DayBreaks for the Week of 5/13/24 – I Am the One Jesus Loves

The late author and speaker Brennan Manning came up with a slogan. The slogan is, “I am the one Jesus loves.” It sounds a little arrogant, doesn’t it? But he is quoting Scripture. Jesus’ closest friend on earth, the disciple named John, is identified in the Gospels as “the one Jesus loved.” Manning said, “If John were to be asked, ‘What is your primary identity in life?’ he would not reply, ‘I am a disciple, an apostle, an evangelist, an author of one of the four Gospels,’ but rather, ‘I am the one Jesus loves.'”

What would it mean, I ask myself, if I too came to the place where I saw my primary identity in life as “the one Jesus loves”? How differently would I view myself at the end of the day?

Sociologists have a theory of the looking-glass self: you become what the most important person in your life (wife, father, boss, etc.) thinks you are. How would my life change if I truly believed the Bible’s astounding words about God’s love for me, if I looked in the mirror and saw what God sees?

Brennan Manning tells the story of an Irish priest who, on a walking tour of a rural parish, sees an old peasant kneeling by the side of the road, praying. Impressed, the priest says to the man, “You must be very close to God.” The peasant looks up from his prayers, thinks a moment, and then smiles, “Yes, he’s very fond of me.”

Maybe you need to start thinking that way of yourself rather than listening to the father of lies.  If so, there’s no better day to start than today.

PRAYER: It seems impossible, Lord, but I am the one Jesus loves! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for the Week of 4/28/24 – The Wrong Question

DayBreaks for the Week of 4/281/24 – The Wrong Question

From the DayBreaks archive, 2005:

This past week I was in Florida for the funeral of my sister’s husband who passed away with pancreatic cancer.  He had fought the disease to a standstill for much longer than they thought possible, but it finally overtook him on Sunday, April 10.  On Sunday, April 17, as I was attending worship in a church in the Tampa, Florida area, the preacher was bringing a message to confront the audience with questions of the utmost importance – questions that relate to our assurance of salvation.  It is a truly critical topic – and death helps to bring it into a crystalline focus.  Many of those in attendance were college kids – many had been students of my brother-in-law.  And of course, as we all know, when you’re college age, it’s hard to get your focus around a subject the size of death and eternity.

At one point the well-intentioned preacher asked the question: “Do you know if you’re saved?”  He went on to talk about how typically we might answer with phrases like these: “I think so,” or “I hope I am.”  Many might also say, “I really don’t know.  I’d like to think so, but I’m not sure.”  My experience says that more often than not, the answer someone gives is closely related to recent activities in their life.  Of course, John says that we can KNOW that we are saved.  How?  1 John 5 talks about this at length, but to put it in a nutshell, John says that it is the one who believes in the Son of God.  Believing means more than just intellectual acceptance, for other passages tell us that the demons believe – and tremble.  So it means more than just saying, “Jesus is Lord.”  That’s a start, but just a start.  It is then accepting him as the Lord of your life, letting Him lead you through the Spirit, doing the best you can to carry on the work of the Lord in a pained world.

But what really bothered me was not that question, but the next one that the preacher asked.  He said, “Do you have confidence that your faith is strong enough to save you?”  Again, many might say, “I don’t know, I hope so, it’s getting stronger,” or something to that effect.  I think that he asked the wrong question entirely.  I think that it ultimately has very, very little (if anything) to do with the strength of my faith.  If he’d asked me that question directly, I’d have answered, “No.  My faith isn’t strong enough to save me.  I have no confidence in my faith.  But I am confident that Jesus is going to save me in spite of my weak faith.” 

No where in the Bible does it say that your faith has to measure up to a certain “standard” of strength or confidence.  God doesn’t require us to put on a demonstration that we can say to a mountain, “Be moved to over there” before we are saved.  It is the fact of faith, not the strength of faith, that is the qualifying agent.  At the pearly gates, there will be no circus device that we must strike with the sledgehammer of our faith in an attempt to ring the bell to prove our faith is muscle-y enough to unlock the doorway to heaven.  God will look us over for the presence of faith in His Son.  And that is the key to the Father’s home.  If you have that, you have the key in your hand and in your heart.  And by that, you may know that you have eternal life.

