February 13, 2019 - "Lord teach us to pray..." (Luke 11:1).
As the Lord was faithful to that request of one of his disciples of many years ago, so He is faithful to those who dare to ask Him to do so today. He is more than willing to open our eyes to things to pray for, to give us words that perfectly capture our requests, or to reassure us that our wordless groans and desires are heard and understood.
But even beyond the "technical" aspects of prayer, He is eager to help us understand and experience prayer in a much more expansive way than we are presently familiar with. He is able to teach us to a place where prayer is not something we do because it is necessary, appropriate or expected of us, but simply because we are eager to spend time with Him. Not in a way prescribed by others but in a way customized by Him especially for us. A way of spending time in prayer that nurtures our relationship with Him and is far more than the performance of a religious ritual or a "911" call to heaven.
Yes, He can teach us to pray! From a totally different perspective. So even if you pray often, ask Him to teach you to pray. You will be surprised by how much there is to learn not just about praying but about yourself and about the Lord.
(Comments? Write me at Pastor@valleybrook.church)Jan 10th
Getting to know the Lord better and becoming more intimate with Him is not a competition. There is no need to compare ourselves to anyone else. No grounds for feeling either superior or inferior because of any other believer’s relationship with the Lord. Our God fills heaven and earth so there is plenty of Him to fill each of our little cups to overflowing. The issue is only one of desire. Do we sincerely want more? Do we see Him as the Treasure above treasures? The Desire above all other desires? The Prize above all other prizes? Are our hearts in agreement with the prophet Jeremiah: “‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I have hope in Him’” (Lamentations 3:24). If not, there is still no need for shame. We can seek Him for the desire.
Instead of a competition or an oppressive burden, the pursuit to know the Lord better is a life-changing opportunity our Creator has extended to any and everyone. It affects how we view life, how we interpret our circumstances, what we desire and how we behave in relationship to others. And no matter where we are in our spiritual journey, His mission is to relentlessly court our desire for even greater closeness to Him.
As for what that pursuit looks like, don’t overthink it. It’s easy to spend time with Someone who’s only agenda for you is love. And if we think the Lord has any other agenda for us, we have been deceived.
Comments? Contact me at pastor@valleybrook.church
Jan 3rd 2018
A question to launch our new year of fellowship together: Have you ever considered asking the Lord to teach you how to pray?
No, I don’t mean how to verbalize a prayer, or how to pray a “theologically accurate” prayer. Nor am I referring to praying in a way that moves or impresses others. In fact, I am not speaking about the structure, content, or “effect” of a prayer at all. I am referring to the heart and soul of prayer. Prayer like the Psalms, fully, sincerely and joyfully engaged with the Lord personally. Prayer without lifeless religious-speak or casual frivolousness. Prayer that bows to the sovereignty and majesty of our King and also nestles into the warmth of the loving embrace of “Abba” our heavenly Father. Prayer without pressure to fill every moment with words. Even prayer without words at all. Thoughtful, contemplative prayer that can suddenly turn into rambunctious, energetic even humorous prayer.
I’m talking about the kind of prayer you never want to leave but eventually haveto because the rest of life calls. And yet, even as we are otherwise engaged, we can hear our Savior calling and feel our hearts longing to spend time with Him. So we “pass notes” like high school buddies or sweethearts.
Prayer is deeper than conversation, it is connection. A connection facilitated by the Holy Spirit, who is our Eternal Life Coach, helping us get the most out of our earthly relationship with Christ. All of us can go further and deeper in that kind of prayer and He is eager to take us there.
Lord, teach us to pray.
Comments? Contact me at pastor@valleybrook.church
Dec 20th
There is a common saying, “everything is relative.” Everything is not relative in Christ but everything is relational! And as we grow in our understanding of that fundamental truth, our spiritual journey begins to change.
Instead of a mere ritual, prayer becomes authentic and enriching conversation between friends. Instead of a religious meeting, going to church becomes a hangout with friends. Instead of a book of rules, the Bible becomes a collection of love letters, amazing promises and life-changing insights. Instead of a mythical force, the Holy Spirit becomes an inner companion who enlightens, inspires and coaches us to our potential and purpose.
