Following are articles that have appeared in Weld County newspapers: The Tribune published in Greeley, CO and The Herald-Voice published in Eaton, CO.

Looking for Wisdom in All the Wrong Places (published in The Tribune 2/4/12)

British statesman, W. E. Gladstone, served multiple terms as prime minister of England between 1868 and 1894. He once addressed college students, reflecting the optimistic British outlook of the glory days of the British Empire.

However, one student challenged him, "Sir, are we to understand that you have no anxieties for the future? Gladstone thought for a moment and then replied, "There is one thing that frightens me. I fear that the fear of God seems to be dying out in the minds of men." Clearly his fear was justified.

The Bible says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 9:10). But our culture has pretty much discarded such thinking. Wisdom, after all, is to be found in institutions of higher learning, in the never-ending quest for certainty via experimentation in accordance with scientific methodology. God, if He even exists, has clearly turned us loose to find our own way. To imagine that he is not willing to turn a blind eye to whatever slight foibles we may have is to live in the Dark Ages.

But suppose for just a moment that there is a world of unseen realities that cannot be tapped by our five senses. Many physicists now posit based on string theory equations that there may be ten dimensions or more of reality, far exceeding those of our material space/time continuum. So, let us suppose that God does exist and that He is indeed the one who authored the words of Hebrews 9:27, . . . it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. Then what?

Then, I think we could agree that someone who knew everything there is to know about the material universe every chemical compound, every physics equation, every mathematical formula, everything material but who denied any reality beyond his discernment would not be very wise after all, would we not?

And if the God who is perfect in holiness and who created both the seen and the unseen were actually going to hold him morally accountable, then clearly the fear of the Lord would be the beginning of wisdom. Other knowledge would pale by comparison.

In a previous life as an executive at Motorola, I was once hosted by the Chief of Police in Macau, a small Portuguese protectorate off the mainland of China not far from Hong Kong. Gambling was a major industry in Macau, so the Chief was anxious to show us the operation of the largest casino in Macau. The visit was fascinating.

But what struck me most was the reaction to our entrance. The establishment was abuzz with the noise and activity one would expect in such a place. Yet the moment this slightly built, unimposing man entered the building, the buzz subsided to a whisper. Instantaneously a Red Sea of bodies parted to create a path across the main floor. Nervous faces watched our every move. He merely pointed to someone who was immediately taken into custody. Fear of the Chief was evident in every corner of the room.

As I reflect on that experience I wonder why we find it so easy to fear a mortal man, but so difficult to fear the God who made both and holds eternity in His hands. Jesus himself warned that we should not fear the one who can merely destroy the body, but rather the One who can destroy both body and soul (Matt 10:28).

Doesnt God deserve at least a real, open-minded look? Would one be foolish to fear the One to whom we are accountable, but who is also the most loving Being in the Universe waiting only for a sign from us acknowledging that we need and want Him to create a permanent relationship?

Might that not indeed be the beginning of wisdom?

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton/Ault (www.eatoncc.org)

The Fine Art of Diversion (published in The North Weld Herald/Voice 2/2/12)

While on a road trip, an elderly couple stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. Forty-five minutes after resuming their drive, the wife realized she had left her glasses behind. Her husband, who tended toward grouchiness in the best of conditions, was not happy!

He complained and scolded his wife relentlessly on the whole return trip. The more he chided, the madder he got. The wife was greatly relieved when they finally reached back at the restaurant. As she got out of the car and hurried inside to retrieve her glasses, the old geezer yelled after her, While youre in there, you might as well get my coat and credit card!

Im afraid Ive been that guy more times than I want to admit. The truth is we all see the foibles of others much more clearly than we see our own. Weve been in cover-up mode ever since the Garden of Eden when Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. God, of course, was not fooled.

One of the easiest ways to cover up is to divert attention away from our own issues and onto someone elses. Its a lot easier to look outward than to look inward. Far easier to point out someone elses faults. Its the fine art of diversion. And it alienates us from both God and man.

Jesus says, Why do you see the speck that is in your brothers eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? . . . You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brothers eye (Matt 7:3-5).

That is a lot harder than it sounds. True self-evaluation can be a devastating experience. The thought of peeling back the layers of rationalization that protect our ego is frightening. And yet, it is the first step toward not only healing relationships with others, but also with a holy, but gracious God.

It is only when we stand naked before Him in humble recognition of our own inability to meet our own standards, let alone His, that we are at last prepared to accept His forgiveness as the free gift that it is, without trying to add any merit of our own to the process.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the editors of The Times of London asked several eminent writers to contribute pieces under the theme Whats wrong with the world? The most profound reply came from theologian G. K. Chesterton who replied, Dear Sirs, I am. Sincerely yours, G. K. Chesterton.

Chestertons answer reflects someone who was willing to pay the price to get to the right, and only, starting point for removing alienation, both with God and others. Its a steep price, but it is eternally worth paying.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave www.eatoncc.org

Xenophobia and the Message of Christmas (published in The Tribune 12/24/11)

To many people, the Enlightenment explained God away and yet an almost universal worship of some Supreme Being persisted. The question was, Why?

Freud claimed that mankind is terrified of death, yet nature is stupifyingly indifferent. There is no consideration of persons by tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, fire or cancer.

To compensate, says Freud, mankind defied the effects of nature, creating god(s) to appeal to for mercy. This provided illusionary relief from randomness through worship, bribery, flattery, begging or other manipulative techniques. Per Freud, religion, including Christianity, is thus born from fear of nature and death.

In Mark 4:35-41we find Christ confronting nature. After a long day Jesus asks His disciples to take Him to the other side of the lake. They shove off and He immediately falls asleep in the stern.

But nature intervenes. A fierce windstormcauses even these seasoned fishermen to fear for their lives confirmation of Freuds analysis that we fear nature. They awaken Jesus; He rebukes the wind with Peace, be still, and calm immediately prevails. So the disciples fall all over themselves expressing their gratitude, right?

Well, not quite. Two almost inexplicable things happen. First, their fright level, which already registers 10 fear of death goes even higher! But more astounding, the focus of their fear moves from natureto Christ. They suddenly see His otherness and are scared beyond death. What kind of person commands nature? They have no category for Him.

Xenophobia is the fear of foreigners or strangers. Theologian, R. C. Sproul comments: What was experienced in that boat that night was xenophobia with a vengeance! And at the heart of His alien character was His perfection. They were in dread fear of His holiness.

Question: If Freud was right, and mankind in general and Christians in particular have made up their own god to protect from nature, would they have made up a god whom they fear more than nature?

At the Kemper Open golf tournament one year, Billy Graham was paired with the US President, Jack Nicklaus, and a PGA star player. As they finished, the pro, who had played badly, was asked by a friend how he liked playing with the President and Billy Graham. He replied that he didnt appreciate having Billy Graham shove religion down my throat! Then he retreated to the range to hammer away at golf balls.

He later admitted that Billy Graham hadnt said a single word about religion or Christ. His personal frustration had boiled over in a reaction of dread and resentment at the holiness that Graham represented.

Study the life of Christ carefully. You will find nothing there to support the idea that He is a made-up god. But you will find everything to suggest that those who knew Him most intimately lived in fear and awe of the holiness He represented. It led His enemies to kill Him, the most innocent man who ever lived.

But while His holiness drives our sense of unworthiness and xenophobia, that same holiness equipped Him to do what He came to do in the first place to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). His perfect life made our ransom possible.

Christmas is God answering mans need for control over nature and death but for real, not as a placebo. Christmas is when we, ravaged by the guilt of a brokenness we cannot control, throw ourselves on His mercy and hear, Peace, be still. Christmas is me getting to be what He is because He became what I am!

A letter to Groucho Marx from his banker ended with the standard, If I can be of any service to you, do not hesitate to call. Marx wrote back, Dear Sir, the best thing you can do to serve me is to steal some money from the account of some rich client and credit it to mine. Exactly what God has done in Christ only He didnt steal it; He paid for it.

Paul summed it up in II Cor 5:21, For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Accept His gift, and have a Merry Christmas!

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton/Ault (www.eatoncc.org)

Born to Live to Die (published in The North Weld Herald/Voice 12/22/11)

As the man pulled the small boy out of a hole in the ice, he asked, How did you come to fall in? I didnt come to fall in, the boy gasped, I came to skate.

It is good to have a strong sense of purpose. That was actually one of the things that most dramatically characterized the life of Christ. He knew what Christmas was about. He was born to die.

His earthly father was told concerning His mother before He was born, She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins (Matt 1:21).

How would He save people from their sins? Jesus knew. He says in John 10:15, I lay down my life for the sheep. . . .For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.

Paul made it crystal clear in I Cor 15:3, For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. According to Hebrew 9:26 Christ put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

He was born to die to die for the sins of all who would believe in Him. He referenced his own death many times during His earthly ministry and was very direct with His disciples leading up to the event, though they simply could not accept it at the time. He was born to die.

But, heres a surprise. We were also born to die! We find that in John 12. Jesus had no sooner ridden into Jerusalem six days before his death than a contingent of Greeks wanted to see Him. Philip and Andrew introduced them to Jesus, but without so much as a Hello, Jesus commented, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Jesus is almost brutally blunt here. You want to see me? Well, I am about to die and so must you. Your worldly ambition and rebellion must go. You can have no God but me. You must die to self.

But, if you will do so die to self then you can really live! You will gain eternal life. Thats worth more than the world could ever offer. And it all comes from repentance (renouncing self) resulting in remission of sins purchased by His death and resurrection. Jesus came to save sinners.

The great church father, Augustine, was renowned for his licentious lifestyle in his early years. Guilt plagued him to the point that he prayed, Lord, make me chaste but not yet! It was not an honest prayer.

But God eventually got through to him. He gave up self in exchange for Christ. So when an old flame saw him on the streets one day and called out, Augustine, it is I. It is I, he replied, Yes, but it is not I."

How about you this Christmas? Is it you or is it Christ? He came for a purpose. He came for you.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave www.eatoncc.org

The Best Seller That Nobody Reads (published in The Tribune 11/12/11)

Two congressmen had a heated argument. One said, Ill bet $25 you dont know the first words of the Constitution! Just watch, the other replied. I pledge allegiance to the United States . . . The first congressman confessed, I didnt think youd know it, and handed over $25.

Thats rather like the knowledge most of us have of the Bible -- second-hand and badly garbled at best.

We are like the new pastor who visited Sunday school one morning to see how the students were doing. He asked, Who knocked down the walls of Jericho? Timmy answered, It sure wasnt me, Pastor. The pastor eyed the teacher who replied, Now, Pastor, Timmy doesnt tell lies. If he says he didnt do it, he didnt do it. Thoroughly disappointed, the pastor took the matter to the church board. After due consideration, they recommended: We see no point in making an issue of this incident. The board will pay damages to the wall and charge it off to vandalism.

The truth is, its easy to miss the beautiful multi-faceted presentation of the greatest message ever the message of hope in Jesus Christ.

Jesus, Himself, on the day of His resurrection, met two disciples returning home in despair, their hopes having been dashed by His death. They didnt recognize Him right off. Too busy hanging their heads, I suppose. So, He said, Look guys, its me. Jesus. Im alive. See my face. See the scars. Its me! Im back! Thats what I would have done! But, remarkably, its not what Jesus did.

Jesus preached a sermon. What a sermon it must been. Luke tells us, And he said to them, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself (Luke 24:25-27). The message of the Bible? Its Jesus -- and how through His life, death and resurrection He provides salvation that cant be earned or found any other way. Its a precious message of Gods love exemplified in His own Son.

And its a living message. These disciples, after they recognized Jesus, later report, Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures? (Luke 24:32). When seriously pursued, the Word burns its way into our very existence with living power.

Chuck Colson tells of a young man who was called out of a Prison Fellowship Bible study at the Delaware State Prison. Fearing the worst, he was taken before a judge who unexpectedly told him, Young man, Ive been reading your records. Ive decided to reduce your sentence to time served. Youre free to go. Good luck. The young man was speechless for a moment but then he said, Thank you, your Honor. But, sir, can I stay in prison for the rest of the week to finish the Bible study Ive been in. Hard to believe, but thats the power of the Word once we get into it and let it get into us.

The English poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning married her colleague, Robert Browning, over the strong disapproval of her parents. Weekly thereafter, Elizabeth wrote letters to them seeking a reconciliation. One day, after ten long years, a box arrived in the mail. She opened it, and to her dismay found every letter she had written to her parents. Not one of them had ever been opened.

Rather like the average of 4.5 Bibles that sit in American homes. Best sellers that nobody reads. Love letters from a gracious Creator -- powerless to transform broken lives because they are unwanted, unappreciated, and unopened. How will we ever explain that to Him?

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton/Ault (www.eatoncc.org)

Coram Deo (published in The Herald-Voice 11/2/11)

I vividly remember Mom asking, Just what is the big idea, young man? It wasnt really a question. It was an accusation. She was challenging me to justify some ill-advised behavior, knowing full well that I had no justification.

Over time, such incidents served to remind me that all of life is lived Coram Deo in the presence of God or before the face of God. Mom and Dad eventually released me from their authority but, as it turns out, only to an infinitely greater accountability.

Most of us hate the very idea of accountability. Any excuse in a pinch will do. Like the young man who dented a parked car while trying to park his own. The accident report asked, What could the operator of the other vehicle have done to avoid the accident? His response: He could have parked somewhere else!

Worst case, we willingly fall back on the excuse, Im only human. God will overlook a couple of indiscretions. He owes it to me for all the other stuff Ive done right. Like the guy who got a letter from the bank that said, Your account appears to be overdrawn. He wrote back, Please write again when youre absolutely certain.

It turns out, God is already certain. He wants no surprises on that day a few years from now when we give account to Him. His verdict is, All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Not some, but all. When measured against the glory of God, we all come up short.

How we would like to ignore that fact. C. S. Lewis, who became the leading Christian apologist of the 20^th century, tried that tact. After his mothers death, his father sent him to boarding school where he gave up Christianity out of a desire to do his own thing call his own shots. He called God the Great Interferer and convinced himself that God did not exist because he realized that Gods existence would mean accountability.

His actions are reminiscent of an old John Lennon song, Imagine. It begins, Imagine theres no heaven. Its easy if you try. No hell below us. Above us only sky. Unfortunately, imagining will not make it so. Years later, Lewis came to that realization. To the best of my knowledge, Lennon never did.

There is actually something far better than imagining. The same God to whom we are all accountable, in recognition of our dilemma, has made a provision at the cost of His own Son. The Apostle Paul describes the option this way: We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (II Cor. 5:20-21).

Coram Deo is a reality of life. But we have a choice as to how we look to Him. We can live before His face in our own broken, short-fallen condition. Or we can live before Him covered by the perfect righteousness of Christ. Its our choice.

And what we choose will probably determine whether we see God as the Great Interferer or as a loving heavenly Father worthy of all praise and worship and glory. Coran Deo!

By His Grace, Pastor Dave, www.eatoncc.org

Infinitely Significant (published in The Tribune 10/1/11)

Joe was on his deathbed. But the aroma of his wifes strudel baking in the kitchen roused him. He asked daughter Mary to bring a sample of the pastry he had loved for 70 years. Mary soon returned -- empty handed. Joe asked, Mary, where is the strudel? Mary replied, Mom says you cant have any. Its for after your funeral.

Sometimes the world has a way of making us feel insignificant, does it not? Life can beat us down.

We start with high hopes a sense of destiny and a confidence that we can, with determination and hard work, make a name for ourselves. Get to the top somehow. Leave a mark.

Then reality intrudes. A promising career stalls. Relationships sour or at least never quite deliver what we had hoped. Age and ill health sap us of energy and drive. Limitations impose themselves from every direction.

We begin to question what we have really accomplished. Our family loves us, but they sort of have to! When we consider that we dont even know the names of our ancestors more than a couple of generations removed, we realize that it wont be long before we are equally forgotten. At best a name on a family tree. Insignificant.

