Are You In The Pits? #159

Lamentations 3:22-26 22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.
 23 Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”25 The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
to those who search for him.
 26 So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.

Is there hope? That would have been the cry of Jeremiah as he faced the overwhelming scene of the city of Zion. The city is in ruble, the people have been taken into captivity, and he himself is in the depths of despair. It is not a pretty scene. The once magnificent city of David is broken and its people destroyed. In the first 21 verses of chapter three he describes his personal feelings. He has experienced the wrath of God. He is broken. The very body in which he dwells is feeling old. He feels trapped with no escape.

He feels deserted by God. His prayers are of no avail. The people mock him. He cries for help, but no one does anything. Inner peace has alluded him. The wealth he once enjoyed is no more. Only poverty surrounds him. He is bitter and downcast. Maybe the worst thing of all is that HE HAS NO HOPE of anything ever getting better. He is overcome with the feelings of hopelessness. Ever been there?

Jeremiah finds hope. His only hope is in God. It is in God whose love never ends, whose mercy is new every morning, and whose faithfulness is great. The conclusion of Jeremiah is that there really is hope. Hope is not in the circumstances or the troubles or sorrows, but his hope is in the Lord. Thus he decides, “I will depend on Him.” Maybe you are in the pit with Jeremiah today. Look to your only real hope. It is in the Almighty God, the Lord of your life. He is full of mercy, and love for you today. Depend on Him with all your heart. HE IS FAITHFUL!!

_______________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from home in Tempe, AZ

I do hope your week has been filled with the comfort, strength, hope, mercy, l

ove and grace of God. I have a hard time imagining how we can make it without the presence of our Lord and all He does for us and is in us.

Sandy is going to be team teaching at FBC Tempe on a Tuesday morning study for women. She is excited about that. I have been asked to preach the 6PM service at FBC on the 28th.This coming Sunday Aug 21 I will be preaching twice at Laveen Baptist Church in Laveen, AZ.

I have also been allowed the privilege of preaching at the First Baptist Ch

urch of Clairemont, San Diego, CA on September 4th.

We continue to praise God for opportunities to teach His word and to encourage God's servants.

All three of our older grandsons are in school. Collin just started a week ago Monday. Little Johnny is doing very well. He is chronologically 5 months old. His adjusted age is 3 months. He weighs 16 plus pounds. Sandy is helping care for him a couple of times a week. She loves

every minute of it.

I do pray that God blesses you with His presence and reveals to you that He is what you are seeking.

God is good. In His wonderful love. ~ DGW

Be Prepared #158

James 1:2-4

2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials. 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (NASB)

What's happening in your life right now? Are you facing a trial, a tribulation, a difficult time, or an overwhelming struggle? Well, there is hope. God has a purpose for everything. His purpose is to bring you to a place in your life that is more like Jeus.

Romans 8:28-29

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

God is allowing the trial in your life to make you like Jesus. Thus you can count it as, reckon it so, and accept it as true joy. Your faith is being tested. Throughout scripture GOd allows His followers testing to grow them. Abraham was tested when he took Isaac to the mountain to sacrifice him on an altar. The testing of your faith grows you in endurance and patience. The testing will have a perfect result. That result is that you develop the life that can stand up under anything. You will be mature (Christ-like), and the finished product God desires. You will lack nothing.

None of this will happen without the experience of trials and tribulations. So whether it is the current trial, or the next one to come your way, you will be prepared. God will grow you into the Christ-like person He desires. Fight the good fight of faith as you experience the trials of life.

_____________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks in Tempe, AZ

I do hope and pray you had a wonderful week. Sandy and I continue to praise God for his care and protection. Last week I had some lab work done. The results are

in and it is amazing, miraculous, and worthy of praising God. Anemia has been an issue for several years now. It is corrected and the labs show normal counts..

The ALT and AST, both liver enzymes are either normal or only slightly elevated. The other liver enzymes are the best they have been for several years also. We are praising God and

thanking Him for the continued health and open doors for ministry.

I will be preaching in Laveen, AZ at the Laveen Baptist Church on August 21. Only two services. Not sure I want a third one right now after my experience in South Dakota. I will also be preaching at First Baptist Church of Clairemont, CA on September 4. That Sunday is our 45th wedding anniversary. We will be celebrating with a few days in San Diego.

Sandy has been asked to co-teach a women's Bible study at First Baptist Church in Tempe. FBC has asked for Sandy and me to consider several other teaching opportunities. We are currently attending FBC of Tempe and have found a wonderful Sunday School class.

All our grandsons are in school except for Johnny of course. He is also doing well.

Sandy and I will be in Kansas City, MO for the wedding of our niece, Meredith in September. We look forward to that wonderful time with family. It will be a quick trip, but still plan to see my Dad while there.

Purpose Ministries is doing well with the openings and opportunities for ministry. Thanks to all of you who pray for us and support the ministry. May God bless you.

