wanting to take credit for anything that seemed good and successful.
  • Hearing of a disgruntled church member leaving without coming to talk to you in a spirit of gentleness and meekness.
  • Seeing that empty pew of a family that you have tried to visit for the past three weeks but just haven’t gotten it accomplished.
  • Not communicating the announcements very well.
  • Getting a phone call from a fellow pastor and the first thing he asks is, “How’s your church doing?”
  • How tired and drained you feel mentally, physically and spiritually.
  • Wondering what “Brother or Sister ___________” was thinking when they left the service. Their countenance and posture appeared liked something was bothering them. Was it something I said? Was it something I didn’t do?
  • Would the “grass be greener” somewhere else?

These and many other assorted thoughts run through the minds of pastors everywhere on Monday.

Sunday was a blessed day in many ways where I serve, but the battle in the mind still waged its war. How grateful for the oasis of God’s Word that helps on Mondays to redirect my focus and get my heart right again.

Such was the case yesterday.

While reading Numbers 20, my attention was brought to the fact that Moses had experienced two deaths (Miriam and Aaron), two conflicts (Meribah and Edom) and his own disobedience to God’s command at Kadesh where he struck the rock instead of speaking to the rock. Nevertheless, Moses did not give up. He didn’t quit. He kept on moving forward doing the work of God by faith.

As I read these chapters, the following quote spoke to my heart, The Christian life is a series of new beginnings. It’s always too soon to quit!

“Thank You, Lord, for the testimony of your presence, power, and patience to sustain Moses. Thank You for redirecting my thinking as you reminded me of Your goodness and grace which enables me to ‘take up my rod’ and move forward.”

This I know, that God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.

13 For you have delivered my soul from death,
yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.

(Psalm 56:9b-11a, 13)

From a pastor’s heart,

dale

The Why Questions

by Dale, posted in Death, Eternity, God's Word, Gospel, Grace, Salvation, Uncategorized

Why doesn’t it stop? Why doesn’t God do something? Why does God allow this to happen? And the questions continue.

Today’s thoughts are a follow-up to Tuesday’s blog post, Bob Saget, Covid & Bronx Fire.

The “Why Questions” have been uttered for centuries and many without answer. Interesting enough, if our questions were answered, because of the next day of our lives producing more questions, we would never be satisfied.

Instead of focusing on the answers to the “why,” let’s focus today on the following:

Death is certain. You say with perhaps a look of wonder or a scowl, “Wow! That’s an encouraging first point!” Hebrews 9:27 declares, It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. Man has no power to determine when he is born nor when he dies. Try as hard as you can to survive, the days of your life here on earth are known and determined by God (1 Samuel 2:6; Job 1:21; Psalm 139:16). Since these things are true, you are not ready to live until you are ready to die.

Life is in Christ alone. As I said in the previous post, my heart aches and is grieved by all the sin, tragedies and deaths in the world. I have watched folk die, believers and unbelievers. I have had to console and comfort the broken-hearted. I have preached the funerals of my stillborn daughter, my parents and of friends. The greatest comfort of all is knowing that I will be reunited with these folk in Heaven because of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) and the promises of the Word of God (John 3:16; 14:1-6). Since Christ is life, true life and the assurance of eternal life is only found in Him.

God’s mercy is continually extended. God could have wiped out Covid months ago, but He is permitting it to continue for reasons known only to Him. The same could be said about the Bronx fire and other tragedies. God does not give us explanations. Through each tragedy, He is reminding us of His mercy in giving man an opportunity to consider death, eternity and free gift of salvation through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. As I heard years ago, “The greatest tragedy on earth today is not a tornado destroying your house, or a death in the family or financial loss. The greatest tragedy everyday is that someone died and is in hell because they rejected the person of Jesus Christ.”

Friend, would you click on the verse links and read the following:

Ephesians 2:1-10 – The richness of God’s mercy

Titus 3:4-6 – The mercy of God in salvation

1 Peter 1:2-3 – God’s great mercy

2 Peter 3:9 – God’s mercy displayed

As I said in the previous post, this messed up, sinful world won’t always be this way (Revelation 21:1-4). Today, instead of focusing so much on the why. turn your eyes toward the Who, the mercy of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ! You are not prepared to live until you are prepared to die. Will you spend your eternity in heaven?

Bob Saget, Covid & Bronx Fire

by Dale, posted in Death, Eternity, Faith, Fear, God's Creation, God's Word, Gods' Will, Gospel, Grace, Heaven, Hope, Jesus Christ, Salvation, Sin, Trials, Uncategorized

On the last day of 2021, Bob Saget reflected on the passing of 99 year-old Betty White by saying, “She always said the love of her life was her husband, Allen Ludden, who she lost in 1981. Well, if things work out by Betty’s design — in the afterlife, they are reunited. I don’t know what happens when we die, but if Betty says you get to be with the love of your life, then I happily defer to Betty on this.”

According to worldomenters.info, as of Monday, January 10, 2022, Covid has been the cause of death of 861, 021 people in the USA and 5,511,396 in the world.

Sunday morning, fire broke out in a Bronx, NY, apartment complex killing 17 people. Eight of them were children. “It was absolutely horrific,” Firefighters Association President Andrew Ansbro said. “I talked to many veteran firefighters who said it was the worst fire they had seen in their lives. They were doing CPR on people outside. It was absolutely horrific. Members operated with upmost heroism. Unfortunately, not all fires have a positive outcome. It’s horrible. This fire will be with these members forever.” (abc7ny.com)

This world is filled with suffering and sorrow. It is not supposed to be that way.

Then why so much agony, angst, fear, disappointment, and death?

As God created the universe, He saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day (Genesis 1:31). Upon creating man and woman in His own image (Genesis 1:26) and from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7), He placed them in the Garden of Eden, blessed them, and . . . said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28).