We dont consider the one thing that gives extraordinary significance to every life ever lived. The Bible teaches that sin has rendered us, individually and as a race, a twisted remnant of what an omnipotent God originally created. Our brokenness is seen in the fact that we cannot even meet our own expectations of ourselves, let alone His holy standard.

Yet that same Creator became one with us and died for us to redeem us from our fallen condition.

Try to absorb that! God died for you and me. The mind can hardly compute it. That one act alone assigns infinite worth to every life. God has put a value on each of us that is through the roof incalculable.

Josh McDowell, one of todays leading Christian apologists, tells how he became a Christian during his college years. He was a skeptic, and some Christian friends challenged him to disprove the claims of Christianity. He dedicated months to the task, doing research that later became the basis for his groundbreaking book, Evidence That Demands a Verdict. He became a convinced believer.

He was asked once by a student at a university where he was speaking why he had not been able to intellectually refute Christianity. He replied, For a very simple reason. I was not able to explain away an event in history the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

But McDowell went on to clarify that it was not the evidence he compiled that led to his commitment to Christ. All it did was get my attention, he explained. It was kind of like I slammed the door on God, and God put His foot in the door to get my attention. He began to check out the message of the Bible, and he found Jeremiah 31:3, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness.

McDowell comments on the impact of that verse: What brought me to Christ was the love of God, not the evidence. The evidence showed me what was true. What motivated my belief was the realization I had that Saturday night in my dorm room: If I were the only person alive, Jesus would still have died for me. Thats what brought me to Christ.

Imagine! If you were the only person alive, Jesus would have died for you. That demonstrates beyond doubt your significance to Him. The question is: have you made Him significant to you by acknowledging and accepting His gift of eternal life?

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton/Ault (www.eatoncc.org)

Where a Man Belongs (published in The Herald-Voice 8/25/11)

A little girl is about to bite into an apple when Mom yells, Stop! "Why?" she asks. "It may have pesticides that havent been washed off yet." The girl looks at her mother with total admiration and asks, "How do you know all this stuff?" Thinking quickly, Mom replies, "Its on the mommy test. You have to know it, or they dont let you be a mommy." The daughter ponders this for a couple of minutes and then says, "I get it! Then if you flunk, you have to be the daddy!"

Cultural message received loud and clear -- Dad is a dufus! Fifty years ago, he was a pillar of society, but we have long since discovered that Dad is as dumb as a rock. Movies, television, and commercials, all play Dad as a well-intentioned but impossibly out-of-touch presence to be placated and then ignored.

The response of many husbands and fathers has been to grab a drink, adjourn to the couch, turn on the TV and tune out. This includes many ostensibly Christian husbands who have abdicated any spiritual responsibility on their way out the door to whatever work or sporting activity gets them off the hook.

But, is this Gods plan? If spiritual leadership is solely the purview of wives and mothers, why are there twice as many instructions to fathers as to mothers in the book of Proverbs? Why did God address parental instructions specifically to fathers in the NT (Eph 6:4; Col 3:21)? Why is the husband specifically identified as the head of the home (Eph 5:23; I Cor 11:3)? The truth is, there is no support in Gods Word for spiritual abdication on the part of Dad.

A godly man sets the moral and spiritual tone for his family by his example. He does not outsource the spiritual development of his children to his wife and the church. He does not opt for football and hobbies over church. He is there spiritually.

Spiritual development is a joint parental effort, but leadership from Gods perspective devolves onto Dad. Countless mothers have had to fill in for an absentee father. But that whole scene emasculates Christian faith in the eyes of the children. No wonder they are leaving the faith after high school at the rate of 70-80%, depending on which survey you favor. If its not real to us, it will never be real to them.

Dr. John Piper puts it bluntly in his book, Desiring God: A famous cigarette billboard pictures a curly-headed, bronze-faced, muscular macho man with a cigarette hanging out the side of his mouth. The sign says, Where a man belongs. That is a lie. Where a man belongs is at the bedside of his children, leading in devotion and prayer. Where a man belongs is leading his family to the house of God. Where a man belongs is up early and alone with God seeking vision and direction for his family.

Really, our choices are clear. We can take Gods challenge be spiritual leaders however imperfectly, however haltingly, however unfamiliar it may be to us or we can quit, turn tail and run.

Need some help? Some encouragement? Want to rub shoulders with some other guys who are taking the challenge? Heres an opportunity. Mens Fraternity starts again on Thursday, September 15, at 6:00 am at the First Congregational Church. Mens Fraternity is a community, as opposed to church, program. All are welcome. Breakfast is provided and we will embark on a 16-week journey called Winning at Work and Home. Fifteen guys completed The Quest for Authentic Manhood last year. Were looking for more this year. Come and join us. You wont regret it.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave, www.eatoncc.org

Dear John (published in The Tribune 8/20/2011)

A fellow goes a psychiatrist and says, Doctor, I dont know whats wrong with me. Nobody will talk to me. My employees dont talk to me, my children dont talk to me, my wife doesnt talk to me why will no one talk to me? The psychiatrist says, Next!

That would be brutal, wouldnt it? Yet, there are a lot of people who feel just that lonely though surrounded by others.

Naturally, thats an opportunity for us who claim to be Christ-followers. Befriending someone who feels left out and alone is a means of ministry available to all, one that should be part of a true Christian life.

But what if you are that lonely person? Maybe no one knows, but thats you. Your heart is yearning for companionship, but everyone seems to be saying, Next?. What can you do?

A partial solution is to make yourself available to others. Strategize! Dorothy Parker, well-known literary figure in the early 20^th century, once found herself in a small, dingy cubbyhole office in the Metropolitan Opera House building in NYC. Feeling depressed that no one ever came to see her, she had the sign painter remove her name from her door and replace it with GENTLEMEN! You have to admire her creativity.

Less drastic measures might entail seeking involvement in local social clubs (for reading, hiking, sporting activities, etc.), political organizations, church, or other places where people gather.

Even better, find ways to serve others. Service organizations abound, and always need volunteers. In one sense, loneliness is a preoccupation with self, and serving others is a beneficial way to re-channel a destructive self-absorption into a productive other-orientation.

But there is another often-overlooked possibility to explore. The Bible introduces a God who seeks relationship with His fallen creation. This is not driven by any sense of need on His part, but by His decision to love us.

Peter explains that Gods patience with our failures, and the fact that He delays judgment, is a constant invitation to enter into a relationship with him: The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance (II Pet 3:8).

What does this have to do with loneliness? Simply this. It is one of the many methods that God uses to nudge us toward Himself. He knows the human heart can ultimately only be satisfied by Him, and so seeking God belongs at the top of the How to address loneliness list.

James tells us in 2:23 how this can happen: And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousnessand he was called a friend of God. Isnt that a great title? Friend of God! And its available to anyone who like Abraham will accept the gift of salvation that God offers on the basis of the death and resurrection of Christ to all who believe.

Proverbs 18:24 says, A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. That first phrase reminds us that human companionship is not perfect. It brings to mind the trapeze artist, flying through the air and reaching out to the partner who has always been there, only to see a note on the other just-out-of-reach trapeze that reads, Dear John, Theres no easy way to tell you this . . . Human relationships all fail eventually at death if not sooner. Be prepared.

But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Why not let Him adopt you? Hes willing. And He will never leave you or forsake you.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave, www.eatoncc.org

Eliminating Enemies (published in The Herald-Voice 7/27/11)

Wouldn't it be nice if everyone saw life correctly as we do? Wouldn't that be great? But of course, they don't. And so we encounter a lot of difficult people, people who become irritants and perhaps even enemies. People who are different.

How do we deal with these people? Avoid them? Find another job? Undermine their credibility? Were driven to find some way to eliminate them from our lives, are we not?

David Platt in his book Radical, describes meeting with the leadership of one church to describe how the Lord was using various efforts to help poor and impoverished people in the US and abroad. He told how they were responding to the gospel as well as efforts to help them improve their lot in life.

He paused for a response, thinking the leaders would share his excitement. Instead, one deacon leaned forward in his chair and said, "David, I think its great you are going to those places. But if you asked me, I would just as soon God annihilate all those people and send them to hell." Is it possible that weve reached the same conclusion with regard to difficult people in our lives?

Here is Jesuss comment: But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. . . . If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them (Luke 6:27-28).

Christ always sets the bar high, doesn't He? Love those who hate us? Tough assignment.

But what if we could actually get our arms around that command? What if rather than some grudgingly half-hearted effort that fails the first time our enemy continues to spit in our eye we could really embrace it? What if we determined to cause amazement by an unexpectedly gracious response?

Wade Boggs, the former Boston Red Sox Hall-of-Fame third baseman, used to be peppered with obscenities by one particularly vociferous fan at Yankee Stadium. The guy had a box seat close to the field and no insult was too profane for his use.

One day the routine started early, during warm-ups. Boggs decided he had had enough. He walked directly over to the man who was surrounded by his mocking friends and asked, Hey, fella, are you the guy who is always yelling at me? The man replied, Yeah, its me. What you gonna do about it? Boggs just took a new baseball out of his pocket, autographed it, tossed it to the man and went back to his pre-game routine. The man never yelled at Boggs again.

Sure, it is not always that easy. And often it will cost a lot more at least in terms of swallowed pride or vengeance. On the other hand, wouldnt we like to see amazement on the face of an enemy, knowing that we put it there in the name of Christ? Jesus said, But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

Still want to eliminate enemies? Then try this. Just days after Appomattox, Abraham Lincoln received a hot-blooded contingency of former die-hard rebels. His gentle, friendly manner thawed the ice and gave them a new respect for Lincoln. But a northern congressman who was present excoriated Lincoln for befriending the enemy. He suggested they should have been executed as the traitors they were. Lincolns wise response was totally in character: Am I not destroying my enemies by making them my friends?

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton/Ault (www.eatoncc.org)

Extreme Security (published in The Tribune 7/9/11)

Ill get hit, Sara objected as Bo urged that they move to lower seats at a ballgame in Houston last July. Bo assured her, No way. Ill catch anything coming our way.

They were barely seated when a hard foul ball was hit right at them. In fairness, Bo did stand up to catch it, but he lost it in the lights and ducked. Sara got it -- hard enough to leave the imprint of the balls stitches on her arm.

Television interviews followed, including a trip to New York for the morning shows. Bo was tagged Bailing Bo for his bailout. And Sara? Well -- she and Bo are no longer an item. He failed the protection test.

Everybody wants security. We insure against disaster. We buckle up. We head to the doctor at the first sign of anything unusual. Never can tell. You know what happened to Joe when he waited.

And laws! Were obsessed with protecting the innocent and the ignorant. Every time some unprecedented act of stupidity injures the perpetrator, we get a new law protecting the rest of us.

I thought we hit rock bottom when Stella Liebeck sued MacDonalds for serving hot coffee and was awarded $2.86 million in 1994. But now I see a celebrity is suing E-Trade for $100 million for a Super Bowl ad naming a milk-aholic baby Lindsay (the celebrity's first name). And you thought there was a law against frivolous lawsuits!

The desire for security is insatiable despite the fact that we all know there are no guarantees in this life.

Or are there? I find awesome promises in the Bible. Psalm 91:9-10 says, Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place, the Most High, who is my refuge, no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. Heb 13:5, Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. The list promising security and protection is long.

The qualifier? The promises are for people who have established a relationship with God through faith in Christ. They are for believers.

So, Christians can never be touched, right? Well, not exactly. Jesus promises His followers in Luke 21:17-18, You will be hated by all for my names sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. So how is it that 10 of his closest associates who had this promise later suffered martyrdom? What gives?

Well, its an issue of our spiritual near-sightedness vs. Gods 20/20 eternal perspective. We get a glimpse of it in the book of Job where were told God put a hedge around this man of faith just like He promises to every believer. For His greater purposes, God lifted that hedge for a time albeit still with limitations of His own making.

That account illustrates that Gods protection doesnt guarantee our absolute physical safety. It actually guarantees something even better. It guarantees that nothing can touch believers ever that God does not allow for our good and His glory.

Vance Havner once said, Faith will not always get for us what we want, but it will get what God wants us to have." Thats far better than a full-coverage insurance policy.

A tourist capsized his boat off Key West. He clung to the overturned boat for fear of alligators. He was relieved when a passing beachcomber assured him there had been no gators there for years. The tourist began a leisurely swim toward shore, but about half-way in he asked the old man, Say, howd you get rid of the gators, anyway? We didnt do anything, the old man said. The sharks got em. Oh, oh!

Want real protection? Its only found in one place: I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton/Ault (www.eatoncc.org

Good Time Christianity (published in The Herald-Voice, 6/16/11)

A tomcat and a tabby are courting on the back fence. He leans over and says, "Id die for you, you beautiful thing." She eyes him coyly and asks, "How many times?" Great question. Are you for real, or are you just another paper tiger?

Bizarre as it sounds, that question is at the heart of true Christian commitment.

We think were Christians because Mom and Dad were. Weve been confirmed and still get to church when its convenient.

Weve been baptized, and even served on a committee or two. Got a Bible somewhere around the house with our name imprinted on it. Sure is nice to be a Christian, especially since it doesnt interfere with anything in our real life.

We did cringe a little that time the Bible reading was I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth (Rev 3:15-16). But it turned out to be from Revelation and no one knows what that book is about anyway!

Somehow, we convince ourselves that our prayerless, faithless, devotionless, costless, lifeless Christianity is okay because Jesus loves everybody, doesnt He? Good time Christians.

So what do we do with His own words: If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. Will you die to self daily? By His definition, are we really Christian?

Jill Briscoe tells of being in an airport waiting for a flight on September 11, 2001. As news of the days disaster began to filter in, she noticed a young woman soldier sitting nearby. With each new snippet of news her distress increased until she began to cry. Jill approached to ask if she could be of any help. The young woman acknowledged her growing fear. Anticipating what might happen she said, I didnt join the army to go to war.

I worry that many of us are like that with Christ. We want the saving, but not the war. We want the benefits, but not the commitment. We want His death for us, but have no intention of dying to self for Him. It raises the question of whether we are really a Christian at all or just another paper tiger.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave, www.eatoncc.org

The Pursuit of Happiness(published in The Tribune 5/28/11)

One Superbowl winning quarterback and ESPN commentator has a way with words. His second wife divorced him in December, 1994. At the hearing her lawyer alleged that when she asked her husband why he had an affair he replied, God wants me to be happy. Apparently God was less concerned about his wife!

No doubt God wanted that man to be happy just as He desires the happiness of all of His creation. But what that quarterback had experienced was not happiness. He had experienced the pleasures of sin for a season. You don't get happiness by breaking Gods commandments. You get it by keeping His commandments.

True happiness is hard to come by. Like humility, the harder you pursue it, the more elusive it is. There's a reason for that. Happiness was never intended to be the goal of life; it is a by-product.

The Bible never says, Be happy; it often says, Be holy. For example, Leviticus 11:44: Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. Jesus speaks similarly in Matthew 5:48: You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Its a theme throughout the Bible.

Perhaps the most interesting appeal to holiness comes in Ephesians 5 where God instructs on marriage. If there is any human relationship aimed at happiness, it is marriage, is it not? We all know that people get married for love and expect the euphoria to continue. Happiness is the goal of marriage, right?

Well, God has an interesting take on that. He beautifully weaves teaching about Christ and the church into lessons for marriage in Ephesians 5:25-26, Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might make her happy?

Well not quite! Christ gave himself up for the church that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

The emphasis is all on holiness. That, and not happiness, is Gods focus for every marriage and for every life. Most marriages founder on this very point. Its fascinating that when marriage, or life in general, is made to be about happiness, failure is almost inevitable; when it is about holiness, happiness is an almost inevitable by-product.

Of course, talking about holiness is political suicide these days. We quickly tune it out. Were like the elderly gentleman who asked his doctor if he might live to be 100. Do you smoke or drink? asked the doctor. Never. Do you gamble or chase women. No, sir, the man replied. Well, then, the doctor asked, why do you want to live to be 100?! Like the quarterback, we equate happiness with the pleasure of sin!

Far different was Davids take on things. Psalm 112:1: Blessed (happy) is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! Or Psalm 119:47: And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved. To David it wasn't just keeping a bunch of rules. It was getting to know the God behind the rules, and he wanted that relationship more than anything.