May you find the joy of your salvation and experience the grace, mercy and love of God. Thank Him today that He is patient, forgiving, unchangeable, and accepting of us all because of the cross of Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory. ~ DGW

What Ministry? # 157

2 Corinthians 4:1-7

1 And so, since God in his mercy has given us this wonderful ministry, we never give up.

2 We reject all shameful and underhanded methods. We do not try to trick anyone, and we do not distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know that.

3 If the Good News we preach is veiled from anyone, it is a sign that they are perishing.

4 Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them. They don't understand the message we preach about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

5 We don't go around preaching about ourselves; we perch Christ Jesus, the Lord. All we say about ourselves is that we are your servants b because of what Jesus has done for all us.

6 For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made us understand that this light is the brightness of glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But this precious treasure this light and power that now shine within us is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own.

I don't have any spiritual gifts. I don't have a ministry. Is that your attitude? God has gifted you to serve Him and others. You may say, I don't know what to do." The problem is that you may be thinking in terms of ministry to children, prayer, missions, etc. What you need to be thinking of is a ministry of the New Covenant. The Old Covenant was a covenant of laws regulating behavior and requiring conformity in order to have a relationship with God. The Old Covenant was contained in the Hebrew Bible and demanded that the followers not break the laws. Moses brought the law down from Mt. Sinai on tablets of stone. In order to have a righteous relationship with a Holy God it was necessary to obey each and everyone of them. The people failed miserably at keeping the laws. Thus condemnation, guilt and death followed.

Jesus introduced a New Covenant. It was a covenant of grace and mercy. It is recognized that breaking the law was sin. It is recognized that

death followed the breaking of the law, but gave an opportunity of hope, forgiveness, life and a relationship with God through Jesus' death and resurrection. The ministry, a food distribution center, or a ministry to a specific need. It is a ministry of hope to all. It was a ministry of new life through Jesus Christ. It comes about as you serve the needs of people for eternal life. No matter what you do you have this ministry. For that reason Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians reminds us that this ministry is of God's Spirit. It brings life. It is with glory.

_______________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks in Tempe, AZ,

We are so excited to be back in AZ where it is to be 116 degrees today. YUK!! The week in South Dakota was wonderful, but it is good to be home.

Sandy, Collin and I had the opportunity to do some of our favorite things. Collin was able to try several new adventures. He got up the first time on a wake board, tried out the jet ski, and went spearfishing. Quite an agenda for a 10 year old.

I was able to scuba dive one time. Sort of one of those bucket list things I was wanting to do. Sandy watched birds and spent time on the house boat with the rest of us.

Sunday was an interesting day. I preached two and one half times at Community Bible Church. They have three services and I did well the first two. I became disoriented and nearly passed out in the third about 15 minutes into the message. I had to sit down and was unable to finish. I see my Doctor here in Tempe this morning to see if an explanation for the incidence can be discovered. Please pray.

I will be speaking at the Laveen Baptist Church in Laveen, AZ on August 21st. They have only two services so Ishould be safe. LOL

Thanks for you love and prayers. You are appreciated.