PRAYER: We believe, Lord, help our unbelief! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for 3/29/24 – More Beautiful Than I Ever Imagined

From Things Unseen, by Mark Buchanan: “William M. Dyke became blind when he was ten.  When he was in his early twenties and attending graduate school in England, he met the daughter of a British admiral, and they fell in love and decided to marry.  But before he agreed to give his daughter’s hand in marriage, the admiral insisted that William submit to what was at that time a risky surgery to restore his sight.  William agreed, but he also had a condition: he did not want the gauze removed from his eyes until the moment he met his bride at the altar.  He wanted her face to be the first that he beheld on their wedding day.”   “The surgery took place.  The wedding day was set.  William’s father led his son to the front of the church, and the bride’s father led her down the aisle.  As she came, William’s father stood behind his son and unwound the gauze from his eyes.  No one knew if the surgery had been successful.  When William’s bride stood before him, the last strand of gauze was pulled away, and he was face-to-face with his bride.  He stood there speechless, and everyone waited, breathless.  And then he spoke: ‘You are more beautiful than I ever imagined.”   “One day that will happen to us, only the roles will be reversed.  ‘Now we see but a poor reflection in a mirror,’ Paul says, ‘then we shall see face to face.  Now I know (Him) in part, then I shall know (Him) fully, even as I am fully known’ (1 Cor. 13:12).  One day, the Bride of Christ, near blind now, will stand before her Risen Bridegroom at the Wedding Feast, and the veil will be removed, the scales will fall away, and we will see Him face-to-face and know Him even as we are fully known.”   “And he will be more beautiful than we ever imagined.”   There is a song that takes my heart and puts it in my throat every time I sing it, called “I Can Only Imagine”, by Bart Millard.  It goes like this: “I can only imagine What it will be like When I walk By Your side.   I can only imagine What my eyes will see When Your face Is before me, I can only imagine.   Chorus: “Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel Will I dance for you, Jesus, or in awe of You be still? Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall, Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine.   “I can only imagine When that day comes And I find myself Standing in the Son   “I can only imagine When all I will do Is forever, Forever worship You… I can only imagine.”   Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday!   PRAYER: Lord, how we long to see you face-to-face in our heavenly home! I long to see You in Your glory and for faith to become sight! In Jesus’ name, Amen.   Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for 3/28/24 – The Fatal Fantasy