What went wrong?

Sin. God gave man a freewill to choose and being tempted by Satan, he chose to go his own way and plunged the whole world into sin (Genesis 2:8-3:24). Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world (Romans 5:12-13a). You see, the world is totally broken because of sin.

Is there any hope for us? Is there anyone who can forever correct the sin problem? Will it always be this way? My friend, just as the world is completely broken by sin, Jesus is the complete answer for every sin, every wrong, every heartache, and every act of unrighteousness (Romans 5:14-21).

Covid constantly produces fear and reminds us of death. Man, even in his God-given mental capacity, has not figured out how to eradicate this pandemic. Yet, in the midst of it all, I hear these hope-filled words of truth at the tomb of death, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live (John 11:25).

Sadly, mankind will continue to face fatalities due to such things as faulty space heaters and apartment doors that are designed to close in case of fire. Remember, the world is broken. Man cannot produce a perfect environment because we are imperfect creatures due to our sin. But there is hope! For where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 5:20b-21). The answer is the perfect Son of God (John 3:16-17; Ephesians 2:1-10).

Yes, there is immense pain and suffering in this world, and Jesus experienced it all (Isaiah 53; Hebrews 4:14-16). He bore the sin of the whole world, yours and mine (2 Corinthians 5:21), and He rose from the tomb to conquer sin and death (Matthew 28:1-10; Acts 2:24; Revelation 1:18). God wants you to have the security and assurance of eternity in His presence in Heaven (John 14:1-6).

My heart ached as I read Bob Saget’s statement about the afterlife. My friend, you can absolutely know where you are going. You do not need to hope that “things will work out by Betty’s design — in the afterlife.” You must not “happily defer to Betty on this.”

This sinful, broken world won’t always be this way. Please take time to read the scripture passages given above. There is eternal hope (confident expectation based on the promises of God in His Word); there is eternal assurance all found in the person of Jesus Christ. Please defer to Him!

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)

HEADLINES From Heaven

by Dale, posted in Christian Living, Eternity, Faith, Family, God's Word, Heaven, Jesus Christ, Revival, The Bible, Uncategorized

Vaccines, variant dominate headlines

US shoppers shrug off Omicron

Don’t shut down sports again for Covid

Without context, Covid tallies are misleading

These were a few of the headlines and article titles from Monday’s local newspaper.

We have come to the end of the year, We thought by this time we would not be talking about Covid. Yet, here we are, events being cancelled, hospitals at capacity, medical personnel stretched to the limit, fear capturing the minds of millions and more questions than answers abound.

We need some good news; some encouraging, eternal headlines! Absolute truth!

How about these three?

The Lord Reveals His Omnipotence
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
2 “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Now prepare yourself like a man;I will question you, and you shall answer Me.
4 “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:1-7)

Satan Is Defeated
And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven[b] and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:7-10)

God Will Make All Things New
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. (Revelation 21:1-7)

Yesterday morning I read the local newspaper written from human viewpoint and these three passages from the Word of God written, inspired from divine viewpoint (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19-21).

The local paper focused on yesterday, today and the possible future with limited, tainted, incomplete statements. The Word of God focused on yesterday, today and tomorrow with perfect accuracy (Mark 13:31).

The local paper provided a temporal viewpoint. God’s Word gave a transcendent, eternal viewpoint (1 Peter 1:23-24).

The local paper ended up in the trash can when I finished. Who wants to read old papers? My Bible was placed on the shelf to be read again with daily news/truth that settles, establishes, encourages, and enlightens as it points me to Christ (Isaiah 9:6; Luke 24:27; John 20:31; Galatians 3:24) and the fulfillment of all God’s promises (Proverbs 30:5; Isaiah 55:11; 2 Corinthians 1:20; Hebrews 10:23)).

Go back and read the three headlines above with the accompanying “articles” underneath. The eternality of God’s Word is always fresh, compelling, revealing, relevant and true (Psalm 119)!

Today, let the headlines and “articles” from heaven nourish your soul!! That’s the best news!

For the Loves of Your life

by Dale, posted in Christian Living, God's Word, Journaling, Uncategorized

“Journals for the loves of your life.”

Well, this journal definitely nails one of them! “Foodies” would be a good way to describe our family when it comes to enjoying delicious, well-prepared food and good restaurants!! For us holidays, birthdays, and gatherings are all about the food!!!!

As I sit here with my fingers on the keyboard, my mind goes to various eating establishments that were and are bell-ringers such as Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Biltmore Inn Restaurant, Blackbird Bakery, Grove Park Blue Ridge Room, Timberlake’s, Ridgewood, Stoney Knob, Davis Ordinary, etc.

This reminds me why I want to challenge you to keep a journal of your daily walk with Christ. If recording where I enjoyed physical food is important and I want to remember it, how much better is being reminded of those days of spiritual food intake in relationship with Him Who is the Bread of Life (John 10).

Journaling has been an important part of my daily routine for several years. At top of each page, I log the day, date, temperature, weather condition, my running mileage, and/or anything noteworthy about that day. Underneath I record the scripture reading from the yearly reading plan. With a desire for the Lord to open my eyes to see wondrous things from His Word (Psalm 119:18), I record what He highlights. It may be one or two sentences or 1/2 page or more.

Each evening or the next morning, I record some bulleted events of the day. These are fresh reminders of God’s character and the fun of being a believer in Christ.

Once-in-awhile, I will pull down one of my journals from previous years. After scanning through the pages, I am always reminded of the goodness of God!

So, may I encourage you to keep a journal “for the loves of your life” which may include your spiritual walk, your favorite eating places, dates with your spouse, your travels, etc.?

Love the Lord will all heart (Matthew 22:37); love life; and keep track of “the loves of your life.”