~ DGW

Don't Forget! #156

Judges 8:32-35 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 33 Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god. 34 Thus the sons of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; 35 nor did they show kindness to the household of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in accord with all the good that he had done to Israel. How easy it is to forget. Maybe you couldn't find your keys this morning, or remember where you parked your car at the mall, or if you finished that project or assignment. No matter what you forgot it is usually not a big deal. But when you forget what God has done for you in the past, it is a big deal. Gideon had been used of God to rid the Israelites of their arch-enemies, the Midianites. He had led them to an abundance of spoil and positioned them as the leaders of their world. Gideon died at a ripe old age and as soon as he was gone the sons of Israel again began to worship Baal. The Bible says they did not remember the LORD their God. You can forget lots of things, people, events; but you cannot afford to forget God and all He has accomplished in your life. God had miraculously delivered Israel from the Midianites even though they were greatly outnumbered. God intervened and gave three hundred men the victory over an entire army. You might wonder how could they forget that? But how many times do you worry, fret, stew and become discouraged because you forget what God has done for you in the past. The great thing about God is that what He has done before He can do again. Trusting in Him for what He has done should lead you to trust Him for what He is about to do. Your faith is based on the God who does not change. Remember what He has done before and trust Him to do it again. Don’t allow yourself the choice of forgetting the greatness of God and His past watch-care over you. Remembering is the wonderful experience of reliving God’s hand on your life in the past and making sure it is applied to the present. Remember how great God is! ___________Today's personal note from Dennis Greetings from Pierre South Dakota, I awoke this morning to a beautiful summer day in Pierre. The sun was shining and the grass is green. There is still flooding in the area from the rains earlier this year. We took a ride on our friend's house boat last night as the sun was going down. The sunset was arrayed in color and the water was peaceful. Collin took the opportunity to jump from the roof of the house boat into the cool water. (not once but maybe 20 times.) He loved it. I even caught a nice sized small mouth bass. Our friends, the Jones family, are doing really well. It is so great to see friends. I started to say old friends, but I think I may be the one getting old. One of the men in my Bible Study lost his father-in-law to cancer last week. I preached his funeral on Saturday at Grace Community Church in Tempe. The service gave an opportunity to share the gospel with many non-believers. Continue to pray for the fruit of that funeral. Burke and Bennett started school this week. Summer for them is really short. Their school is basically year round with several breaks. Both are excited about school and the many activities their school provides. Baby Johnny is doing better all the time. He still does not like his helmet but it is beginning to make a difference. I will be preaching here in Pierre at the Community Bible Church on Sunday. This will be the third time to share God's word with this great church. Pastor Harvey has been very generous to allow me to share his pulpit. Sandy and I are scheduling speaking engagements for the rest of the summer and the fall. God continues to open doors for ministry. For that we thank Him. Please continue to pray for those opportunities to continue. I receive stories of how God is using The Encourager to do exactly as I hoped it would, and that is encouraging God's servants. I spoke with a Worship Pastor in California this past week, and he uses The Encourager for the devotional for his Wednesday night choir rehearsal. I am so glad. Many of you forward The Encourager to your own mailing list. Please feel free to use whatever you can. One business I frequented a couple of weeks ago make copies available for customers by printing a few extras and laying them on the counter where people checking out can take a copy with them. Be creative. Let me know how God is using The Encourager in your personal life, your church, your business or any other way. I get encouraged then. Thanks for your prayers. Without God's intervention and mercy I would not be here on this planet to share the message of God's mercy and grace. I do hope you will continue to pray for both Sandy and me. May God bless your life with His grace and mercy. To Him be the glory! ~ DGW

I, MY, ME! #155

Isaiah 10:12-16

12 When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, "I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. 13 For he says: " 'By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings. 14 As one reaches into a nest, so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations; as men gather abandoned eggs, so I gathered all the countries; not one flapped a wing, or opened its mouth to chirp.' " 15 Does the ax raise itself above him who swings it, or the saw boast against him who uses it? As if a rod were to wield him who lifts it up, or a club brandish him who is not wood! 16 Therefore, the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will send a wasting disease upon his sturdy warriors; under his pomp a fire will be kindled like a blazing flame.

What does God think about pride, arrogance, and haughtiness? It is fairly obvious from the Bible that He is strongly opposed to that type of attitude. James 4:6 “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

The King of Assyria was being used of God to punish Zion and Jerusalem. He then promises the King that he will also be punished because of his pride and arrogance. The characteristic of an arrogant, prideful person is the use of the pronouns “I and my or me.” The King uses the pronoun nine times in three sentences. He declares that he has accomplished everything by his own strength. Someone has said, “I was conceited until I found out I was better than I thought I was.” That was the king’s evaluation of himself.

Therefore God will bring judgment against him. God is the one who works in our lives to accomplish the works He desires. The ax does not raise itself against the one who swings it simply means that we are instruments in God’s hand, not the other way around. Everything you accomplish can be attributed to God and others. Humility, the opposite of pride, gives credit where credit is due.

1 Peter 5:6 "God will deal in judgment on an arrogant and prideful life." Give God glory in all things and humble yourself. He will reward your attitude.

_____________________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from HOT AZ!

As most of you in the rest of the country experience the wonderful weather we have here in AZ from June to October I say, "Welcome to Summer."

We have already hit 118 this year with over 10 days over 110. It is great to welcome the rest of you to our world.

Sure, you say it is a dry heat. So is an oven.

Sandy and I have been busy taking care of Johnny the past couple of weeks. With Mandy back at work and John trying to work from home they have needed

some help. Johnny is using his helmet to correct the toaster head and is not at all pleased with it. It is uncomfortable, but very necessary. He cries a lot when he is wearing

it, which is several hours a day. Pray for him and for the patience of the care givers.

Sandy, Collin and I leave next Tuesday for a week in South Dakota. I will be preaching at Community Bible Church in Pierre on July 31st. Looking forward to seeing the folks there.

We will spend time with the Jones family.

Saturday July 23 I will be preaching a funeral for the father of a friend I have met in a men's Bible Study at Grace Community Church. Pray for the service.

T

here will be many

non-believers at the service. We plan on giving an altar call. Pray for God to work in people's lives.

God continues to provide good health for me and Sandy. We praise him that we can continue to serve him.

Thank you for your prayers and support. You are loved. ~ DGW

Just A Touch #154

Mark 10:13-16

13 And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them.

14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

15 "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all."