The whole world becomes a classroom and every event and activity a lesson. Whether it’s a football game, a secular song, a movie or a delicious dessert, a drive in the country or a workout at the gym, the Lord meets us there and often uses it to reveal some truth about Himself, human nature or life in general.
This is the kind of relationship with us God had in mind from the beginning. It is the reason Christ came to earth to be born, to die and to rise again. And for everyone who trusts Him, He is making it a reality day by day. In His own words, “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
Comments? Contact me at pastor@valleybrook.church
Dec. 13th
People scale Mount Everest not just to reach the summit but to experience the exhilaration of the climb.
So it is with living by faith. The Lord is not only the Summit, He is also our Guide. And beyond that, He is actually the thrill of the climb. For He is the One who takes us by the hand and leads us forward. He is the One who provides us the inner joy, peace (or as a dear brother calls it, “a strange all rightness”) hope and perseverance that fuels us for “the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14) in the face of life’s obstacles and challenges.
As the summit of Everest is the highest point on earth, knowing Jesus is the highest blessing of heaven and earth. It follows then that the privilege of climbing with Him and towards Him is the best thing about today and every day.
Comments? Contact me at pastor@valleybrook.church
Dec. 6th
I don’t know who is the author of the following, but exactly 744 years ago today…
“Thomas Aquinas, a medieval theologian, created one of the greatest intellectual achievements of Western civilization in his Summa Theologica. It’s a massive work: thirty-eight treatises, three thousand articles, ten thousand objections. Thomas tried to gather into one coherent whole all of truth. What a great undertaking: anthropology, science, ethics, psychology, political theory and theology, all under God.
On December 6, 1273, Thomas abruptly stopped his work. While celebrating Mass in the chapel of St. Thomas, he caught a glimpse of eternity, and suddenly he knew that all his efforts to describe God fell so far short that he decided never to write again.
When his secretary, Reginald, tried to encourage him to do more writing, he said, “Reginald, I can do no more. Such things have been revealed to me that all I have written seems as so much straw.”
Firm in his resolve, he wrote not another word and died a year later. “
As I considered this today I freshly realized three things: First, no matter how skilled or dedicated may be the writer, when it comes to describing the glories of our Lord, words have limitations. Second, the living God to whom we belong has been in the “awing” business for a mighty long time. “(’To whom will you compare Me? Or who is My equal?’ says the Holy One” (Isaiah 40:25).) And third, whatever may be our highest and grandest thoughts, our most vivid imaginings and our lifetime of experiences with Him, He is far greater still!
So as you seek Him today remember there is nothing small, routine or predictable about trusting in His surpassing greatness!
Comments? Contact me at pastor@valleybrook.church
Nov. 29th
This week someone blessed me with a truth about her spiritual journey that I believe applies to most of us. Simply stated: We prefer instant gratification and quick resolution of our problems over doing the “work” that leads us to spiritual rest and satisfaction. No need to be coy about it. We can always come clean with the Lord without fear of condemnation or shame. He can always handle “what is.”
The Lord’s plan is not to sentence us to a state of deprivation and “gutting out” spirituality. How is that an “abundant life?” Instead, He wants to reveal to us something greater, something more compelling. In short, He wants to reveal Himself to us. (And He is indeed the One who has to do it, for we cannot makeourselves see Him. He has to open our eyes to how marvelous He is.)
I seek the Lord because according to the Scriptures, He is the best thing in Heaven, the best thing on earth and the best thing about today. He is better than a great cup of coffee. Better than a beautiful day. Better than a great business deal. Better than a fabulous sale at the store. Better than a kiss. Better than my favorite dessert. Better than anything ever read, written, sung or even thought about Him. He is the Best of all the best things of life and makes all the best things of life even better.
My personal experience of Him has born this out, and that is why I spend time with Him. I want more of the Best. He is it! I spend time with Him to orient my faith to this biblical fact and to trust Him to freshly and creatively help me realize its truth.
As a pastor, when I am gone, I want people to be able to say, “Because of the ministry of Pastor Dan Baty, I believe Jesus wants to do great things for me but beyond that, He is the greatest thing to me.”
Comments? Contact me at pastor@valleybrook.church
Nov. 22nd
Today I caught a leaf as it swirled to the ground and carried it with me for the rest of my morning walk. Embraced in the warmth of my hand, it traveled with me to places it would never have otherwise visited and I eventually brought it home with me, concluding for it a fantastic journey that no observer of the normal life of a leaf would have predicted. It is a leaf that fell but never touched the ground.