C. S. Lewis once commented to an American friend, How little people know who think that holiness is dull. When one meets the real thing, . . . it is irresistible. If even 10% of the worlds population had it, would not the whole world be converted and happy before a years end? Without a doubt, the impact would be dramatic. You don't get happiness by breaking Gods commandments. You get it by keeping them.

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton and Ault (www.eatoncc.org)

What Happened to James? (published in The Tribune 4/16/11)

Two boys were smoking out behind the garage. One said to the other, "I almost wish wed get caught. Mom always thinks youre so good!"

Following in the footsteps of an overachieving elder sibling is no fun. But forget overachiveing. How about following perfection?

Thats what happened to James. And the effect was toxic. James was the younger half-brother of Jesus.

He is first identified when people in Jesus hometown of Nazareth are stunned at the ministry of someone theyve known for 30 years as a laborer: Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? And they took offense at him (Mark 6:3).

Amazingly, Jesus family was equally offended: Then he went home (to Capernaum where he had moved, a few miles NE of Nazareth) and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, He is out of his mind (Mark 3:20-21, ESV).

Out of his mind?! Isnt that an interesting reaction? Jesus family attempted an intervention! They thought He was wacko. They preferred He stick to carpentry. Perhaps they took secret satisfaction from seeing people take offense at Jesus after all those years of following perfection?

Their feelings were unquestionably deep-seated. Six months before his crucifixion, James is among those actively urging Jesus to go to Jerusalem where they knew death threatened. John tells us So his brothers said to him, Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. . . . If you do these things, show yourself to the world. For not even his brothers believed in him (John 7:3-5).

They didnt believe in Him, and yet they urged his public presence where His life was at risk. It doesnt take a genius to read between those lines, does it? They preferred His death to His embarrassing them further. That was James, short months before Jesus death.

But fast forward seven months shortly after Jesus death. Acts 1:14: All these (Jesus disciples) with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. What happened to James? What in the world happened?

And, of course, the answer is, the resurrection happened. Jesus had died, for the sins of mankind according to Scripture. But James was eyewitness to the fact that the grave could not hold Him. James -- who knew Jesus as well as any earthly human being had met the risen Lord.

James soon became a follower of Christ, then the leader of the burgeoning church in Jerusalem a church where everyone was called Christian in honor of his perfect older brother.

Ive always wondered what it was like for James. Jesus own followers could not initially believe He was resurrected. What must it have been for James -- a total skeptic? What must have been his reaction when he met his risen brother face to face?! One can only imagine.

One thing is sure -- it changed his life. Jesus death and bodily resurrection is always about transformed lives. If given a chance by faith, He can transform any life. I hope that He is transforming yours.

Some people still like to write off the resurrection as myth or fairytale. I say, Ask James. Did I mention -- tradition tells us that James got a nickname. This hardened old realist became known as Old Camel Knees because of the time spent on his knees in prayer to his Lord and Savior that perfect brother he had so despised.

The gospel message is real. Ask James. Transformed lives what Easter is all about.

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton and Ault (www.eatoncc.org)

Who Are You? (published in The Herald-Voice, 3/31/11)

A sign in a Paris hotel read, "Please leave your values at the front desk." Slight translation error! But so reflective of many of us when no one is looking. At such times we subscribe to the Oscar Wilde philosophy: The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.

In such instances, we convince ourselves that such behavior is an aberration. That is not who we really are. We are really the face we present to the world at large. We are the image that we foster, not the law we break. We believe that we are our reputation.

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Want to know who you really are? Track what you do and think when no one is looking. When you are all alone. That is who you really are.

Who are we really? We are what we view on our computer when no one else is looking. We are how we act when away from home and no one knows us. We are what we say when theres no one to hold us accountable. We are what we would do if all constraints were off. That is who we really are.

We think that because we hold a value we are willing to violate when no one is looking that we are the value. In fact, we are the violation! We have just proven that our values are for demonstration not from the heart.

Which is why we need new hearts. The Bible teaches that we were all broken in Adams fall. We all need redemption, cleansing, forgiveness, a new heart. In confessing his sin with Bathsheba, David pleaded in Psalm 51:10, Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. He couldnt do it himself; neither can we. New hearts are creations of God in response to repentance.

God promises in I John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Hes done all the work; we have only to repent to receive a clean heart.

The mother with a deaf 16-year-old took a sign language class for parents. Parents were taught a few swear words so they could be aware if their youngsters were using bad language. One day in animated conversation with her daughter, she tested the girl by flashing a couple of swear words. The daughter looked shocked, then quickly flashed back, Go wash my hands with soap!

Has your heart been washed by the cleansing soap of the blood of Christ? God describes the result in II Cor 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. So, who are you? A new creation? Or the same old rationalizing you? New is better!

By His Grace, Pastor Dave, www.eatoncc.org

Time to Decide (published in The Tribune, 3/5/11)

Years ago a graduate student at CSU began calling nearby Air Force bases looking for old missile silos to conduct some cosmic-ray experiments. While calling a base in Wyoming, he forgot to dial the area code and unknowingly got a wrong number. When the phone was answered, he asked to speak to the commander. There was a long pause before he heard the man on the other end holler, Honey, its for you!

To me that depicts all too well a modern society where all too often men are passing on any meaningful leadership at home. Real men bring home the bacon, but they can take a pass on most of the child-rearing activities. Its for sure that real men dont do the Bible. And real men dont need God.

Is it any wonder, then, that our children think church is just for women and kids? Is it possible that this attitude has anything to do with the fact that something like 70% of young people leave church behind when they leave home?

I find this interesting because it is so contrary to what the Bible teaches. It is informative that when God set out to remind us of our parental responsibilities, He addressed Fathers (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21). This did not leave mothers out. Reference to the wise instruction of both mothers and fathers is mentioned frequently in Proverbs. However, even there, fathers are mentioned almost 2 to 1 over mothers.

I think God knew where the slippage would be. Without disparaging the contributions of mothers at home, our society needs men who are committed and who are not passing on their responsibilities as leaders at home. We need children seeing that the faith of their fathers is real.

Imagine what it would mean for children to see both Mom and Dad praying with them, reading and discussing the Bible on a daily basis and living their faith rather than just talking about it. They might even conclude that faith is just as important as TV and video games! And worth hanging onto even after leaving home.

The fact is that real men do do the Bible; do need God; and do leave a mark.

Wouldnt it be great to see a new generation of men who refuse to pass the buck, but who are eager to assume their God-given responsibilities at home and in society at large?

Anyone who follows baseball probably knows of the late Willie Stargell, a great hitter for the Pittsburgh Pirates between 1962 and 1982. In 1979, with the Pirates down 3 games to 1 to the Orioles in the World Series, Stargell basically picked them up, put them on his back and drove them to wins in the next 3 games.

Most people dont remember that he had been part of an earlier World Series. In 1971, the Pirates also played and beat the Orioles in 7 games. But that time it was the immortal Roberto Clemente who played the key role. Meantime, Stargell, although he had led the NL in home runs that year went hitless in the playoffs and then batted .208 in the Series, driving in one run. His sufferings at the plate were almost too painful to watch. Yet he issued not a word of complaint or frustration.

Near the end of the Series, he was approached by writer Roger Angel and asked how an intense, proud competitor like him could endure such disappointment and humiliation with such composure. Willie pointed toward his four-year-old son who was playing at his fathers feet in the dressing cubicle and said, "Theres a time in life when a man has to decide if hes going to be a man."

Hes right time to decide.

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton and Ault (www.eatoncc.org)

Now and Hereafter (published in The North Weld Herald, 3/3/11)

A banker approaches the Pearly Gates struggling with a heavy suitcase. Saint Peter greets him, Lose the suitcase down come in. No way! barks the banker. I have to bring it in. What could possibly be so important? asks Peter. The banker opens the suitcase revealing 50 gold bricks. Peters jaw drops: You brought pavement? Gold bricks -- a waste material in eternity!

I love high schoolers. I was with a group the other day and asked, How long do you think you will live? We figured about 75 years on average give or take. Then I asked, How long will you exist? It was like a light bulb went on.

If I could get any result by waving a magic wand, Id want everyone in the world to realize theres a hereafter. Given that, there is a high probability that most of us are wasting our now. We just dont think beyond that 80 years we think we are owed.

Wed never go on a month-long trip to Europe and only plan out our first day. We would have every day scheduled out as much as possible. So, why so little thought beyond your 80 years of now, given the eternity to follow?

Either we dont really believe there will be a hereafter or we dont believe that anything we do now has relevance to that hereafter.

Jesus believed in hereafter. He taught that faith in him now is deeply relevant to entering heaven hereafter. He said, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

He also taught that what we do as believers now impacts our hereafter dramatically. He said, And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward (Matt 10:42). Its not gold that counts, its giving.

Is it possible that you are storing up nothing? Shortly before he died, Lord Byron, an unbeliever to the end of his 36 dissolute years, wrote My days are in yellow leaf,/The flower and fruit of life are gone;/The worm, the canker and the grief/Are mine alone. On his deathbed he said, Shall I sue for mercy? After a long pause, he added, Come, come, no weakness; lets be a man to the last. Good night.

Contrast that with the Apostle Paul who though beaten, scarred, scorned and eventually martyred went to his death with these words, I have fought a good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day.

Now has a lot to do with hereafter.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave www.eatoncc.org

Still the Light of the World (published in The Tribune, 1/22/11)

Ians wife began labor in the middle of the Scottish night, and the doctor was called. He tasked Ian: Hold this lantern high so I can see. Shortly Ians son was born. Whoa, there, Ian! said the doctor. Keep the lantern up! Soon a little lass made her appearance. Ian stooped to look. No, no, keep the lantern up, lad! Theres more! cried the doctor. Ian scratched his head and asked, Do ye think its the light thats attractin em?

That story reminds me of Jesus statement in John 8:12, I am the light of the world. Thats quite a statement when you think about it. The light? Of the whole world? Whats that about?

Jesus explains, Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness. Darkness, of course, represents sin. Jesus is saying, Follow me, and you wont have to walk in sin.

Lights main attribute is to reveal the true nature of things. It reveals dangers of which we would otherwise be unaware; it also reveals solutions. As the light of the world, Jesus does both.

Morally, light is the equivalent of truth. It reveals reality. The light of Jesus life reveals our sinful condition and need of salvation. The light of His death reveals the gift of grace, the one and only answer to moral brokenness. So simple yet, not so simple

Light creates a problem for many. Jesus describes the problem in John 3:19, And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

In Jesus day people fled the light, unwilling to acknowledge their moral delinquency. Today, we still fear the light. But rather than flee it, we deny that it even exists. There is no light to be had.

College campuses are rive with the teaching that there is no absolute truth no real light. All is relative. If what you believe helps you, great. But my truth is as valid as your truth. The latest surveys suggest that 2/3 of us do not believe there is such a thing as absolute truth.

In Dan Browns wildly popular book, The Da Vinci Code, Sophie says, You told me the New Testament is based on fabrication." Langdon, the books hero, says, "Sophie every faith in the world is based on fabrication. Translation: there is no absolute truth.

But, of course, the statement there is no absolute truth, is itself a statement of absolute truth! It fails by its own definition.

Furthermore, no one actually lives like there are are no absolutes. Someone asks Henrys mother, Wheres Henry? Im not sure, she replies. If the ice is as thick as he thinks, hes skating. If its as thin as I think it is, hes swimming. The point is, both cant be true.

There is not Henrys truth and Moms truth there is absolute truth to which both must ultimately concede. Henry is either skating or swimming -- but not both.

When someone says, Stop, a car is coming, we stop. Its not just his truth or my truth. Its absolute truth. And we know exactly what will happen if we dont stop regardless of how hard we believe to the contrary

To our relative age, Jesus still says, I am still the light of the world. He still shows us reality the reality of our sin and brokenness, and the reality of His grace and healing. He shows us the truth.

Jesus said, If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:31-32). Let His light draw you and find the freedom of cleansing from sin.

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton and Ault (www.eatoncc.org)

Every Three Seconds (published in The North Weld Herald, 1/20/11)

Ever watch someone die of starvation? In September 1992, Jack Kelley did. The foreign affairs editor for USA Today, reported from Somalia, "Our photographer had a grapefruit, which he gave to a boy who was so weak from hunger he couldnt hold it. They cut it in half for him.

The boy slowly made his way to another young man lying on the ground and near death his brother. Kelley reported, The older boy kneeled down, bit off a piece of the grapefruit, and chewed it. Then he opened up his younger brothers mouth, put the grapefruit in, and worked his brothers jaw up and down. We learned that the older brother had been doing that for the younger brother for two weeks. A couple days later the older brother died of malnutrition, but the younger brother lived.

Some statistics. About 25,000 people die every day of hunger one person every 3-1/2 seconds. 1.4 billion people live in extreme poverty -- on less than $1.25 per day. Eighty percent of the worlds population lives on less than $10 per day. Yet, there is plenty of food in the world to feed everyone.

More statistics. The average American consumes nearly 2,000 pounds of food per year. And 138 million church-goers in America who say their faith is important to them earn $2.5 trillion per year. That would make them the 7^th richest country in the world.

Question: What are we doing about world poverty?

Many of us were inspired by the movie Blind Side, the story of the Tuohy family who took in a homeless African-American youngster and helped him fulfill his potential. Michael Oher became an All-American offensive tackle and now plays for the Baltimore Ravens. Great story of someone getting involved.

Now, perhaps we cant all get involved to that extent, but we can all do something. Heres one idea.

Under the auspices of Food for the Hungry, Eaton dentist Dr. Jim Kennedy and his wife Julie are going to Guatemala in February to share their dental skills with the children of Santa Cecilia, a remote Mayan village. They are also taking almost their entire staff with them; Dr. Bryan Casseday of Greeley has also signed on to go.

They will be joined by several members of the First Congregational Church of Eaton/Ault and some dental staff spouses who will work on constructing a kitchen in the local elementary school, conduct a VBS and spend time visiting in homes of Mayan families. The aim of the trip is to share Christ in a tangible way and, in keeping with the charter of Food for the Hungry, to create a self-sustaining ability within the village to wage its own war on poverty and malnutrition.

This team of 16 people pays all its own transportation, per diem and project costs. You can help. A barbeque dinner fund raiser is being held on Saturday evening, January 29, at the Congregational Church from 5-7 pm. For $10 you can enjoy a great dinner and help offset the project costs for this team. Where else could you eat well, while at the same time help fight world hunger?!

Tickets need to be purchased in advance and you can do that at Kennedy Dental or at the church (corner Cheyenne and 2^nd, 454-2481). And by the way, extreme poverty has been cut in half in the past 30 years! Its a winnable war -- every little bit counts.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave, www.eatoncc.org

A Different Christmas (published in The North Weld Herald, 12/23/10)

Christmas will be different this year. Mom died last January. For the first time in our lives, Patty and I have no parents with whom to share the holiday. We understand a little better why holidays are bittersweet for some, and why despair rises this time of year.

I am the oldest of eleven children, so you can guess what a raucous time Christmas was at our house. We didn't have a lot, but we more than made up for it in spirit. And as we got older and began to get jobs, we made sure the tree was loaded with presents!

Mom and Dad made sure we understood the true meaning of Christmas. We re-read the story and talked about it every year. But, truth be told, our young minds went pretty quickly to the fun part. We always opened gifts one at a time, so as to prolong the pleasure. And there was joking, and singing, and eating, and games, and football, and noise.

As we married and had children of our own, we had our own Christmas, but later in the day we made our way to Mom and Dads to celebrate further with whoever was there.

It will be different this year. We will awaken on Christmas morning, and it will just be us. We will miss the noise and the laughter and the boisterous atmosphere. Christmas will be different. But, for us, the joy will be the same! We will count our blessings. There are many.

First, while some beloved people are missing, THE ONE who makes Christmas meaningful will be right there with us, just like always. The real joy has always centered in Him, and this year will be no different.