The Fatal Fantasy The following is from Christianity Today’s Easter in the Everyday series dated 3/27/24. It was written by Eniola Abioye: “We may note . . . that [Jesus] was never regarded as a mere moral teacher. He did not produce that effect on any of the people who actually met Him. He produced mainly three effects— Hatred—Terror—Adoration. There was no trace of people expressing mild approval.” – C. S . LEWIS, GOD IN THE DOCK We don’t get to pick the version of Jesus we will worship. We love him as he is. Anything else is idolatry. Anything else is fantasy. Anything else is less than what Jesus died for us to have. A man once followed Jesus, counted as one of his disciples. He was released to do works only Jesus could empower, and tasked with guarding the resources of their assignment. However, at some point on his three-year journey with the Messiah, he succumbed to the sickness of disenchantment. His life, which ended at Akeldama, or “the field of blood” (Acts 1:19) reveals both the limitations of our human perspective and Jesus’ invitation to complete trust. But let’s take a step back from the famous fatality of his story and observe the climate that seemed to surround him. How could life in proximity to the Source of all hope, all beauty, all joy, end with such anguish and despair? Could the poison of comparison have embittered his heart? Was his imagination captivated by a fantasy of a heroic monarch who would topple an oppressive empire? Did he see a disorienting contradiction in Jesus’ gracious response to Mary of Bethany pouring out precious oil to anoint his feet? Fantasy tethers a person to a false vision. It takes up the space faith and hope should fill. When things don’t go as expected, spirals of disillusionment and disappointment unfurl. Someone is to blame. Although it’s tempting to blame God for not bringing about the good we imagined, if we catch a glimpse of reality in the mirror, it turns out we are the ones yielding to the seductive call of illusion. When faced with the reality of Jesus, Judas’s allegiance to his own aims ended up blinding him, and he missed the story that he could have lived. Jesus stays away from our pigeon holes and boxes. He continually shatters our expectations. His kingship is established in truth and grace, not in meeting our expectations. He has an intention, a goal, a gravity in his every step and every decision. Grief, pain, confusion, unmet expectations, and unanswered prayers tend to reveal the depths of our hearts—do we love Jesus for who he truly is, or the fantasy we’ve created? Jesus was the King who toppled an oppressive empire, but contrary to Judas’s expectations that empire was not Rome, but sin, hatred, and, ultimately death. Jesus is not disappointing. He is the King who blasts our most exciting dreams to pieces and reveals a story rich with possibility, faith, and joy. In the story of Judas, we grieve the false promise of the flesh and our desire for worldly gain. We also lift our eyes from the fantasy we built for ourselves, toward the One whose life provokes us to desire things that are more profound, more beautiful, more authentic, and more enduring than our minds can conceive. When our fantasies shatter and we feel exposed, we can turn away in disappointment, or turn vulnerably toward Jesus and let his everlasting nature swallow up the make-believe and be our living, breathing, and resurrected hope. REFLECT: Identify truths about Jesus that you’ve found challenging to agree with or accept. What aspects of his nature have you wrestled with? Envision the impact on your life if you wholeheartedly loved Jesus for who he is. How would embracing and loving him authentically shape your daily experiences and overall perspective? PRAYER: Jesus, thank you for toppling the empire of death and sin. Help us to have clear minds and not fall for the fatal fantasies Satan throws our way. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple. The Fatal Fantasy The following is from Christianity Today’s Easter in the Everyday series dated 3/27/24. It was written by Eniola Abioye: “We may note . . . that [Jesus] was never regarded as a mere moral teacher. He did not produce that effect on any of the people who actually met Him. He produced mainly three effects— Hatred—Terror—Adoration. There was no trace of people expressing mild approval.” – C. S . LEWIS, GOD IN THE DOCK We don’t get to pick the version of Jesus we will worship. We love him as he is. Anything else is idolatry. Anything else is fantasy. Anything else is less than what Jesus died for us to have. A man once followed Jesus, counted as one of his disciples. He was released to do works only Jesus could empower, and tasked with guarding the resources of their assignment. However, at some point on his three-year journey with the Messiah, he succumbed to the sickness of disenchantment. His life, which ended at Akeldama, or “the field of blood” (Acts 1:19) reveals both the limitations of our human perspective and Jesus’ invitation to complete trust. But let’s take a step back from the famous fatality of his story and observe the climate that seemed to surround him. How could life in proximity to the Source of all hope, all beauty, all joy, end with such anguish and despair? Could the poison of comparison have embittered his heart? Was his imagination captivated by a fantasy of a heroic monarch who would topple an oppressive empire? Did he see a disorienting contradiction in Jesus’ gracious response to Mary of Bethany pouring out precious oil to anoint his feet? Fantasy tethers a person to a false vision. It takes up the space faith and hope should fill. When things don’t go as expected, spirals of disillusionment and disappointment unfurl. Someone is to blame. Although it’s tempting to blame God for not bringing about the good we imagined, if we catch a glimpse of reality in the mirror, it turns out we are the ones yielding to the seductive call of illusion. When faced with the reality of Jesus, Judas’s allegiance to his own aims ended up blinding him, and he missed the story that he could have lived. Jesus stays away from our pigeon holes and boxes. He continually shatters our expectations. His kingship is established in truth and grace, not in meeting our expectations. He has an intention, a goal, a gravity in his every step and every decision. Grief, pain, confusion, unmet expectations, and unanswered prayers tend to reveal the depths of our hearts—do we love Jesus for who he truly is, or the fantasy we’ve created? Jesus was the King who toppled an oppressive empire, but contrary to Judas’s expectations that empire was not Rome, but sin, hatred, and, ultimately death. Jesus is not disappointing. He is the King who blasts our most exciting dreams to pieces and reveals a story rich with possibility, faith, and joy. In the story of Judas, we grieve the false promise of the flesh and our desire for worldly gain. We also lift our eyes from the fantasy we built for ourselves, toward the One whose life provokes us to desire things that are more profound, more beautiful, more authentic, and more enduring than our minds can conceive. When our fantasies shatter and we feel exposed, we can turn away in disappointment, or turn vulnerably toward Jesus and let his everlasting nature swallow up the make-believe and be our living, breathing, and resurrected hope. REFLECT: Identify truths about Jesus that you’ve found challenging to agree with or accept. What aspects of his nature have you wrestled with? Envision the impact on your life if you wholeheartedly loved Jesus for who he is. How would embracing and loving him authentically shape your daily experiences and overall perspective? PRAYER: Jesus, thank you for toppling the empire of death and sin. Help us to have clear minds and not fall for the fatal fantasies Satan throws our way. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for 3/27/24 – An Unexpected Gift

