faith

The Impact of a Life

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments

It has been a long time since I heard Dr. Dobson on the radio, but when I heard the news of his passing, I paused to remember all the blessings his life and ministry gave us. Thirty years ago, I often listened on my truck radio while I worked long hours, trimming apples trees in the fields, or driving home at lunch time. His interviews with such a wide-ranging group of guests impacted not only my own life, but also how Nancy and I raised our boys, and helped us make decisions that changed the course of our marriage. I am thankful for Dr. Dobson’s humility, integrity and courage to speak the truth in love. Year after year, decade after decade, Jim Dobson stuck to his guns. When issues arose or mistakes were made by those at Focus on the Family, he gave us an honest answer, without pretense. I am also thankful for the example Jim Dobson set as he promoted not only his own career but also that of others, launching ministries for men, women, children, the disabled, the elderly and so many more. So today, let’s not place Jim on a pedestal, or enshrine him in a hall of fame, but recall with thankfulness the passing of a brother who dedicated his life to Jesus Christ and remained faithful in what God called him to do till the very end. Oh, the world has changed so much over the last 40-50 years, but it is still a world that God loves and no matter how far from Him they run, He has commissioned us, to run after them with the love and message of Jesus Christ. I am posting this interview done with CBN back in 2018, as I believe it epitomizes the best way we can do that. May God bless the Dobson family during this time and may the debate over the life and ministry of Dr. Dobson be respectful and kind. We must have a faith in Christ that is unwavering in its courage, but in its outreach show respect for others and malice towards none.

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Preparing for the AI Storm

/ pastorpete51 / 7 Comments 
Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations. Joel 2:1-2 ESV

There is a storm coming called artificial intelligence, the likes of which we have never seen. It is hard for us to even imagine the power of this new force that is no longer coming, it is here and growing more powerful daily. Whether on the topic of medicine, or national defense, AI is viewed as a tool to be used, and an uncommon urgency seems to have gripped our society to develop it as fast as possible. It makes me wonder if anyone stopped to ask why, and what will be the outcome of turning those segments of our society over to this brand-new force. We are either at the point now or soon will be that some AI model somewhere will know the names and personal information of virtually every single person on our planet. They will or are in the process of consuming all our works of literature, art, and theater. Every star, every discovery, every medicine will be part of its database. Even every state secret, every weapon system, and the internal structure of every unit in our military is only just beyond its reach but only for now. How should we prepare? How should we as Christians think about how AI will affect us and the work of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? There has never been an adversary like the one we are facing. Yet, no matter what lies ahead, we need to remember that there is still no one like our God. There will never be any power greater than His. If He is on our side, who can be against us? So, let’s prepare, but not fear, plan but not panic and keep walking by faith because with the strength that only Jesus gives, He has promised that we will not faint! This week we sang, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” The message that Helen Lemmel wrote about trusting God in confusing and difficult circumstances is never more true than now. When we don’t know what to do next, who to trust or where to turn, we must turn our eyes of faith towards Jesus, and then “The things that are of earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace!”

What is So Special About That?

/ pastorpete51 / 5 Comments 
For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 NIV

The word, “Special” is so overused in our society, and its meaning so diluted that, well, it just isn’t very special anymore! For example, the lunch special at my diner, really is just the meal that almost everyone orders because it is cheaper than anything else on the menu. We call our friends, dreams, days and even moments special in our struggle to give them greater value. The phrases “You are special,” or “Everyone is special, have become so ingrained in us, that when experience shows us that we are just ordinary, we get depressed. Uncounted angry words are spoken, and violent acts are committed, demanding that others recognize our specialness. But in our insistence on being treated as special, we have lost sight of one of the greatest truths of all: God loves ordinary people.

The Bible is filled with stories of God dressing ordinary wildflowers in brilliant colors, feeding common ravens, and spending His time counting the hair on every person’s head. In fact, the greatest hope we have from today’s verse is that God is not looking for special people. God is interested in fat people, skinny minnies, wise guys and dummies, kids who are in trouble and adults whose lives lie in ruins. God is just as interested in listening to the elderly, no longer able to communicate as He is to children who seem to never stop talking. God welcomes ordinary people of all kinds, who have put their faith in His Son Jesus Christ. He loves sinful selfish people like you and me and freely forgives as we ask for it. He turns no one away, no matter how ordinary, and He washes feet no matter how dirty, because “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life!” And that, my friend is something that is truly special!

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