Second, we know where Mom and Dad are! Turns out, during all those lean years, our parents were gifting us richly a legacy of faith in Christ that leaves no doubt whatsoever that they are all celebrating this year in the presence of Jesus Himself. Fairy Tales? Not on your life. Jesus promised that he was going to prepare a place so that where I am you may be also (John 14:3). And God said through Paul that for the believer, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (II Cor 5:8). We KNOW where they are, and rejoice for them!

Third, we know where our earthly family is brothers, sisters, children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces. Most have placed their faith in Christ. We are trusting and praying that all will eventually. So while they stretch from California to Texas and beyond this year, a glorious reunion is coming one day on a restored new heaven and new earth where every day will be Christmas. What we've had before is just a small sweet sample of forever with Jesus. Real life isn't over; it hasn't even begun yet.

Finally, over the past two years in Eaton, God has given us through our church a whole new family -- complete with parents, brothers, sisters, children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews! We love every one of them dearly. Amazingly, they love us too, or sure act like they do. We are all of us together like any family, flawed and imperfect, but we care for each other, rejoice together, and sometimes go through deep water together.

Want to see what its like? Get a sample of one small part of the family of God. Join us for our Christmas Eve service at 9:00 p.m. on December 24 2^nd and Cheyenne. Let us show you that while Christmas may be different, the joy can be the same and more real than ever. Merry Christmas!

By His Grace, Pastor Dave www.eatoncc.org

Invitation Purchased Reservation Required (published in The Tribune, 12/11/10)

The children in a Christmas pageant had their lines by heart. Right on cue, the innkeeper said, There is no room. You cannot stay here. No one was prepared, however, for Joseph when he turned to Mary and said, I told you to make reservations!

Mary and Josephs failure to find a welcoming place for the birth of Marys divine infant became, of course, a metaphor for His lack of reception by the world in general whether in first century Palestine or 21^st century America.

Despite the fact that Jesus increased in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52), and that the multitudes were amazed that such mighty works are wrought by his hands (Mark 6:2), and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth (Luke 4:22), still they rejected Him in the end.

People flocked to Jesus while he was doing mighty miracles and feeding them. But when the gravy train stopped, and he offered them bread of life (eternal life through faith in him) instead of physical food, we are told that many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him (John 6:66).

Can you imagine arriving in eternity one day and finding yourself face-to-face with the same Jesus whom you met face-to-face on earth, but whom you rejected?!

John summarizes Jesus ministry this way in John 1:11, He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. Same as his birth. No room. No reservation for him.

Why? Why did they find him so intriguing and gracious and yet ultimately refuse him? Pretty simple really. The moment he claimed to be God and pressed the exclusivity implied by that claim, they turned away -- killed him as a blasphemer and went about their business.

So what does this ancient history have to do with us? Simply this. The same Jesus is making the same claim and issuing the same invitation to men today as he was then. Only now he is doing it as a risen Lord, his credibility established, his message ratified, his exclusivity substantiated by his unprecedented bodily resurrection from the grave.

Unfortunately, now, just as then, most are saying No to his invitation. But in Johns words, As many as received him, to them he gave the power to become the sons of God, even to those who believe on his name. So have you believed? Have you reserved a place for him in your heart?

When Queen Victoria reigned in England, she occasionally would visit some of the humble cottages of her subjects. One time she entered the home of a widow and stayed to enjoy a brief period of Christian fellowship.

Later on, the poor woman was taunted by her skeptical neighbors. Granny, they said, who's the most honored guest you've ever entertained in your home? They expected her to say it was Jesus, for despite their constant ridicule of her Christian witness, they recognized her deep spirituality. To their surprise she answered, The most honored guest Ive entertained is Her Majesty the Queen.

Did you say the Queen? Ah, we caught you this time! How about this Jesus you're always talking about? Isn't He your most honored guest? Her answer was definite and scriptural, NO, indeed! Hes not a guest. HE LIVES HERE!

Does he live in your heart? If not, why not accept his invitation now? What better time than the anniversary of His incarnation? You say, its all too simple, too childish. Jesus said, Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it(Luke 18:17). Get your reservation now. Even a child can do it. And Merry Christmas to all!

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton and Ault (www.eatoncc.org).

Thanksgiving and Corinthians (published in The North Weld Herald, 11/25/10)

The principal called his harried second-grade teacher into his office: Miss Whitney, I don't mean to rain on your parade, but you simply cannot send thank-you notes to your pupils when they stay home because of illness. I think we can all relate to the desire to eliminate certain problem people!

The Apostle Paul saw it differently. He says in I Corinthians1: I give thanks to my God always for you . . . . Have you ever considered the nature of the people for whom he was giving thanks? The rest of the letter is devoted to correcting deplorable actions and attitudes.

There were personality divisions, immaturity, lack of spiritual growth, pride, sexual immorality, lawsuits against each other, disagreement regarding eating food offered to idols, selfishness, insubordination, class distinctions, unworthy partaking of the Lords Supper, fascination with showiness and temporal priorities to name a few!

This church was a mess! Had I been Paul, I do not think I would have begun the letter, I thank God for you. One is left to wonder if there was a truly mature person among the whole crowd. Yet Paul says, I give thanks to my God always for you . . . .

Paul, of course, did not hesitate to deal graciously with the failures in Corinth. That was the purpose of the letter. Thanksgiving does not mean that one may not lovingly address issues of immaturity.

Notice the adjective lovingly. There is a fine line between addressing the flaws we find in others in a loving way versus a critical way. Loving exhortation can easily morph into nauseating nagging.

Whats one way to stay on the right side of that line? Cultivate heartfelt thanksgiving for those whose flaws make our lives difficult.

Human tendency is to major on the flaws. Paul didn't do that. Before he had any corrective advice he expressed his thanks that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift (I Cor 1:4-7). He complimented the positives. It was part of why he was thankful for them.

He did another thing, too. He saw their future. He notes that with all their flaws, they were waiting on Christ who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. He saw their guiltless future. These are great lessons in dealing with our difficult people.

Only the humble can identify evidences of grace in those needing adjusting only the humble. The self-righteous cannot. I remember a Peanuts cartoon. Linus is curled up in a chair reading a book. Lucy walks by, stares for a moment and says, Its very strange; it happens just by looking at you. Linus asks, What happens? Lucy calmly answers, I can feel a criticism coming on. Apart from grace, we all become like Lucy. What do you feel coming on when you look at those who haven't changed in your preferred timetable? Try something new. Try thanksgiving.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

Heroes published in The North Weld Herald, 11/3/10

A local golfer played a championship course after a big tournament. On the first tee, he asked his caddie what club the tournament winner used there. The caddie said, A three-wood. Bam! A three-wood, center of the fairway. What club did he use now? the golfer asked. A seven-iron. The golfer hit a seven-iron straight into a water trap over the green. Angrily, the golfer addressed the caddie, You said he used a seven-iron. Look where I landed in a water trap. The caddie said, So did he.

It matters who we decide to emulate. All of us emulate someone. We have heroes whether we call them that or not. Some are worthy; some are not. Some dont want to be examples. All-star basketball player, Charles Barkley, famously declined saying, "I am not a role model.

God has no such reluctance. Several times the requirement is laid on mankind to be holy for I am holy (Lev 11:44, et al). What Barkley rightfully declines, God rightfully insists upon.

But how does one imitate a God who cant be seen? Paul refers to God as someone whom no one has ever seen or can see (I Tim 6:16). The Apostle John agrees: No one has ever seen God . . . (I John 4:12). So, how can we possibly imitate Him?

The answer, of course, is that in the person of Christ He became flesh and dwelt among us. He is called the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15), because in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell (Col. 1:19). If we want to know how God would live, we need look no further than Christ.

But there is a catch!

I have found that most people do not mind thinking of Jesus as a great example. But that is only because they have not thought about it sufficiently.

An old preacher named Dr. D. M. Stearns was once approached by a critic who said, I do not care for this preaching of Christ Jesus, the teacher and example. Stearns replied, Would you then be willing to follow Him if I preach Christ as the great example? I would, said the gentleman, I will follow in His steps. and the cross; its better to be up-to-date. Preach

In that case, said Dr. Stearns, let us take the first step. I Peter 2:22 says, He committed no sin. Can you take this step? The critic stopped short. No, he said, I do sin, I must admit. Well, then, said Dr. Stearns, your first need of Christ is not as an example but as a Savior.

Try as I might, I would never be able to emulate Michael Jordan's basketball prowess. Id need a new body a new life. Which, interestingly enough, is exactly what we can have in Christ. Jesus says in John 5:24 that, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.

Receiving Gods gift of life doesn't mean we get sinless, but we do get righteous! We trade our sin for His righteousness. The bargain of a lifetime as described in II Cor. 5:21, For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Holy as He is holy! The world doesn't think much of holiness. But God values it highly; in fact, He requires it. We get it by accepting Jesus as Savior and as example.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

The Cross -- Cosmic Child Abuse or God as Justifier (published in The Tribune, 10/30/10)

When Woodrow Wilson was Governor of New Jersey, he received a phone call that his close friend, a New Jersey senator, had just died. Minutes later a New Jersey politician called. Governor, he said, I would like to take the Senators place. Well, said Wilson shocked at the mans haste, that's perfectly agreeable to me if its agreeable to the undertaker. Probably not what the man had in mind.

But the story illustrates the historical, biblical view of Jesus death on the cross. This view teaches that Gods holiness is absolute; incapable of tolerating any sin. Thus, mans original sin in Adam, and every individual sin since, has rendered him subject to eternal separation from God.

But, God loves His creation. He, therefore, took the unprecedented action of sending His own Son in human flesh to pay the penalty for sin by deliberate forfeiture of His perfect life on the cross, making salvation available to anyone who would accept His gift by faith. God could thus, in the words of Romans 3:26, be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

However, this view has become unacceptable to many concerned about offending the sensibilities of modern society. As one example, Union Seminary Professor Delores S. Williams says, I don't think we need a theory of atonement at all. I dont think we need folks hanging on crosses and blood dripping and weird stuff.

Adherents of this new thought drastically underemphasize and little appreciate Gods holiness. They insist that He is primarily defined by His love, and see it as inconceivable that He could demand the sacrifice of His own Son.

Cosmic child abuse has become a trendy catchphrase to rally those who would depreciate Christs substitutionary atonement. The phrase, of course, suggests that only a fellow-abuser would hold to the idea that God purposely planned the death of His own Son to pay for the sins of the world.

But what is Gods view of the cross as revealed in His Word. Was it just the random tragic end of a good man or at best, an example to mankind that love is supreme? Many suggest that the Bible is ambiguous on this issue. I beg to differ.

Christs death was prophesied in detail hundreds of years before the event. Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 practically read like eyewitness accounts of the crucifixion. Gods intention is made unequivocally clear in Isaiah 53:10, Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, . . .

Yes, Gods love was clearly demonstrated on the cross as He paid a price we could never pay, for sins we cannot erase, to satisfy the holiness of a God we could never otherwise approach. The cross demonstrates the entirety of Gods person, not just some select part. Scripture is emphatic that He bore our sins so that we could have His imputed righteousness (I Pet 2:24; II Cor 5:21; I Cor 15:3; Gal 1:4; Rom 4:25, et al). The message is crystal clear. Jesus Himself said, For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord (John 10:17-18).

Its like the jewelry store shoplifter who was caught. He pleaded, "Please don't call the police. I'll pay for it." When presented with the bill, he said, "That's more than I have. Could you show me something less expensive?" The point is sin always finds us out. The bill is more than we can ever possibly pay. There is nothing less expensive. All that remains is for an infinitely holy shopkeeper to pay the infinitely owed price on our behalf. Amazingly, He did.

Its clear, you can either have the Bible and Christs atoning death -- or you can have cosmic child abuse and no Bible. But you cant have both. Personally, I would not want to stand before the Father one day having wrongfully accused Him of cosmic child abuse for sending His Son to die in my place.

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton and Ault (www.eatoncc.org).

Come and Sit By Me (published in The North Weld Herald 9/30/10)

Teddy Roosevelts oldest daughter, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, lived a long, spirited and unconventional life as a member of Washington society. Her basic attitude was reflected in the quote: If you havent got anything good to say about anyone, come and sit by me.

So are we sitting with Alice? If we are, we should realize that criticism hurts the one doing the criticizing as much as the one being criticized. God says in Galatians 5:15, But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. Expect to get what you give!

The Bible also says in Proverbs 11:12, Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent. The critical person reveals much more than he or she intends about themselves.

Psychologist and counselor, Cecil Osborne in his book The Art of Loving Yourself, says this: "An excessively critical attitude is a dead giveaway. It reveals an individual who has a very poor opinion of himself. The worst critic is usually the one who is unconsciously most critical of himself. He dislikes himself intensely and when he gets fed up with his own self-hate, he projects the rest onto those about him in the form of criticism. At heart, critics are unhappy and unfulfilled people.

Criticism demonstrates a lack of trust in God. We are playing God in someone elses life. Matthew Arnold was a British critic and moralist who lived in the mid to late 19th century. His writings were critiques of what he saw as the flaws, hypocrisies and inconsistencies of British society. He was usually right, but he was left a bitter and twisted man.

Robert Louis Stevenson remarked concerning Arnold when he died, "Poor Matt. He's gone to heaven, no doubt -- but he won't like God." Criticism expresses the opinion that God isnt doing a very good job in someone elses life. As opposed to our perfect life, of course! Better to leave it alone. Let God be God.

One more thing about criticism. It takes a very short view of things. It nitpicks things that matter little if at all in the long run. How dreadfully often we do this unwittingly to our children.

Were like the hypercritical football coach. One of his players ran 100 yards for a touchdown on Saturday. But during the Monday film session the coach said, Morgan, you carried the ball loosely and in the wrong hand. You ran to the inside when you should have run to the outside. You made it hard on your blockers. To which Morgan replied, Well, coach, how was it for distance?

Criticism kills the spirit of both the offender and the critic. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. Lets not sit with Alice.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

Send It Ahead: An Investment Opportunity (published in The Tribune 9/18/10)

Benjamin Leese of East Berlin, Pennsylvania, asked his third-grade Sunday School students: What is a prophet? One young boy quickly replied, When someone makes a good investment!

Everyone is on the lookout for a good investment in these days of economic downturn. People are flocking to bonds and short-selling in record numbers just trying to preserve capital. A really good investment seems like a thing of the past.

I have a recommendation. You may not have thought of Jesus as a financial adviser before, but listen to this: Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal (Matt 6:19-20).

The implications of this advice are staggering. Jesus is actually suggesting that while you cant take it with you you can send it on ahead! Talk about planning for the future! The question is, are we wise enough and have we faith enough to take this challenge to lay up treasure in heaven.

Perhaps you saw Mr. Hollands Opus -- a very engaging movie. Mr. Holland, played by Richard Dreyfus, dreams of fame and fortune as a music composer. But, honoring the obligations imposed by daily life circumvent his hearts desire. It gradually dawns on him that his future is teaching high school students, not conducting a philharmonic. Instead of publishing a symphony, he writes grade cards. The dream eventually dies.

Adding insult to injury, after more than 30 years of teaching, his job is downsized. But as he is carrying his boxed belongings out the door, he is summoned to one final assembly. There he finds an auditorium filled with friends and relatives.

As they rise to honor him, he is led to the podium, presented with a baton and directed toward an orchestra full of ex-students whose lives he had touched. At long last, he directs the opus that he had managed to write in spare moments but which had never been performed. Not a dry eye remains.

But, of course, his real opus was not the music; his opus was the beautiful notes ringing out from those lives he had invested in year after year. Unwittingly, he had created something greater than his dream.

What Jesus is really asking in Matthew 6 is that we knowingly and purposefully do what Mr. Holland did accidentally. For those who know Him as Lord, He is advising against putting everything into the demonstrably unstable world of temporal investments. Even in the best case, it will all soon be left behind. Instead, He is teaching us that time and money and resources invested here from the heart in serving others and bringing them to Him will not only transform their lives but will result in reward for us in the life to come -- 100% guaranteed. A solid investment for hard times for any times.