Is there anyone who doesn’t love an unexpected gift? It doesn’t matter much whether you’re already feeling on top of the world or in the deepest, darkest night of the soul, an unexpected gift lifts our spirits and cheers our hearts!

There is an event recorded in Mark 14 where Jesus received an unexpected gift. Those around him criticized the woman for her extravagant act of anointing him with costly perfume, but put yourself in Jesus’ place for a moment. He knew what was coming – an onrushing freight train of anguish, weariness, torture and death. Don’t forget – he was God, but he was also human, and his spirit was heavy, I’m sure.

Then, out of the blue, this woman anoints him. Listen to what Jesus says: She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her. — Mark 14:8-9

We don’t have an exact chronology of how long before his arrest and trial this took place, but perhaps the fragrance of the perfume lingered on him in the garden, in custody, before Caiaphas and Herod. Perhaps as he walked the pathway to the cross the crowd could detect it. For Jesus, it was an unexpected gift of love and kindness, and I am confident it meant a lot to him or he would not have praised her so highly.

So, here we are, face to face (almost) with Good Friday. I am struck with two thoughts:

ONE: on Good Friday we all received the most amazing unexpected gift of all time: redemption from sin. It was not only an unexpected gift, but a totally undeserved one. How long has it been since you really, deeply received the reality of this gift of the Son of God who bore your sins so you could stand sinless before the Creator of the universe? How are you celebrating it?

TWO: the woman gave an unexpected gift to Jesus, and it moved his spirit. What gift are you preparing to give to Jesus today or this week? It will pale in comparison to the gift he has given to us, but just as the gift of the perfume moved Jesus to memorialize this woman’s act forever, your unexpected gift can also touch his heart.

What will you give him? Think about it. Pray over it. Then give it!

PRAYER: Jesus, there is no way we can ever thank you enough for your most unexpected gift and kindness toward us, but we pray that you will accept our heartfelt gifts to you this week. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for the Week of 3/25/25 – The Lesson of the Thief

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”^[1] – Luke 23:39-43

I don’t know about you, but in this verse, I find great reason for hope. Here was a man who had lived a criminal life. What his explicit crimes were are not mentioned in Luke, though some think he may have also been a murderer. Suffice it to say that he was not a good man and had not lived a good life.

Yet still, at the end of that day, the man’s soul was in Paradise with Jesus.

What did this man have to recommend himself to the Judge of all the earth? Nothing. He could not point to righteous deeds. He could not, it would seem, even point to a life lived while trying to be righteous and pious. He had nothing in his hands with which to stand before his Maker.

But he had two things, and two things only, going for him. Firstly, Jesus had given his word to the man about his destiny. And this is the Jesus who has never broken a promise.

Secondly, even as Jesus spoke the words of comfort, he blood was paying for that man’s sins – every single one of them. And with that, the man’s forgiveness was purchased.

I suppose that being Jesus, he had the right to save the man without shedding of his blood. After all, he had the right to dictate the terms of salvation, did he not? But he didn’t do that. He knew that forgiveness of sin required blood – His blood.