My life is like that leaf. I was slowly swirling downward, falling towards a Christ-less eternity, when suddenly I was caught by the hand of a loving Savior, Jesus Christ, who ever since that day has held me in the warmth of His hand and taken me places I could not have imagined. Beautiful and exotic places. There have also been torrential rains and mighty gusts of wind. But He has never let me go. Eventually He will also take me home with Him, completing for me an incredible journey that is indescribably different than what would have been the “normal” course of my life. And this Thanksgiving, my heart gratefully echoes the words of a much beloved hymn, “How marvelous that grace that caught my falling soul…”
I too am a leaf that never touched the ground.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Comments? Contact me at pastor@valleybrook.church
Nov. 15th
Wouldn’t it be lovely if life were just… just easier?
If we had enough money to just pay off all our bills (but, not so much money that everybody is asking for some and you can’t tell who your real friends are). Or if we just worked around nice people (but not so nice that they don’t tell you the truth about how you can improve or how your department is really doing). Or if we had kids that just… just behaved (but we don’t want them too docile or compliant because then we would really worry about what’s going on in there. Right? We know all about people who grow up and are described later by neighbors as “quiet and kept to himself”). Or a nice comfortable house (but not so comfortable that we’re never there because we have to work so hard to pay the mortgage. As the saying goes, the grass may be greener on the other side of the fence but the water bill sure is higher).
The flesh desperately tries to live from the outside in, while the Spirit is coaching us to live from the inside out. Everything external is subject to change and even if it doesn’t our appetites and interests certainly do. It it’s too bad we despair. If it’s too good we’re bored. We’re like Goldilocks desperately searching for but never finding the porridge that’s “just right.”
However, there is nothing wrong with pleasure. God created it! And the Scripture instructs us to see it as God given. But therein lies the critical difference: God is the true Source of pleasure, not things or circumstances. God-given pleasures start on the inside. They begin with a growing relationship with Him that leads to ever-increasing contentment, peace, joy, hope, love and other divine qualities. These God pleasures are independent of external conditions and yet, at the same time, they make external pleasures even more satisfying because they are in the proper order and perspective.
And so we have Jesus’ exhortation, paraphrased beautifully by The Message version: “What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way He works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how He works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met” Matthew 6:31-33 (MSG).
Nov. 8th
“Uh, excuse me, Lord. I ordered that but I got this instead. There must be a mistake!”
Our expectations are always much smaller than God’s plans for us.
With so many of God’s people, as they walked their God-designated path, there were disappointments, roadblocks, hiccups, dead-ends and even terrors. The lesson for us is to not be alarmed when we encounter the same thing. It is not only possible, but normal to be in the very center of God’s will for us and still feel threats from all sides. An overwhelming force arrayed against us. A boat tossed by waves and filling up with water. A multitude of need and a few fish of resources. A persistent devil of a problem that refuses to move though we exhaust ourselves in prayer. To find ourselves in a position where we can neither trust completely in our own wisdom nor completely understand the Lord’s.
Our difficulties will be varied, but our common denominator is the Lord’s faithfulness. As James wrote, “You’ve heard, of course, of Job’s staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That’s because God cares, cares right down to the last detail” (James 5:11 The Message)
So, as life unfolds before us in all its mystery and complexities, we must depend on God’s love for us, as demonstrated by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. As we wait for the visual evidence of His certain faithfulness, let our prayer today be “Have Thine own way, Lord. Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.” And as a very good friend of mine once said during one of our Bible studies: “Clay don’t know nothin’.”
Comments? Contact me at pastor@valleybrook.church
(You can now review past articles at our website: ValleyBrook.Church You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Nov. 1st
I am a writer, but I’ll never be able to capture in words how wonderful was my private, alone time with the Lord this morning.
So I decided to make that the point of what I am writing. The view from my place today is of the utterly delightful indescribability of the Lord!
Today I freshly realized what is most important is not the words about the Lord that I capture on paper, but the interaction we’ve had, what my heart has entrusted to Him. He’s the One who records it and keeps it for me. He is the One who remembers it and reminds me of it at appropriate moments.