A wealthy Christian lady died and arrived in heaven. She was shown to her rather modest home. Noticing a mansion across the street, she asked who it belonged to. She was told it was that home of her gardener. Perplexed -- sure that a mistake had been made, she questioned how housing was assigned. She was told it was not an assignment. It was simply that each persons home was built with materials they had sent on up ahead of time. Faithfulness on earth counts in heaven. Send something on ahead.

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton and Ault (www.eatoncc.org).

Empty-Handed at the Fiftieth Floor (published in The North Weld Herald 9/910)

A woman awaiting abdominal x-rays had been heavily sedated. Nevertheless, the nurse plied her with questions the last being, Maam, where's your pain right now? Through her medicated fog, the patient answered, "He's at work!"

One can only hope it was the medicine talking! No man wants to be a pain to his family. I think we long to be setting the tone, establishing goals, and leading by example as well as precept.

But many men, though competent in their own careers and work disciplines, simply do not know where to start when it comes to demanding and complex interpersonal responsibilities. Others may have a vague idea, but substance and implementation skills are lacking.

The truth is, many of us, as men, are not only not prepared to be husbands and fathers we may still be living in some undefined wasteland between childhood and manhood, not really knowing what it means to man up. No one has taught us. As it turns out, 21 is just an age, not a measure of maturity.

This problem is complicated by the fact that men are prone to go it alone. They typically have no idea that others are facing the same concerns, failures, fears and problems that they are. Alan Loy McGinnis, author of the best-selling The Friendship Factor, says that Americas leading psychologists and therapists estimate that only 10 percent of all men ever have any real friends.

With these challenges in mind, we are starting a Men's Fraternity group that will utilize material developed by pastor and author, Dr. Robert Lewis, aimed at defining what it means to be a man. The title of the first set of studies is The Quest for Authentic Manhood. It consists of 24 sessions, each lasting approximately 1-1/2 hours and combining biblical teaching, life experience and small-group interaction.

This is not a church service, a rally or a Bible study. It is a men's meeting a place where men can be men and learn from each other. These time-tested resources have been used all over the world (more than 15,000 groups now meeting) to energize men in their pursuit of noble manhood as a lifelong priority. It has invariably had a ripple effect that touches families and communities.

We invite men of all ages to join us on this great adventure each Thursday morning at 6:00 at the Congregational Church (corner of 2^nd and Cheyenne in Eaton). It will be a safe place to learn, share and grow together.

Perhaps you've heard of the three men who entered the lobby of a sixty-story skyscraper only to find that the elevator wasn't working. They'll have to walk up sixty stories to their office. One says, Look, to make it seem like less of a chore, lets each tell a sad story. It'll take our minds off the pain. They start up and the first man tells about having lost his first love to a rival. At the twenty-first story, the second man talks about how illness has plagued his family. When they start up the last ten floors, the third man says, Ill tell you a real sad story. I forgot the key to the office.

The point is, we don't want to get to the end of life only to discover that we left the key behind. Now now is the time to learn and implement authentic manhood from the perspective of the One who created us. Don't be left wishing at the 50^th floor. Join us you wont regret it. Don't waste your life.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

Love Them to Life (published in The North Weld Herald 9/2/10)

It was New Years Eve. The party at the club was in high gear when Seymour noticed Freddy purposely snub George with whom he was on the outs. Seymour went up to Freddy and urged him to make up. You must, he said. It is unkind to be unfriendly at such a time. Go wish George a Happy New Year. Freddy thought it over for a bit, then made his way across the room to his enemy. George, he said, Seymour says I should bury the hatchet with you. So I came over to wish you a Happy New Year. Then he added, But only one!

Somehow making overtures toward enemies is not in our DNA. Even our most heroic efforts are usually feeble at best.

Its far easier and more emotionally satisfying to justify the hard feelings. I read an article just the other day entitled To Forgive is Good; But Sometimes I Want to Stay Mad. It extolled the virtues of holding a grudge!

But for those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, it is not so easy. Neither hatred nor feeble efforts at reconciliation are acceptable options.

Jesus said, You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matt 5:43-44).

The religious Pharisees of Jesus time knew the Old Testament command to love their neighbors but they had made their own little addendum. Hate your enemies. It was their accepted practice.

Jesus says, You fellows missed the intent there. Let me reinterpret for you. You shall love your neighbor, including your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. I dont only want you to tolerate your enemies, I want you to love them and pray for them.

Now, you can almost hear the wheels turning for the legalists in the crowd even from 2,000 years away! Pray for them? Fine. Ill pray for them. Ill be glad to pray for their demise!

Which is why Luke gave us further insight into what was said that day. His account of Jesus statement reads like this: But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you (Luke 6:27-28). No loopholes there.

Jesus requirement is that we not just tolerate enemies, but that we love them with enthusiasm, and pray for them with positive intent. Rather than love them to death, He is urging us to love them to life!

Most of us have someone with whom we are on the outs. We also have our list of people whom we hold in contempt because of their religion, ethnic background, political beliefs, or just plain behavioral patterns. Can we pray for them not just one Happy New Year, but a Happy Forever? That would mean that they came to know Christ maybe because we cared enough to obey Him.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

Getting Over Me (published in The North Weld Herald 8/12/10)

An 11-year old boy attending a skiing school in Vail wrote the following to his mother in Denver: Yesterday the instructor took eight of us to the slopes to teach us skiing. I was not very good at it, and so I broke a leg. Thanks goodness it wasn't one of mine.

That's a 21^st century plan for advancement. Stay upright and break the legs of anyone who gets in the way!

Actually, its an ancient philosophy. We even find it among Jesus disciples the night before He was crucified. Luke tells us that a dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest (Luke 22:24).

This was not a new discussion for this group. Believing Jesus to be the true Messiah who would succeed in throwing off their Roman yoke, they were constantly vying for elevation to Secretary of State, of Defense, or the Treasury. They did not lack for ambition!

Jesus response was astounding both in word and deed. What he said was, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves (Luke 22:25-26). That was revolutionary. The one who is greatest is the one who serves?

But even more unnerving was what He did. According to John 13, He got up, put aside his outer garment, wrapped a towel around his waist, washed all of their feet, drying them with the towel as He went. What He did was the epitome of the work of a servant a common task in that culture of dirt roads. But as no servant was there in the upper room, no one had bothered to accomplish this simple task. Easy to see why none of the disciples would have done so given what was on their minds.

But, can we really say that we are so much different from these men? Do not our ambitions also orient us away from the necessary but simple, small, unseen and generally unappreciated tasks, whether at home, at work, at school or wherever? Are we not also taught by precept and example to look out for Number 1, to and avoid the mundane? Does our culture not honor self-promotion the louder and more obscene, the better?

Contrast that with Jesus who said, If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet (John 13:14). Hes looking for servants. And for good reason: But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all (Mark 10:43-44). Gods plan for advancement. Nothing you would learn at Harvard Business School. Effective, but largely untried. Ironic, is it not the real key to advancement is a lot less of me and a lot more of others.

A few years ago, the athletic director at Clemson University was once asked if he would start a rowing program. Someone wanted him to add that to their discipline of sports. He said, "No. We're not going to have a sport where to score you sit down and go backwards." But the truth is, you can make a lot of progress by going backwards both in rowing and in life. Want to earn advancement? Want to be great? First you have to get over me.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

An Issue of Accountability (published in The Tribune 8/7/10)

So has anyone proven the existence of God beyond the shadow of a doubt? Truthfully no. But then, has Gods non-existence ever been undeniably established? No, again. So, holding either position is a matter of faith.

What always amazes me is that so many otherwise sensible people are willing to discount God right out of the chute claiming either full-blown atheism, or at least living like God does not exist.

Most who fit one of these categories would say they have good and credible intellectual reasons for denying or ignoring God. But the Bible suggests that something more insidious is at work. The Bible suggests its an issue of accountability.

It is human to deplore accountability. I read recently of a man who put his car into reverse and accidentally drove into a wall. He took it to his mechanic who replaced the dented bumper. Days later, he had the same accident all over again. Im so embarrassed, he moaned to his wife while reaching for the phone. Why not tell the mechanic it was me this time? she suggested. Maybe I will, he said, dialing. It worked the last time.

Accountability! None of us want it. But all of us have it if the God of the Bible exists. And so the Bible states in Psalm 14:1, The fool says in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. God says it is an issue of the heart, not of the head. We don't believe because we don't want to believe.

If God cannot be finally disproven, why deny Him? Because we want to do what we want to do when we want to do it -- without accountability. Jesus said much the same thing in John 3:19: And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. People don't reject God and His Son because they can disprove His claims. They reject Him because they want to be their own boss.

Perhaps like me you find an honest atheist irresistible. Such a man was Aldous Huxley of Brave New World fame. He once wrote, I had motives for not wanting the world to have meaning; consequently assumed that it had none, and was able without difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption . . . For myself, as, no doubt, for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation. The liberation we desired was simultaneously liberation from a certain political and economic system and liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom [italics added].

I think the key question is this: Does accountability go away because authority is denied? Well, imagine that you are pulled over for doing 100 miles an hour down highway 85 in Weld County. Now imagine this defense you do not believe there are any judges in Weld County, or at least none that would be interested in your petty case. Imagine that and good luck! Accountability does not go away because authority is denied.

So, if God cannot be absolutely disproven. And if His existence, assuming it true, imposes accountability on His creation, are not His claims worth a second look? Either way you go, its a question of faith. Who are you trusting in?

Dave McNeff is pastor of the First Congregational Church of Eaton/Ault (www.eatoncc.org)

Just Another Pile of Rocks? (published in The North Weld Herald 7/22/10)

My brother, Dr. Jon McNeff, of Walnut Creek, CA, led a tour of biblical sites in the Holy Land, Greece and Turkey in late May and early June of this year. He billed me as co-host, but mostly I was comic relief, assigned to make sure that we didn't leave anyone behind anywhere.

Five distinguished members of our community joined us Sharon Hill and Diane Tateyama of Ault, Roger and Aleta Schulz of Eaton, and, last but not least, my wife, Patty.

Among many highlights, perhaps the most significant for me occurred on the morning of May 28 as we beheld an amazing site at the southwest corner of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. This area has been uncovered by recent excavations and was only opened to the public within the past 3-4 years.

Most of the city of Jerusalem that Jesus knew has long since disappeared. The Romans virtually leveled the city in 70 AD, and subsequent eras of rebuilding and destruction under various ethnic and religious traditions have left little that Jesus would have known. The southwest corner excavation is an exception.

It has uncovered a street that dates to Jesus time a place where He walked. It is bordered by the mammoth foundation of the Temple Mount built by Herod the Great on one side, and by the remains of shops and businesses on the other. To walk that street and stand in those ancient doorways was inspiring enough.

But what I found truly awe-inspiring was something else. As I stood on that street, I was reminded of a time when Jesus stood in the same place as recorded in Matthew 24:1-2, ¹⁾ Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple [for their beauty].²⁾ But he answered them, You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.

Not one stone left that would not be thrown down and there they were -- a great pile of rocks stacked in the middle of the street! They were stones which had at one time occupied the top of the temple wall, but about 40 years after Jesus prophecy, the Romans had indeed torn down every building and every wall that constituted the great temple of Herod. And as they threw those huge stone from the top of the wall into the street, huge indentations were made in the street and there it all was right in front of our eyes mute testimony to the omniscience of the Savior who walked those streets 2,000 years ago.

I have long believed that the greatest evidence for the validity of Christianity is twofold the undeniable evidence for the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and fulfilled prophecy. Depending on who is counting, there are well over 600 prophecies in the Old Testament to the life of Christ alone. Prophecies such as the fact that He would be born in small, insignificant Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), that he would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver (Zech 11:12-13), that he would refuse to answer his accusers (Isa 53:7); that he would die by crucifixion, a means of execution unheard of at the time David prophesied it (Psa 22:16); that people would gamble for his clothing (Psa 22:18); that none of his bones would be broken, though that was common in crucifixions (Psa 34:20); that he would lie in a rich mans grave (Isa 53:9); that he would be resurrected (Psa 16:8-11). Psa 22Isa 53 read like NT history, rather than OT prophecy, although even the most adamant critics acknowledge that they were written hundreds of years before the facts that they describe.

A pile of rocks? Maybe to some, but to me they were screaming witnesses to the truth of Gods Word, compelling us all to receive Him (John 1:12). For this same One who accurately prophesied the destruction of this indestructible temple also prophesied this to believers: I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. Hes never been wrong yet. Trust in Him.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

Almost (published in The North Weld Herald 7/15/10)

October 14, 1965. Our family of 14, including Grandma, was moving from Kansas to Orange County, California. I was 17, driving my 4-year-old Falcon, and riding shotgun was 12-year-old brother, Phil. Within 100 miles of home we got separated from the rest of the caravan. We were on our own for the 25-hour drive the $29 in my pocket didn't allow for such luxuries as food or lodging. Big adventure!

To top it off -- it was the 7th game of the 1965 World Series. My favorite team, the Dodgers, were playing the Minnesota Twins and my favorite player, Sandy Koufax, was pitching. Phil and I listened with growing excitement all the way across New Mexico as the Dodgers won 2-0. A great day indeed!

Providentially, our new home was within 30 miles of Dodger Stadium and I was greatly anticipating not only seeing major league baseball for the first time, but also seeing Sandy Koufax in action.

So, one night the next summer, I loaded two cousins and a friend into the old Falcon and off we went only to find that with Koufax pitching, the game was sold out. Nothing deterred -- we sent one cousin and the friend off to find some scalped tickets while the other two of us parked.

Well, they found tickets! But only two of them and apparently they were the last two as we could find no more. So Stan and I sat in the car listening on the radio within 100 yards of Koufax pitching while the other two were inside enjoying hot dogs, cokes and the game. So close, and yet, so far.

Not to worry there would be other games. But there were no other games. Sandy Koufax unexpectedly retired at the age of 31 after that season, still at the top of his game but with arm problems that were potentially crippling. That was as close as I would ever get to seeing Sandy Koufax in action.

I learned a valuable lesson from that experience. I learned you never have tomorrow only today. I was reminded of this early one morning in June of this year when I found myself standing in the very theater in Caesarea in Israel, staring at the very place where the Apostle Paul, who had been arrested under false pretenses, made his defense before the Roman puppet King Agrippa. Paul's defense was really a presentation of the gospel after which he says to the King, You believe the prophets, don't you? I know you believe.

But Agrippa replies with the most chilling words, You almost persuade me to become a Christian. Almost. Paul responds, I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains. Think of the eternity of difference between those words almost and altogether. Agrippa was so close and yet, so far.

I think to stand before God one day having been in this life almost persuaded to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will be the most agonizing of fates. Almost but not quite. The eternal question will be, Why didnt I? Better to have been an out and out atheist than to have been almost. Hidden away right around the bend from Almost is Too Late.

But there is good news. Straight ahead is Altogether! Altogether persuaded. I missed Koufax, but we don't have to miss eternal life. Altogether persuaded is right there for the taking by faith. Almost, Altogether, Too Late your choice.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

A Present Help (published in The North Weld Herald 4/29/10)

George Phillips of Meridian, Mississippi, was preparing for bed one night when he noticed that the light in his garden shed was on. It didn't take him long to determine that someone uninvited was out there pilfering his belongings. He closed the back kitchen door and called the police.

He was asked whether or not the intruders were in the house. He said, No, whereupon he was told, You know what? Our patrols are busy tonight. Just stay in the house and well get there when we can.

George hung up the phone, waited thirty seconds and then called back. This time he said, You know what. They continued to steal my stuff, so I went outside and shot them all. Within two minutes, six police cars, a SWAT team, a helicopter, two EMS vehicles and a paramedic and an ambulance showed up. The burglars were still there, so they were rounded up and carted away.

The officer in charge came up to Phillips and said, I thought you said you shot them. To which he replied, I thought you said you had nobody available!

Need help? Aren't you glad that according to Psa 46:1, God is our refuge and very present help in trouble? I love the language present help. Not past help or future help, but present help. The others are true, of course, but for today, I need to know that He is present help.