Maybe you are sitting there smugly, thinking to yourself, “But I’m a good man”, or “I’m a good woman.” Not you are not. You are not good. Romans 3:10b-12 puts it as bluntly as possible: None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.

You are not good. I am not good. Not a one of us is. Jesus would himself refuse to be called good, saying only the Father was good. How dare we think we are good when Christ had to die for us!

I am a believer – have been for many, many years. But I know in my heart that I am still not good. There are too many kindnesses I have failed to show. I’ve been too selfish. I’m too prideful. My thoughts are filled with evil. I have not been kind when I should have. I am, bluntly, a sinner. But thank God, I’m like the criminal on the cross – an evil man forgiven by a gracious God who died for my every sin. That is the lesson of the thief on the cross: it is not good men or women who go to heaven, but forgiven men and women.

PRAYER: Holy Father, thank you for this lesson in humility and for your great forgiveness and grace that also saves us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

 

DayBreaks for the Week of 3/3/24 – A Failure for the Ages

John 6:66-71 (NLT) – At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you going to leave, too?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You alone have the words that give eternal life. We believe them, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”  Then Jesus said, “I chose the twelve of you, but one is a devil.” He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, who would betray him.   

Sometimes it is easy to know why things go haywire.  But at other times, it is a great mystery.  Why do people who seem to have everything going for them (like the leaders of Enron, sports or entertainment big-wigs, or even people like the Bakker’s or Jimmy Swaggart) sometimes seem to go terribly wrong?  Children from families where they are loved and cared for are still subject to going off the deep end in rebellion, drug or alcohol abuse, or a life of crime. 

But perhaps the greatest “failure” of all time can be found in the life of Judas.  This man spent something like 3 years with Jesus.  He saw miracle after miracle and heard sermon after sermon from the greatest teacher who ever lived.  He saw the blind receive sight, saw the lame walk, saw the lepers healed – and saw the dead rise (several times).  So how could he have wound up being the betrayer of the Lamb of God?

It is hard to understand.  Was it merely greed that led him to this despicable action?  Was it disillusionment when it became clear that Jesus’ kingdom wasn’t one that was destined to overthrow Rome, but rather to overthrow the dark rule of evil in the hearts of women and men?  I don’t know.  There is another possibility, too, that should not be overlooked.  Perhaps Judas never was a true follower.  Perhaps he was one of those people, like many today, who work under the “grace by association” principle.  He may have thought that he was in good standing with God because he was one of the 12 – the handpicked few.  It had to be a pretty heady thing to be hand-picked personally by Jesus. 

Many people today suffer from this “grace by association” principle, believing that because they go to church, they have a relationship with God.  What they don’t understand is that it is the other way around: we have a relationship with God, therefore we go to church to worship Him and glorify Him as a family of believers.  Judas may have had it backward.  Just being in Jesus’ presence isn’t enough.  We need to have Jesus alive and breathing the breath of life into our being, in short, we need Jesus’ presence within us.

PRAYER: Lord, save us from being prideful at having been chosen by you, and help us to do things for all the right reasons. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for the Week of 2/25/24 – The Lone Ranger Christian

I’ve heard it and I’m sure you’ve heard it, too: “You don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.”  Someone from our church shared this fairly typical example: “I remember asking a guy (a professed Christian) where he went to church, and he told me he had church every Sunday on the first tee of a golf course.  For him, church was about being in nature and it was him and God.  Now, there’s nothing wrong with being out in nature, but if you look at the Bible, Christianity is not just about me and God, it’s about us and God.  That is, it’s about relationship with God, but it’s also about a relationship one to another.

“Maybe you’re not being constantly tempted with a drink or to take pills…However, maybe you do have this lone ranger mentality that says, “I don’t need people…I don’t need church…I can do it on my own. 

“All I can say from many years serving in ministry and working with people, if you try to ‘battle’ sin on your own, you’re ‘toast.’”

Can someone be a Christian without going to church?  I suppose it is possible.  After all, someone in solitary confinement may not be able to go to church, but they could still be a Christian.  That kind of situation, however, is the exception, not the rule. 

Bottom line: I need you.  And, as hard as it may be to believe, you need me, too.  That’s how God planned it.  And He’s wiser than we are. 