16 And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands upon them. (NAS)

Do you need a fresh touch from God? Do you need embraced, loved, accepted? Do you need power in your life? Would you like for someone to say good things about you? Then come to Jesus. The mothers of the little children wanted Jesus to touch their children. To touch was to make a connection. The desire of the mothers was for their children to be blessed by connecting to Jesus. Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever.

Do you need to connect or reconnect to God? Many in the Bible knew how special it would be if they could only connect with Jesus. The woman, with the issue of blood believed if she could just touch the hem of Jesus’ garment then things would be different. “For she thought, ‘If I just touch His garments, I shall get well.’" Mark 5:28.

He touched the leper and he was healed, He touched Peter’s mother-in-law who had a high fever and it was gone. He touched the eyes of two blind men and they could see.

Although the disciples of Jesus tried to stand in the way, Jesus made sure even the children could come to Him.

He is speaking to you today. Matt 11:28-30: "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light." (NAS)

Would you ask Jesus to give you a fresh touch. Humble yourself as a little child and come to Jesus. He is ready to give refreshing to your life.

______________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks,

More and more I recognize my need to be totally dependent on God. He is the source of all, the power of all, and the finisher of all things. To Him be the glory.

Summer is quickly flying by. The All-Star baseball game seems to mark the middle of summer and the National League taught the American League a lesson here in the Valley of the Sun this week.

Sandy and I are spending most of our summer here in the heat. We will take a week and travel to South Dakota again this year. Plans now are for me to preach at the Community Bible Church in Pierre. Pastor Harvey has been gracious to allow me to fill his pulpit several times. It is a great church. This has been a tough year for them because of the flooding in Pierre.

Our grandsons are busy. Burke and Bennett are in San Diego this week. Collin is attending a soccer camp and Johnny is trying to adjust to a helmet. He does not like the helmet. It is helping him to develop his lungs with the crying he does when he has to wear it.He is doing much better. The medication for the digestive issues is working. He is also low on vitamin D and is receiving a supplement for that.

Sandy is thrilled to know that Burke has inherited the gene for antique shopping.

I do hope all of you are having a wonderful summer. I pray for God’s protection as you travel and spend time receiving much needed R&R.

God bless you all. ~ DGW

A Lesson For The Religious #153

Luke 18:10-14

10 "Two men went up to the temple complex to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

11 The Pharisee took his stand [a] and was praying like this: 'God, I thank You that I'm not like other people [b] — greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth [c] of everything I get.'

13 "But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest [d] and saying, 'God, turn Your wrath from me [e] —a sinner! '

14 I tell you,

this one went down to his house justified rather than the other; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." (HCSB)

Do you ever get the “look down your nose syndrome?” Simply put; do you sometimes think you are better than someone else? Jesus was very hard on people whose attitude was that of the Pharisee. The parable of Jesus illustrates two people. One person was pious in his own mind. He gave examples that would have been appropriate for a religious person of his day. He was a pray-er. He prayed to himself, by himself. He saw himself as absent of greed, unrighteousness, adultery, or even someone remotely like the tax collector. He fasted twice a week and was a faithful tither.

Most churches would give anything to have a church full of people like this man. “Maybe we do.”

In the same room, but far away, likely because of shame, stood the dreaded tax collector. He saw his sin but could do nothing about it. He was broken by his sin and recognized he deserved punishment. He cried out for mercy. Jesus’ conclusion: the tax collector was justified before God, made right, accepted and received God’s love and forgiveness. The Pharisee on the other hand was not. Jesus then says if we exalt ourselv

es we will be humbled. If we humble ourselves God will exalt us.

What a great lesson for religious people. Our acceptance by God is based on our broken and humbled hearts. Put one on today. God will exalt you.

_______________Today's personal note from Dennis

Greetings from Starbucks,

Hope your day is off to great start and ends even better.

Sandy and I are enjoying our summer.We are spending our time watching our grandsons and trying to catch up on things that need done around the house. We have several projects still not completed. There are not enough hours in the day to get them done and take a good nap.

Thanks for your prayers for Johnny. Also thank you for inquiring about his wellbeing. He is better. He now has his helmet in place in order to correct the ‘toaster head’ he received as a preemie. He doesn’t like it very well, but it is necessary. Wediscovered his digestive issues were caused by reflux, milk allergies, and yet to developswallowing techniques. He should outgrow all of them by one year. We praise God that he continues to grow and flourish. He is over 13 pounds.

We are scheduled to be in South Dakota again this year. We leave the last week of July and come home the first week of August. We look forward to seeing friend

s in Pierre. They have been hit hard by the flooding of the Missouri river. Many have damaged homes. Pray for them.

God continues to bless both Sandy and me with good health. I have

discovere

d that retirees never get a day off. We are so grateful for the strength to serve the

Lord and our family.

We would really appreciate your prayers for the opportunity to teach and preach in the area while we are home. ~ DGW