Does that mean that if I trust Him it will all go my way? Of course not. But it means that if I trust Him, it will all go His way, and in the end that will always be best for me too. Always.

I love the story of the second grader named Mike. On the way to school Mikes arm bumped against a seat on the bus and it made a big scrape and bled all over his clothes. He got in trouble for missed homework. At recess he was hit in the mouth and lost two teeth. After school he slipped on the ice and broke his wrist.

On the way to the hospital he reached into his pocket with his good hand pulled something out. His father asked him what it was. He said, "Its a quarter - 25 cents! I found it on the ground when I fell down. Its the first quarter I ever found. This is the best day of my life!"

Someone has wisely said, The kingdom of God advances through a series of glorious victories cleverly disguised as disasters. The truth is that in every disaster there is a quarter -- the very present voice of God calling us to Himself, and the very present hand of God responding to our cry for help and leading to glorious victory. Call on Him. He is presently there.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

Whitewashed Tombstones (published 4/22/10 in The North Weld Herald)

The Community Church brought in a performing horse. They asked the horse how many commandments, and he stamped ten times. Then they asked how many apostles, and he stamped twelve times. Some wise guy in the crowd asked, How many hypocrites are there in this church? The horse went into a tap-dance on all fours!

Perhaps you find yourself in agreement. Many people do. In fact, would it surprise you to know that God is in agreement too?!

Do you have any idea what Jesus did immediately after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem during His last visit there? He went down to the temple and threw out all the hucksters (John 2:13-22)! It was Passover week, and pilgrims from far and near came to sacrifice and pay a temple tax. They were aided by those on the temple grounds who would provide an animal for sacrifice (at their price, of course) or who would exchange money (for a small fee, naturally). Jesus made short work of them.

He saved His most scathing language for the Pharisees of His day. These were the most religious people of their time -- pillars of the community and the church to whom Jesus said, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead peoples bones and all uncleanness (Matthew 23:27). Strong language.

Jesus uses even more chilling words to describe the fact that good works, and a marvelous facade, will be useless on judgment day. He says, On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness (Matthew 7:22-23). Did we know Him? That will be the question. Have we received Him?

No one, God included, approves of hypocrites and, yes, they exist in church just like everywhere else. But the question isn't, are there hypocrites? The question is, are they keeping me from God? Are they a convenient excuse for saying, God cant be real because some Christians are hypocrites! Does that make sense? Is that good logic? Why would I let a phony whom I don't even respect keep me from a relationship with God? Is God a fake because they are? Am I made a fraud because some friend misrepresents me?

Someone has well said, if you are letting a hypocrite stand between you and God, guess who is closer to God? With broken heart, God will one day say to the hypocrite, I never knew you. With equally broken heart, God will say to the unbeliever who made hypocrites his or her excuse, I never knew you. And now guess who will be keeping company for eternity?

There is a potent little verse in Romans 14:12: So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. At that point, its between me and Him; the hypocrite excuse wont cut it.

A little boy attended the baby dedication of his little brother. The older boy proceeded to cry all the way home, in the car. His father asked, Whats wrong son? The boy said, The minister made you promise that you would have us raised in a Christian home. Whats wrong with that? asked the Father. The boy cried, I want to stay with you and mom. Sometimes hypocrisy starts at home.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

Living on Purpose Twyla McNeff (published in The North Weld Herald 2/11/10)

Mom died a couple of weeks ago of congestive heart failure. Actually, what happened was at about 8:00 am California time on January 15, 2010, she was suddenly absent from the body but present with the Lord (II Cor 5:8)! And while the event was jarring to us left behind, it was precious in the sight of the Lord (Psalm 116:15).

Twyla (McBride) McNeff was a gifted woman who grabbed life by the throat from the moment of her entrance on September 17, 1927 until her last labored breath that Friday morning. Her intense determination led to her becoming an accomplished seamstress, artist, businesswoman, musician, published writer, teacher, mentor, valued counselor and most importantly wife and mother. Her only known failures inability to manage a DVR and the GPS in her new car!

But what drove her most was her commitment to Jesus Christ whom she had accepted as Lord and Savior at the age of 12. From that early age she "got it" that life is not just about here and now, but that it is eternity that counts. She knew that this life matters because decisions made and actions taken now are decisive for eternity, but she never made the fatal near-sighted mistake of grasping for the "things" this life offers. She sent her treasure on ahead (Matt. 6:19-21).

Mom lived life on purpose that purpose being to know and glorify her Lord. She rightly considered anything less is a wasted life. Dad, who preceded her in death by 3 years, shared her passion. Together they were exceptional.

Their expressed purposed when they married in June 1947 was to rear children to know and to love God. God blessed them -- or cursed them, depending on your point of view -- beyond their wildest dreams with eleven of us. And in case you don't think God has a sense of humor, you should know that on his wedding day, Dad expressed a desire for six girls and, of course, the first six of us were boys! Clearly man proposes but God disposes!

Mom told someone that after the first two or three births, she just expected boys, and if it came out differently, all the better!(?) Rumor has it that when the last two were born, twin girls (saving best for last), Dad said to Mom, Okay, that's it. If you're going to start having twins no more kids! Beginning with my birth on May 5, 1948, one or more of us rowdies occupied their home for the next 39 years until 1987. That's commitment to a purpose!

Money was scarce, but Mom set the tone and our home never lacked for fun, joy and positive energy. We boys quickly found out about sports and were soon playing something year round, organized and otherwise. With so many children, our home was naturally always the center of activity. There is no telling how many free meals were doled out when neighbor kids snuck in for lunch lost in the crowd.

Mom and Dad seemed to favor work as much as we favored sports, so we never lacked for chores. Breakfast, for example, was an assembly line every boy a job -- one to set the table, another to cook the oatmeal, another to toast the 1-2 loaves of bread that we consumed each morning. We all went to work as soon as we could shoveling snow, mowing lawns, painting, paper routes whatever we could find.

You can imagine with the purpose at the heart of Mom and Dads commitment, we were at church every time the doors were open and they were open a lot in those days. But Mom understood that the church is only a support, not the main attraction. She took seriously her responsibility to lead her children to the Lord personally. Bible stories, Christian books, wall plaques -- Christian education of all kinds was a staple in our home.

So was music. We all got piano lessons whether we wanted them or not and one sister actually learned to play. Mom regularly sang at church and other events and soon turned the first four of us into a quartet singing at church, Youth for Christ meetings, and anywhere else that would take us. Brother Steve still thinks hes Elvis re-incarnated! Our folks didn't just talk it they lived it, and that made it real to us.

All of which doesn't mean it was easy. Mom and Dad were a testimony to the fact that Christianity is not for wimps as is so often supposed. Trials abounded. Among their eleven there have been three divorces with all the pain and turmoil that entails. Accidents have taken two of us to the doors of death. There has been substance abuse, teen age rebellion, stealing cars for joyriding purposes, infidelity, the death by drowning of 2-year-old grandson, Charlie, severe disability by stroke for my Dad and a couple of cases or rejecting the faith. True faith is always tried severely testing whether we really want Christ above all (see John 21:15).

But the tougher it got, the more Mom and Dad purposefully turned to their Father who was and is always faithful. Trials are temporary; living on purpose is forever. Victory? Victory was won every morning of the world when you could find them at 5:30 am reading the Word and praying together. And God was faithful. Today, out of 55 total children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, all but 4 or 5 are following the Lord with vigor and enthusiasm. The others will eventually come around, too, because of the prayers of my parents and those of us who are now left.

In his book, Don't Waste Your Life, John Piper references a story from the 1998 edition of Readers Digest, which tells about a couple who took early retirement when he was 59 and she was 51. They moved to Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruised on their 30-foot trawler, played softball and collected shells. Piper says this: At first, when I read it, I thought it might be a joke. But it wasn't. Tragically this was the dream: Come to the end of your life your one and only precious, God-given life and let the last great work of your life, before you give an account to your Creator, be this: playing softball and collecting shells. Picture them before Christ at the great day of judgment: Look, Lord. See my shells. That is a tragedy.

I prefer the rich legacy of my folks life lived on purpose. If we could ask them now, Was it hard? I think they would answer, Yes, it was hard. Harder than we ever imagined! But now ask them, Was it worth it? Yes, a million times YES!

From their home in heaven they bear witness to the truth of Paul's statement in Romans 8:18, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. This is their legacy. This is what they were meant to say. Jesus is worth more than anything -- more than any earthly pleasure, any earthly achievement or any earthly suffering. He is supreme. This is what their life was meant to say eternity is what counts. Trials are temporary; living on purpose is forever. Its the legacy I want to leave my children.

By His Grace Pastor Dave

Im the Archbishop of Canterbury! (published in The North Weld Herald 1/28/10)

The king of England had 2 boys the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Kent. One said, Bet you a shilling all fat policemen are bald. The other took the bet. It wasn't long before a sufficiently rotund bobby appeared, but he had his helmet on. So the two royals enlisted the help of a scruffy little urchin they met in the alleyway to dislodge the helmet. One stones throw did the job and sure enough the bobby was bald.

However, despite his rotundity, the policeman was quick and he soon had the three boys in tow. As he held them tightly he said to the first, You know, you boys have committed a serious crime here -- assaulting an officer of the law. So, who are you? I'm the Prince of Wales, the boy replied. Well, I don't believe that, said the policeman, but Ill write it down for now. His query to the second boy resulted in, I'm the Duke of Kent. He wrote it down.

Turning to the third boy, he asked him, And who are you? The little urchin whispered a quick aside to his new friends, Don't worry boys, I wont let you down. Then turning to the bobby he said, I'm the Archbishop of Canterbury!

The truth is, you can hardly expect people to believe you are the child of a king if you are living like an alleyway urchin, right? We all judge people far more by how they act than by the claims they make.

Therein lies a great challenge for those who claim to be followers of Christ. It is hard to credit those claims if there is no resemblance to the life He lived and advocated. Can we truly claim Him when our lives reflect no compassionate outreach to the poor and needy in our world? What daily selfless actions beginning at home would suggest that we are truly His? Does joy characterize our life, or would sourpuss be more like it?

Jesus once commented that the tree is known by its fruit (Matt. 12:33). And Paul was kind enough to identify what that fruit should be in the life of a true believer. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (Gal 5:22-23). Here's a question: If displaying any one of those were made a capital offense, would they be hanging you as guilty -- or would they see too little evidence to convict you? In fact, would you be the one dropping the trapdoor?

Its true that no one is perfect and children don't always live up to the family name. But Jesus statement implies that folks have a right to judge us by our actions as opposed to our claims. Even more important is the need that we judge ourselves by our actions.

Jesus made a devastatingly pointed remark in Matthew 7:21: Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Apparently a claim is not enough. Genuine faith results in a changed life.

So who are we? Claiming to be the Archbishop of Canterbury doesn't necessarily make it so.

By His Grace Pastor Dave

Whos In Charge Here? (published in The North Weld Herald 1/14/10)

Sports Illustrated recently ran an interesting article about Joe Paterno, 83-year-old head football coach for the Penn State Nittany Lions a position he has held since 1966. The article made the point that age notwithstanding, Joe is still in charge.

Prior to the 2009 season one of his best players challenged him: "You know what your problem is? You don't relate to us." "Is that right?" Joe answered. "That's not a problem. But you've got a problem. You don't relate to me. And that's a big problem." "He got what I meant," Joe said.

Somehow, life is always about who's in charge. I can still remember the comment made by one of our lovely granddaughters when she was about three years of age. Concerning conditions at the home of her other grandparents she said, "Nana's the boss! Then she continued, I wish I was the boss.

We all want to be the boss, don't we? We want to be the boss at home, at school, at work, and everywhere in between. At the very least we want to believe that we are in charge of our own life and can do what we choose to do. Its the Frank Sinatra I Did It My Way philosophy.

Tragically, it is that desire for autonomy which keeps many from Jesus. They insist that He does not relate to them. He has allowed bad things to happen; He has hypocritical followers; His conditions are too demanding. Any suggestion that He has a claim on their life is met with disdain.

But what if the fact that He died for our sins, does give Him a claim on our lives? What if He always intends only good for us, but it must be under His charge? What if our seizure of personal autonomy is misguided, and really does lead us to the broad way of destruction rather than the narrow way of life? What if the Bible is right when it says, For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?

Who is actually in charge, you or Jesus Christ? In the end, who really has to relate to whom? He to you or you to Him? Assuming that the Bible is right and Jesus is God, could not Jesus have said exactly the same thing as Coach Paterno My not relating to you? That's not a problem. But you've got a problem. You don't relate to Me. And that's a big problem.

And here's the even bigger problem. Jesus will never force you. Never. His unbelievable gift is salvation, but He does not force anyone to take it. You can have your autonomy, or you can have His gift, but you cant have both.

Recent repair work being done on a country bridge meant that it had only one lane available. A small traffic light at each end governed the minimal flow of vehicles. One harried city fellow rushed through the red light on his side only to be met in the middle by an old farmer coming the other way. The city fellow hollered out the window, Get out of my way, you numbskull. I don't back up for idiots. The farmer just stared at the man and finally replied, No problem. I do.

Would we truly miss the treasure of Him to idolize a sovereignty that we must inevitably surrender? At our insistence, He will back away -- but at our invitation, He will come.

By His grace, Pastor Dave

Saving the Best for Last (published in The North Weld Herald 1/7/10)

A man decided to sell his racehorse, Irving, even though the horse had won several races. Hes too much of a ham, the owner told a prospective buyer. He thinks hes an actor. He sneers at other horses when he wins, and last week in a photo finish he turned his head so the camera could get his good side.

I don't care if he wants to be an actor, said the buyer. Ill take him anyway. Heres your money.

With that, the seller led the buyer to the stable. Irving, he said, this is your new owner. Now, you ham, get up and do your lame impression.

We do live in a world where a lot of empty promises get made, do we not? Well, consider this.

The first act of Jesus ministry was turning water to wine at a wedding in Cana. When one VIP guest had tasted that new wine, he commented to the bridegroom, Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now (John 2:10).

Why did John choose to record this particular event? I think he wanted to use a simple incident in the life of Christ to call attention to a universal truth. That truth is this: take anything apart from God and the trend is downward it is worse which always follows. On the other hand, whenever God is involved, the best is always kept till the end.

We see this in nature. The generally carefree, happy, robust days of youth soon give way to the responsibilities and anxieties of middle-age, which in turn end in the frailties, disabilities and miseries of old age and death. The trend is always downward.

The dream career is achieved, but its beginning hid the anxiety, the time, the personality conflicts, the stabs in the back, and the inability to advance that now render it less than satisfactory.

The new relationship promised paradise, but the idiosyncrasies, the personality quirks, the selfishness, the illness, the differences in perspective now make it something less than promised.

Sin promised much. The joy of the affair would make up for any inconvenience. But now the joy is long gone replaced by a broken home, a shattered reputation, and the loss of treasured relationships. Sin is always so fair and pleasant at the outset, but it hides its afterword -- an afterword which is never fair nor pleasant.

But that's where Christ comes in. Whereas the world's tomorrow is always worse than today, tomorrow with Christ, for everyone who trusts Him, is always brighter and better than yesterday. It's just one more way that his supremacy over all things is demonstrated.

David said it this way, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6). Imagine being dogged by God's goodness and mercy all the way through the vicissitudes of this life and then to arrive in the house of the Lord forever. God is in the business of saving the best for last.

So, don't buy any lame racehorses. Save the best for last and find a beginning and middle that's pretty good too! Trust Christ. Invite Him to every event of your life -- and beyond. The best for last a best that lasts and lasts and lasts and lasts and . . . .

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

Change is an Inside Job (published in The North Weld Herald 12/30/09)

A new department head at a small hospital requested repair of a leak under one of the sinks. Maintenance personnel promptly appeared with a bucket which was positioned under the drip with the promise that after more urgent requests were satisfied, they would be back to fix the leak. Meantime, they suggested someone be assigned to empty the bucket periodically.

Fifteen years later , just prior to retirement, the same department head called to report that the faithful pail had sprung a leak. Could the drip please be fixed? Shortly, maintenance arrived with a shiny new bucket!