Let’s not go to the tee next Sunday morning, or into the woods as a matter of practice on a Sunday.  We can do better than that!  There was only one Lone Ranger…and he had nothing to do with Christianity.

Perhaps if we do our part, our churches will be better able to fulfill this command and more people will find being in church irresistible: Romans 12:10 (KJV) – Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another…

PRAYER: Keep us from foolishness and foolish ideas that we don’t need the fellowship, accountability, and encouragement that only the church can provide!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for the Week of 1/29/24 – Getting to the Heart of the Matter

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way. – Psalm 139:23-24

John chapter 4 tells the story of the woman at the well and her encounter with the Messiah. It is a fascinating story on so many fronts, especially given the religious and cultural norms of the time.

After a small bit of chit-chat about water and thirst, the discussion suddenly gets very serious when Jesus tells her to go get her husband. Admitting that she didn’t have a husband, Jesus seems to get rather brutal and appears insensitive when he reveals her marital status and history.

Couldn’t Jesus have been more tactful? Why be so blunt about it? If it had been me, I would have approached it more gracefully, I think.

But Jesus knew this woman, and he loved her. So, he did what was best for her: he went straight to the source of her thirst. Her life had been filled with inconsistencies, rejection, loss of hope and love, perhaps betrayal, a life filled with shame and probably no small helping of guilt. She was thirsty, but all the things she had tried have been disappointments.

You see, we have to be made to confront ourselves and our need honestly. It isn’t until we recognize the truth about our thirst that Jesus can help us. He gave the woman dignity and something that could fill the aching hole in her soul.

Here’s another beautiful truth: not only did it help her, but many in the village found their thirst cured, too.

If it seems that Jesus is being too hard and insensitive with you, it could be because you’ve not yet honestly been forced to confront the truth about yourself yet. Let me encourage you to pray for the Spirit to search your heart to reveal what is unclean and needs to be confessed and forgiven. It is only then that you can find the Living Water that can quench your thirst forever.

PRAYER: Lord, open our hearts and reveal to us the truth that we need to acknowledge so that which we so long for can be found!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2024 by Galen C. Dalrymple.

DayBreaks for the Week of 1/22/24 – The Past in the Now and Future

Believe it or not, it was thirty-eight years ago that the big hit movie, Back To The Future was released. It starred Michael J. Fox and in that now classic film, time travel was made possible by a machine called the “flux capacitor.” This machine was “hot-wired” to the hottest car of that time, a “DeLorean.” Do you remember the far-distant, fantastic-future-time in which the traveling lands?

2015. Eight years ago. Looking back at the vision the 1985 movie projected, we should feel a bit cheated. Where are the self-lacing sneakers? Where is the floating hoverboard skateboard? (Think how easy such a gadget would make it to trim trees or was the top of your car!) Where, most importantly, is my flying car (though those are becoming a reality…just later than the movie envisioned it happening)?

The 1985, Back To The Future movie was the first of a trilogy. The same storyline continued throughout each movie. The teen hero kept traveling back in time, then forward in time, then back to his present time, then “back to the future,” all to keep his life here and now on track. By the time this three-movie series concluded, the “space-time continuum” was a convoluted, mixed-up mess.

The bad news? Well, the 80’s movie-goers got confused. The good news? Living in the past, the present, and the future simultaneously is not just some Hollywood film. Living in the power of the One Who Is, the One Who Was, and the One Who Is To Come is now, has always been, and always will be, the real-world experience of the Christian.

Let me invite you to think back for just a moment to see how powerful the past is: how many of you can still taste the sweetness of your grandmother’s homemade cookies? How many of you can still hear the cheers from the crowd in that basketball game you starred in? How many of you can still feel the touch and hear the voice of a parent, sibling, spouse, or friend, even though their death occurred decades ago? The past is never “past.” The past is forever present – either empowering or encumbering us as we move into the future. We will not move into that future alone. The past cannot change your future unless you let it. And the present is the time to change!

PRAYER: Provide healing for our past, strength for our present, and hope for our future!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Copyright 2023 by Galen C. Dalrymple.