Real change is tough. Its far easier to resort to old habits and favorite workarounds, which explains why most New Years resolutions quickly fail. We want to fix the drip, but it's so much easier to just buy a new bucket.

The problem? Resolutions concentrate on outward actions rather than inward motives. Resolutions put Band-Aids on symptoms without attacking root problems. Addressing undesirable actions and long-established habits without reference to inward change is like trying to stop a cholera epidemic by treating individual cases rather than cleaning up the water supply.

Step one in human reclamation is to establish a relationship with the Creator. That happens according to John 1:12 when we accept Jesus as Savior: "But as many as received Him (Christ), to them He (God the Father) gave the power to become the children of God, even to those who believe on His name. We become Gods child when from the depths of our being we acknowledge our sin, and ask for and accept His forgiveness.

What happens simultaneously is described in 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. The basis for real change is laid because God and inner me are now connected!

But while salvation is instantaneous, change takes time. That's because while a true believer has become a new creature, the old self continues as a reality during our lifetime on earth. Any given action is either driven by the new inner person in submission to Christ, or the old inner person with its allegiance to self.

Thus, the Christian life is one of constant inner warfare. The Bible summarizes the situation concisely in James 4:1, "What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? Each outward action is determined by who wins that internal war of passion -- the old self or the new.

We can affect that warfare -- but not by means of resolutions. Real change depends on feeding the new self and starving the old; and, though often maligned, simple Christian disciplines are the key to this. Applied Bible study feeds the inner person, resulting in outward change. Prayer effects instantaneous connection with the Father. Church attendance, where the Word is honored and faithfully taught, speeds our growth, as does accountability fostered in Bible studies where we learn and apply
biblical truth to life. These are the pursuits that will starve the old and feed the new resulting in genuine change from inside out.

One busy mother was looking through her closet for something to wear. When she casually asked her 4-year-old, What do you think I should change into? He thought awhile before replying, A butterfly. Great suggestion, right? But we all know that kind of change requires a metamorphosis starting from the inside.

Why not make 2010 the year when you don't just change the bucket. Fix the leak by feeding the inner self with the Godly disciplines which have the potential to make us like Christ.

By His grace, Pastor Dave

When Salvation Came on Board (published in The North Weld Herald 12/23/09)

VIPs and journalists comprised the passenger list for the maiden flight of a new airplane. Minutes after takeoff the captain welcomed everyone on-board and then continued: We do have a couple of minor glitches. Those on the right may have noticed a lot of vibration in one engine, and there is an orange glow from the other a fire actually. But not to fear! Were maintaining speed and altitude with the left engines, so relax and enjoy the flight.

Ten minutes later he was back: Ladies and gentlemen, a quick update. We are amazed how well the plane is operating given the loss of the engine that dropped off the left side a few minutes ago. We are a little concerned about the crack that has appeared along the middle aisle. Those of you with good eyesight may be able to spot the life raft we threw out a few minutes ago. We know you will be happy to know that your captain is carefully monitoring flight progress from that raft, so relax, sit back and enjoy the flight.

Not very comforting, is it? Chaos reigns and the captain has jumped ship. But what does that have to do with Christmas? Well Christmas is when exactly the opposite happened to the benefit of the whole human race.

Christmas is when the God who created the whole universe entered His own creation entered it as a participant. By means of the virgin birth, God Himself came on board the sinking ship of mankind to provide salvation. Jesus Himself said, For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. That was His mission and through His sinless life, sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection well, Mission Accomplished. That's what Christmas is all about.

But while salvation from sin is now available to anyone, it is only possessed by those who by faith have accepted the gift of Jesus righteousness in exchange for their sin. The Bible says, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What we could never earn, merit, or accomplish on our own is available as a gift but a gift that requires our total commitment to a Lord who has given all for us.

We've all heard of the old circle dance song The Hokey Pokey. It starts out, You put your right foot in; You put your right foot out; You put your right foot in, And you shake it all about. A man named Larry LaPrise popularized the song and the dance in the early 1950s. Of course, the joke that made the rounds among the irreverent when he died in the mid-90s was that it was tough getting him into the coffin. They put his right foot in and, well, that's when the trouble started!

The point is, when it comes to a God who became one of us to save us, you cant be part in and part out. You cant be part committed and part not. You cant be in on Sunday and out on Monday. You've either submitted your life to the Lord Jesus Christ in total, or you haven't submitted to Him at all. There is no middle ground. Have you received Jesus? Is it Christmas in your heart yet? His love for us is absolute and unconditional. How about ours for Him?

Join us at the First Congregational Church of Eaton/Ault, corner of 2nd and Cheyenne, at 9:00 pm on Christmas Eve in a celebration of our Lords incarnation.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

Second Fiddle (published in The North Weld Herald 9/10/09)

A sportsman went to a hunting lodge and bagged a record number of birds, aided by a dog named Salesman. The following year he asked for Salesman again. That hound aint no durn good anymore, the handler said. What happened? cried the sportsman. Was he injured? No, some fool came down here and called him Sales Manager all week. Now all he does is sit on his tail and bark.

I suppose that we all get a little big-headed once in awhile, right? Probably most of us are not quite as blatant as the old Mac Davis song Oh Lord, its hard to be Humble When You're Perfect in Every Way! We might not go that far, but pride is with us all the time just a question of degree.

We know we should be humble, but its tough. And even if you achieve humility and recognize that you've achieved humility doesn't that very recognition demonstrate a lack of humility? Isn't pride in humility still pride? Isn't it all a vicious circle?

May I suggest that most of us don't lack humility because we think ourselves perfect in every way. Most of us lack humility because we think of ourselves, period! I'm defending my rights, or protecting my earnings or guarding my legacy looking out for what is rightfully mine because if I don't, who will? And if I go just a little over the line at times, well, so be it.

But that very focus on self is the thing that kills humility. Focus on self for any reason whether in arrogance or despair is egoism and defeats the kind purpose of our Creator.

What is His purpose? I Peter 5:6 says it perfectly: Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you. That verse not only gives the command get humble; it also tells how trust God.

Its a marvelous way to live. Trust Him with your rights; trust Him with your reputation; trust Him with your riches; and trust Him for your reward. Trust Him and you don't have to look out for number one. He does.

And the really amazing thing is, although He is completely and utterly sufficient within Himself and needs nothing to complete Himself or His joy yet He takes great joy in those who love, trust and obey Him.

Isaiah 62:5 says, . . . as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. Can you imagine any greater personal significance than to know that Almighty God looks at you like that? Or how about Zech. 3:17, . . . he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. God singing over me! When someone like that has your back, you don't have to worry about your front, right?

A famous conductor was once asked, What is the most difficult instrument in the orchestra to play? He said, with a twinkle in his eye, "Second fiddle." Trust me if your eyes are on God, you can play second fiddle like a virtuoso knowing that He will take care of the recognition.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

The Weapon of Choice (published in The North Weld Herald 9/3/09)

At a country store in Vermont, a woman was berating the proprietor about everything from his prices to the fact that it was raining. After she left, the proprietor muttered to himself, That woman's got enough mouth for two sets of teeth.

It's small, pink, soft to the point of mushiness, and quite unattractive. If you just saw one lying around it would be the last thing that you would ever choose as a weapon. It has no weight, no sharp edges, and appears perfectly harmless. But how appearances deceive!

It is, of course, the tongue. And it is capable of wrecking havoc -- at home, in the workplace, and even among nations. The Bible says it this way, "So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! (Jas 3:5).

At times, we are not even aware of the pain we are in inflicting. At other times we inflict pain knowingly but subtly to avoid direct accusation -- clearly the act of a coward. And, of course, there are times when we are quite direct.

One quick-tempered man defended his reputation by saying, It passes; it is done with quickly. To which a friend wisely replied, So does a shotgun blast. What damage the tongue can inflict in short order.

Interestingly enough, however, this same small weapon can be used for great good. The Bible says in Proverbs 12:18, "There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. I love the fact that this organ which can start the damaging forest fire can also be used to bring healing. It's like fire; it can be overwhelmingly destructive, or it can be wonderfully soothing. It all depends on how it's used.

Give Wynton Marsalis a trumpet and we would all be in for a stupendous evening. Put the same trumpet into the hands of an unskilled beginner and the audience would be short-lived. In one case, years of intentional thought, practice and careful cultivation of an ability have paid rich dividends. In the second case, lack of thoughtful practice and restraint cannot overcome good intention.

So it is with the tongue. When used in a careless, unpracticed and undisciplined manner it is devastating. It brings healing only when careful attention is given to what is spoken. Mastery of the tongue requires thoughtful consideration of previous failures, and careful preparation for handling similar situations differently in the future. It further requires the acquired facility of not speaking before thinking.

When used in a controlled and practiced manner it can be as devastatingly effective for good as it has previously been for evil. The Bible says, With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone.

In short, the same tongue can be wielded as an agent for evil or as a means of grace. It is a weapon of choice in the sense that it is we, the owners, who determine which it will be in our case. But our decision will benefit or hurt everyone around us.

We don't want to be like the guy who announced to his wife one evening that he had an appointment the next day with the dentist to have his bite adjusted. You tell him for me, she remarked, to adjust your bark as well. With intentional, practiced discipline, no one will find it necessary to say the same to us.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

When You Can't Buckle Up (published in The North Weld Herald 8/27/09)

Comedian Howie Mandel, who has hosted the TV show Deal or no Deal, honed his skills early while operating an amusement park ride. Make sure the orange safety harness over your left shoulder is securely fastened, he would warn riders. Were going upside down in five seconds. This announcement would invariably be met with abject panic. There was, he later explained, NO orange safety harness! Oh boy we don't like it when there is no safety harness, do we? We dont like it when there is nothing to catch us, nothing to buckle us in, when there are no answers. We dont like it.

For us, the call came nine years ago. It was Mom calling from Victorville, California, 70 miles from our home in Yorba Linda, to inform us that she had just watched my robust, strong, 83-year-old father slowly slump to the sidewalk as he was coming in with the morning paper -- a massive stroke. We joined Mom as quickly as we could, praying at the hospital that God would either allow Dad a full recovery or take him home to heaven. He was ready to go.

What the Lord chose, instead, was to take us, and particularly Mom, to His waiting room. Gods waiting room the place where there are no yes or no answers, but only wait. The place where at first its dark and dreary, where God seems far away and doubt creeps in. The place where there is no safety harness and where faith seems inadequate. And worst of all a place where there is no timetable. Gods waiting room -- where none of us would choose to go. And when we see it coming, our response is, Oh, no, Lord. Not that! I don't want to go there. Its scary there. Its dark and cold there. And you might leave me there longer than I can endure.

The Bible doesn't suggest that there are easy answers to life's hard situations, but it extols a good God who cares. Promises abound. For those who truly love God, "wait" never means, "you are forgotten; it always means "I love you in an unfathomable way." The greatly oppressed Job says, "When He has tried me, I shall come out as gold (Job 23:10). Only our own lack of submission can hinder Gods intended good in our lives.

The Bible promises, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28). That is something to cling to when there is no safety harness in sight. For my parents it was six long years of severe disability for Dad and constant caretaker duty for Mom. But their faith, though tried, remained constant; their joy remained full; and they had a powerful impact on many lives.

They lived the truth of Isaiah 40:31: But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. That verse is not given in isolation. It is the culmination of a chapter where God is variously presented as bigger than all of physical creation, any counselor, any political entity, any competing god, any other caretaker, and any other circumstance. He is supreme -- and He is ours!

Oswald Chambers, author of the classic daily devotional My Utmost For His Highest, says it this way, "We have an idea that God is leading us to a particular end, a desired goal; He is not. . . . His end is the process that I see Him walking on the waves, no shore in sight, no success, no goal, just the absolute certainty that it is all right because I see Him walking on the sea. Gods waiting room; no safety harness only HIM!

In His time, in His time,
He makes all things beautiful in His time.
Lord, my life to You I bring,
May each song I have to sing,
Be to You a lovely thing, in Your time.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

It Could Happen To You (published in The North Weld Herald 8/20/09)

A backwoods family are new to the big city; everything is a wonder to them. Somehow they get into a department store and while the mother goes off shopping, father and son became enamored of a shiny chrome wall that occasionally parts in the middle revealing a small room. They watch an elderly lady in a wheelchair punch a button causing the wall to part, allowing her to enter as the wall closes up again behind her. Lights flash on and off for several minutes and, then, to their amazement, the wall opens and out steps a beautiful 24-year-old elegantly dressed young woman. Without ever taking his eyes off the chrome doorway, the father says, Son -- go git yer maw.

Wouldn't we all like to find that fountain of youth! Want to know a secret? You can! You can have the existence of youth and beauty that you know you were meant for all in Gods plan.

To be transformed outwardly, we must first be transformed inwardly. The truth is, however decrepit, aged, wrinkled or lacking in beauty our outward appearance may be, it cant hold a candle to what we look like inwardly. The Bible says, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jer. 17:9). It further says, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23).

This isn't my verdict. Its the verdict of a loving and holy God who still longs for our total transformation. So, He doesn't just pronounce sentence and disappear. Amazingly, He leaves the bench, comes to our side, takes all of our sin upon Himself in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, and now offers redemption from our sentence and inward and outward transformation to all will accept His free gift of grace. What a God!

How do we get this gift? The same way we get any gift. We accept it by agreeing with Him about our sin. He promises, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). Paul goes even one step further and says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (II Cor. 5:17). Not just cleansed, but a whole new creation.

That's the inside part but now get this! For those who are in Christ, the Bible also promises that Christ will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Transformed inside and outside in due time. Not a magic elevator, but this has the virtue of being real.

Some people refuse to accept the gift saying it is just too simple. But I look at it like this. How could I, a weekend hacker, ever get to play Augusta National private home of the Masters Golf Tournament? Answer: It would have to be a gift. The more precious the item, the more it can only be gotten by gift. So, is it any surprise that the most precious gift of all eternal life can only come as a gift?

In the movie, It Could Happen to You, the stars win the lottery but what they actually find is love. You can experience the transformation I've talked about above by accepting God's gift, but what you will reallyfind is His incomparable love. How good is that! According to His promise, it could happen to you!

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

The Price of Success (published in The North Weld Herald 8/13/09)

In the early 1930s, a farmer and his wife went to a fair. The farmer was fascinated by the airplanes and asked a pilot how much a ride would cost. "$10 for 3 minutes," replied the pilot. "That's too much," said the farmer. The pilot thought for a second and then said, "Ill make you a deal. If you and your wife ride for 3 minutes without uttering a sound, the ride will be free. But if you make a sound, you'll have to pay $10." The farmer and his wife agreed and went for a wild ride.

After they landed, the pilot said to the farmer, "I want to congratulate you for not making a sound. You are a brave man." "Maybe so," said the farmer, "But I gotta tell ya, I almost screamed when my wife fell out!"

The story may be apocryphal, but it does make a point. Success comes with a price.

We live, of course, in a success-oriented society. Results are what count, and our performance is measured routinely at work to say nothing of the standards that society sets and that we buy into for measuring success in home, family and community life.

It is the norm these days for both parents to work a necessity to have the right house in the right neighborhood with the right cars and the right frenzy of activities. We sacrifice almost anything to give our children every advantage in sports, experiences, education, culture, and friendships. We want them to be able to compete in a demanding world. We are exceptionally well-intentioned.

The question is, when is does it all become too much? At what point has the whirlwind of activity that constitutes our lives blown out of control? When have the sacrifices become relational as opposed to reasonable time and money? Are we now just doing without thinking why we are doing? Have we lost the big picture? In our reach for the good, have we lost the best? Have we given our families everything everything, except ourselves? Have we fallen out of the plane?

Jesus offered an interesting question in Luke 14:28: For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Have we counted the cost to our families lately for all the advantages we are giving them? In all the flurry, is it possible that they are missing what is most important time with us?

We don't want to be like the wife who said to her husband, Charlie, I am warning you about your hours. The night before last, you came home yesterday. Last night, you came home today. This evening, if you come home tomorrow, I wont be here. For their sake, let's be there even if the plane ride has to go.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

Why All the Fuss (published in The North Weld Herald 8/6/09)

The evangelistic zeal of leading atheists fascinates me. If there is no God what difference does it make?!

In recent years, we have had a spate of books written from an aggressively atheistic perspective: Dawkins' The God Delusion, Sam Harris' The End of Faith, and Christopher Hitchen's God is Not Great. These and others like them are getting a wide hearing.

Some, like Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett have even proposed a positive new title for themselves brights as in, I am a bright (implied -- you are not)! Dennett is quoted in the New York Times on July 12, 2003: We brights don't believe in ghosts or elves or the Easter Bunny or God.

And parents take note there is an agenda! Dawkins acknowledges the right of parents to believe in God if they want, but questions, . . . should they be free to impose their beliefs on their children? Is there something to be said for society stepping in? (The God Delusion, p. 315).

Philosopher Richard Rorty proudly speaks of his secular colleagues trying to discredit you in the eyes of your children, trying to strip your . . . religious community of dignity, trying to make your views seem silly rather than discussable (First Things, May, 2004). Such quotations could be multiplied.

Why all the fuss if there is no God? Is it possible that all this protest is actually proof of the Bibles contention that men reject God with their hearts, not with their heads? They deny Him not because He can be disproven, but because they do not want to be accountable. Thus their crusade to be rid of Him.

The Bibles position is simply stated: The fool says in his heart (not head, but heart), There is no God (Psalm 14:1). And why does he do this? Since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done (Rom. 1:28). They desire the autonomy to do as they want as opposed to an unthinkable submission to a holy God.

Jesus notes the same thing in John 3:19: And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil (a problem of accountability, not intellect). Of course, we are all sinners, atheists and theists alike. Denying God is simply one way of dealing with this universal problem. No God no guilt!

Don't believe its about accountability? Try this statement by Aldous Huxley, early 20^th century atheist: For myself, as, no doubt, for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation. . . . from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom [emphasis added] (cited by Arlie Hoover, Dear Agnos, p. 260).

But what if there is a God? Can personal autonomy truly compete with His standards? Dead ahead, through the pitch-black night, the captain sees a light on a collision course with his ship. He sends a signal: Change your course ten degrees east. Change yours ten degrees west, comes the reply. The captain responds, I'm a United States Navy captain! Change your course, sir! I'm a seaman second class, the next message reads. Change your course, sir. The captain is furious. I'm a battleship! I'm not changing course! I'm a lighthouse. Your call.

Is it possible that denying Gods revelation might not be so bright after all?

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

You Bet Your Life (published in The North Weld Herald 7/23/09)

Im probably showing my age, but Groucho Marx was always one of my favorites. Who could ever forget lines like, I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas Ill never know! Groucho once had a television show entitled You Bet Your Life. Of course, the bets on the show were always a bit smaller than that. Nevertheless, it occurred to me one day that, in fact, everyone who ever appeared on that show was betting their life just not on the show and not so obviously.

All of humankind is equal in the sense that we've all been given one life. Wed probably all agree on that. But here's the kicker. We are also all living by faith! And because of that, were all betting our life on something.

I admit that the general perception is that it is only religious people who are living by faith and betting on God, but the truth is, were all betting on something.

Even the atheist is betting on something. He or she is betting that there is no personal God and consequently no accountability. However, no one can actually prove that contention without having all knowledge. So, the atheist is living by faith betting his life on the assumption that there is no God. But -- what if the assumption is wrong?

How about those who are indifferent? They sort of remind me of the fellow who was asked which was worse, ignorance or apathy, to which he replied, I don't know, and I don't care. Okay, so hes indifferent. However, wittingly or unwittingly, hes betting his life on the assumption that we cannot know for sure about God; therefore its okay to ignore God. My question is, since that assumption cant be absolutely proven, what if the assumption is wrong?

Blaise Pascal, one of the acknowledged masters of calculus in the 16th century, is famous for his wager. When asked why he believed in eternal salvation or eternal life, his remarks were as follows: Let's assume that I am wrong and there is no life hereafter. Then I have lost nothing. On the other hand, let's assume that I am right and there is life hereafter, then I have gained everything. Its hard to fault that logic.

That doesn't prove the existence of a personal God, of course; but when we consider that the life we have is the only one we will ever get, and when we consider that the consequences of the bet we are all placing could have very significant eternal consequences, doesn't it make sense in the words of Solomon to Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.

Far too much is at stake to just drift through life. Even by taking no action at all, you have bet your life. But what if your assumption. . . ?

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

Hard Times & Soft Answers (published in The North Weld Herald 7/16/09)

In a classic Peanuts comic, Charlie Brown is warned that all the girls are angry with him. The girls confront him with many complaints and then ask, What have you got to say for yourself? Rather than arguing, Charlie says, Nothing. You girls are absolutely right, and I'm glad to hear you feel this way. After they leave he turns to look at the reader and says, My soft answer hath turned away a whole flock of wrath.

The art of the soft answer. It gets short shrift in our narcissistic society. It is certainly not the way to defend ones rights. But the truth is, it is as effective as it ever was at mending fences, creating harmony and removing alienation. It just isnt practiced as much as it once was nor valued as highly.

As the oldest of 11 children, eight of whom were rough and tumble boys, I can tell you that one of the early Scripture verses we were taught was Proverbs 15:1, A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. It didn't solve all the problems, but it was a constant reminder that there is a better way. The impact of that instruction goes a long way, I believe, to explaining the close-knit relationships we enjoy today, these many years later.

The Bible says in Ephesians 4:26b-27, do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. The implication is, of course, that by hanging on to anger I am opening myself up increased frustration, further dissension and wasteful feelings of revenge. Nothing good can result, that's for sure. But its so hard to let go of because I must look out for my rights!

Let me suggest an alternative way to look at it. Ephesians 4:27 literally reads and give no place to the devil. There is another verse in Romans 12:19 that says, Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. The phrase leave it to the wrath of God literally reads, give place to the wrath of God. Put these together and we have a very reasonable alternative to harboring ill-feelings. Don't give place to the devil by hanging on to anger, but do give place to the (righteous) wrath of God who can right your wrong with control, balance and justice.

God isn't asking us to be a doormat here. He is simply asking those who truly seek Him to trust their rights to Him. Move the burden of rights protection to a much more competent Protector. In the meantime, our soft answer just may turn away a whole flock of wrath, and wouldn't that be good for everyone? Hard times at home or work? Try some soft answers.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

A Message to Graduates (published in The North Weld Herald 5/14/09)

Six-year-old Jennifer loved her teacher, so she was crest-fallen when first grade was over. In accordance with tradition at her school, Jennifer's class lined up to shake hands with Miss Hardy on the last day of school. When it was Jennifer's turn, she took Miss Hardy's hand, but then she could not help herself. She threw her arms around her teacher and said, Miss Hardy, I love you so much. I wish you were smart enough to teach second grade!

So, as a graduate you have at last shown yourself smarter than all of your teachers. You are moving on while they are staying where they are; none quite smart enough to teach the 13^th grade. Congratulations! You have achieved a major milestone in life and you have gained knowledge. So what further advice could one give you as you launch into your adult life?

I have none from myself, but may I suggest a word from the wisest man who ever lived. You have knowledge, but he suggested you go one step beyond that when he said, Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight (Prov. 4:7). To emphasize the extreme importance of this advice he went on, How much better to get wisdom than gold! (Prov. 16:16). Better than wealth? That makes it pretty important, does it not?

So how does one get this wisdom? Solomon answers that question as well: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. Wisdom comes from knowing and respecting God. Given that we were created in the first place to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, does it not follow that failure to know, love and appreciate Him will leave a gap in our lives that cannot be filled in any other way no matter how hard we try?

Solomon further advises on the source of wisdom: For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding (Prov. 2:6). This points us straight to Scripture as the ultimate source for knowing God and deriving principles to live by. There is nothing you could do that would contribute more to your future happiness and success than to study, learn and apply the Bible to your life. All the wisdom of a benevolent Creator is waiting there to be mined, discovered and lived.

Perhaps you would expect advice like that from a pastor, but if you will allow me a personal note, it was principles derived from Scripture that I found most sustaining, productive and lasting through a lengthy career as a business executive. Gods wisdom extends to every aspect of business, financial, personal, marriage and family life. It works; it brings true happiness and you never really get to the bottom of it.

My advice is to follow Solomon's advice! Marry the knowledge you have already gained to the wisdom contained in Gods Word, and you will be a winner.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

Chosen By Love (published in The North Weld Herald 3/26/09)

One day the famous baseball manager, Casey Stengel, became exasperated by demands from the crowd for a player on his bench. He finally called for the player in question. Am I going in? asked the player eagerly. No, replied Stengel, I don't want you. Go up in the stands with your fans. They want you.

How do you feel about life right now? Loved, indifferent, generally rejected? May I suggest in this February month of love, there is a place where you are thoroughly, comprehensively, and compellingly loved. That place is in the heart of God Himself.

To better grasp this, we have to know that in the Bible multiple words are translated love. The two most pertinent are eros and agape, with meanings that are worlds apart. They differ in two primary ways. Eros is most like the way we normally use the word love in our culture. It is driven emotionally toward that which it perceives as worthy; thus we gravitate toward things and people who are attractive, ambitious, successful and valued. It also desires to possess.

Agape is the exact opposite. It is bestowed regardless of merit or worth, being based instead on the decision of the lover. And it desires to give, not get. Agape is the word used in Romans 5:8: But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The God of the Bible, as opposed to any other god of whom I am aware, loves sinners not because we stir some emotional response in Him or because of some cuteness or cuddliness on our part, but because He chooses to love us.

That love found its ultimate expression on the cross of Jesus Christ a fact often missed by the pervasive belief of our generation that Jesus death was nothing more than a great tragedy, an unfortunate accident. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Bible is emphatic that Jesus died as a result of the plan of God Himself and as the embodiment of His love in providing atonement for sin that could come no other way. We read in Isaiah 53:10, Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt. That's an almost incomprehensible love, described long before the cross ever happened!

Jesus himself said in John 10:17, For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.

The cross -- an accident of history? I don't think so. Not according to Scripture. Predicted ahead of time to demonstrate conclusively its part in Gods eternal plan. Submitted to willingly, as the most extreme expression of love ever enacted, by a Savior desiring to draw us to Himself. All of which brings us back to where we are most wanted, desired, accepted, cherished and loved in the heart of our Creator and Lord. Why would any of us not accept the gift of salvation that He now offers based on that love?

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

It's A Jungle Out There (published in The North Weld Herald 1/1/09)

Midway through a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, the basses had a long rest. They were thirsty, so they slipped out to the friendly neighborhood bar. They timed their stay carefully, yet each managed to down several drinks before hurrying back to the music hall in time for a big finish. They weren't too worried that they might miss their opening cue because they had wrapped strong twine around the closing pages of the directors copy of the opus with a note that they would return on time. You can imagine the feelings of the conductor when the basses breezed in and he realized that it was the bottom of the ninth, the basses were loaded, and the score was tied! Chaos reigns.

Okay, its not yet baseball season, but as a longtime member of the world of corporate business, I know the pressure of kicking off a new year with the feeling that things are already out of control expectations are unreasonable, staff is complaining, products dont work, the competition is on a roll. Chaos reigns.

Its no better at home where schedules are wacky, both cars are broken, the furnace has gone out, children are going through a phase constantly, taxes are due, and the Christmas lights aren't even down yet. Its easy to feel like life is out of control. Chaos reigns.

How is one to cope with a 21^st century existence that still has 24-hour days, but 30-hour demands? May I suggest that we need a focal point, a purpose around which our life revolves so that we know whats important and whats not, what to do and what to discard, and where to go for help when its all beyond us. If you're a football fan, you may have seen the message written in the eye black on the cheeks of last years Heisman winner, Tim Tebow Phil 4:13. A little chaos rains on him at times, too! Phil. 4:13 is where the Apostle Paul says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. In putting Christ first, Paul was doing what he was made for, and in the process gaining the ability to prioritize, and, when necessary, to thrive in chaos.

The mass of our mighty sun holds all of the planets of our solar system in place. It is supreme in its domain. So Christ, given His proper position as supreme in our lives can hold all our planets together work, leisure, home, relationships, finances, sexuality, whatever all orbiting appropriately when daily submitted to His Lordship. We are made for fellowship with God through Christ, and when all of life revolves around Him, chaos may continue, but Christ reigns.

By His Grace, Pastor Dave

We've Been Invaded (published in The North Weld Herald 12/25/08)

We've been invaded! Not always a welcome message. But there is a major exception.

Matthew was a tax collector in his first career. But he became a follower of Jesus Christ. Years later, he began his written recollections with the birth of Jesus and made this commentary in Matthew 1:22-23: All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet [Isaiah]: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).

This is the testimony of a hardened business man who lived three years in closest proximity with this Jesus walked, talked, dined and lived with him. Somewhere along the line he became convinced that he was seeing God in the flesh. When did that light dawn for Matthew? We don't know for sure. He probably didn't understand the full ramifications until after Jesus death and resurrection. But he knew he had witnessed something unprecedented God invading human history and he knew that made a demand on his life, one that according to tradition led to his death as a martyr, so strongly did he believe in what he had witnessed. If God has entered history, does it have meaning to us as well?

The country schoolhouse I attended was about a mile away from our Nebraska farm when I started kindergarten. I was in high spirits heading toward school that first day, but I hadn't gone far before I realized the dangers lurking. I had seen our neighbors black angus bull get out of his pasture and attack our cattle. Now the prospect of meeting that bull all alone on that country lane was all that occupied my mind. Soon my five-year-old legs were churning at full speed only I was headed home, not toward school! Minutes later, however, my fears were non-existent as I headed back down that road. Why? Because walking beside me was the strongest, bravest man I knew my dad.

In a far greater way, Gods invasion of our world in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, can provide, through his substitutionary death and resurrection, concrete relief from the anxiety, guilt, sin and alienation that pervades human existence. We do not have to go on being our own god any longer (the essence of sin). The true God has come and offers eternal life and constant care to anyone who will trust their life to Him.

To me the saddest verse in the Bible is John 1:11: He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. Thankfully, John goes on: But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Merry Christmas is when He invades our personal history bringing life and peace to all who will accept His gift.

That's what I wish each of you -- Merry Christmas!

By His Grace,

Pastor Dave

Bring Back Thanksgiving (published in The North Weld Herald 11/27/08)

I came across a rather sad reflection of our time a few days ago. A postal worker related that he in sorting through the dead letter file around Christmas time, he found the vast majority of letters were written to Santa and consisted of long wish lists and assurances of lives well lived for the year past. But in the months after Christmas, only one single letter of thanks was sent to Santa.

As I read that, I could not help but wonder, have we lost something in our increasingly chaotic and informal society? It wasn't that long ago that writing thank you notes for almost any occasion or kindness was the thing to do. Perhaps they occasionally lacked true sentiment, but the very fact that one took the time to respond at least suggested that being thankful would be an appropriate, expected and appreciated response. It at least put the subject on the table. Is it possible that our sense of entitlement has become so high that our sense of rectitude has become skewed? Along with the common courtesies, have we also jettisoned golden opportunities to build character and gratitude in ourselves and our children?

A few years ago, my wife, Patty, and I gave a small monetary gift to our many younger nieces and nephews at an annual Christmas party. We were both amused and gratified to receive the following from six-year-old Jordon. Dear Uncle Dave and Aunt Patty, Thank you for the money. I spent it. Love, Jordan. Okay it wasn't much. But consider that it was a significant effort for that little guy, was teaching him gratitude, and warmed our hearts as well. So, I say, bring back a few time-honored customs and bring back Thanksgiving not just for a day, but as a lifestyle.

All of which reminds me of a debt I owe. My wife Patty and I moved to Eaton from Southern California in July and we have a lot to be thankful for. Our congregation has overwhelmed us with gifts of love and kindness, and we've made many friends in the community at large. We love the area, love the people and love the sports (Go, Reds!). We've watched unbelievably beautiful, sunsets and lost count of stars at night. We thank God, and we thank North Weld County for the honor of being Eatonites!