All words about the Lord – regardless of the skill of the author or the speaker – are but sketches of Living Glory! They are the results of the futile experience we’ve all had trying to photograph or paint a breathtaking landscape that surrounds us. Even our best efforts don’t convey what it was like actually being there.
So hats off to the temple guards who went to arrest Jesus. When they came back empty handed and were asked by their superiors why they hadn’t brought Jesus back as they’d been instructed, they summarized their experience of Jesus in one sentence: “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” (John 7:46). They essentially threw their hands up. They weren’t even going to try to characterize what they’d heard and felt. That’s how I feel today.
Oh, but what exquisite futility it is to try! I have written more today than on most days. And the Lord can use even a few small fish to nurture a multitude.
According to Judges 13:18, the Lord said to Manoah, “Why do you ask My name since it is wonderful (i.e. beyond understanding and description).” He is the One who is beyond our description but eager to be real in our experience.
You can now review past articles at our website: ValleyBrook.Church You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Oct. 25th
“Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 26:12 NIV).
The Bible gives many unflattering descriptions of a fool. But this verse indicates that a person who is closed to advice and correction is in even worse shape.
A disciple, by definition, is a learner. A Christian disciple is therefore one who is learning how to trust Christ. Not one who has “arrived.” It would be wise for each of us to think of ourselves as fellow students of Christ. We’re all in the class called “Applied Faith” and need help with the “problems” in marriage, parenting, the workplace, school and navigating life in general in a way that reflects the truths of the gospel.
This “student” perspective removes the stigma from asking for advice, admitting our shortcomings and receiving correction. It is also a buffer against the bad kind of pride that makes us closed to input from others, reluctant to get help, or feeling like we’re “flunking out.”
Confucius once said, “When you don’t know something, know you don’t know it. This is knowledge.”
What none of us knows is how to master life. What wise students know is we all need help.
You can now review past articles at our website: ValleyBrook.Church You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Oct. 18th 2017
“And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9).
We can walk with the Lord in full confidence of His eternal favor because Jesus purchased the privilege for us. God didn’t just give it to us, Jesus paid for it! The invoice contained the name of every person who ever lived and the cost was enormous, far beyond any and all earthly treasures. So far beyond that Jesus was the only One who could make the required payment. It was a legal transaction inspired by love.
And so, just before Jesus opened the seven seals that described the awesome way God will bring this world to its conclusion and usher in the reign of Jesus Christ they sang. And so on earth, we sing. All who have accepted His payment.
Until that day arrives, we live on earth in an atmosphere of freedom. We are like seniors in high school during the last few weeks of the school year. All the requirements for graduation have been met, we are just awaiting the ceremony. We have a different relationship with our teachers because they are no longer judging our performance. Our classes are more or less come and go as you please. But (except perhaps for a planned day or so of “senior skip days”) we want to go. We want to soak up those last few days of our high school career.
The difference is, with regards to our heaven eligibility, we didn’t do the work. We couldn’t. We didn’t pay the price. We couldn’t. Our earthly service to the Lord is not a requirement, we are simply grateful volunteers drawn in by the magnificence of the One who is more than worthy of our worship.
You can now review past articles at our website: ValleyBrook.Church You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Oct. 11th 2017
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). These words speak to the bigness of Christ in Paul’s life. It was a different way of saying, “My entire life is one big blessing that is all about Christ! And when it’s over that’s when the super-blessings will start.”
Paul’s ministry was God’s specific mission for Paul, but the powerful relationship with Christ that drove Paul’s ministry is an invitation the Lord extends to all of us.
I do not claim to be like Paul, but day by day, as I spend time with the Lord, I grow in understanding of how Paul could be so caught up in the mystery and magnificence of Christ. Jesus Christ (not mere ideas about Jesus, mind you) is a marvelous captivation.
Every one of us who has come to believe in Christ have to some degree sampled His magnetism and the delights of His person. The Lord’s message to all of us, through Paul’s example and countless others throughout history is “There is plenty more of Me where that came from.”
Wherever you are in your journey today, whatever may be your mood or situation, keep seeking to find your delight in the Lord. There will come a point where instead of feeling like you are pursuing Him, you will begin to experience the gravitational pull of His immeasurable bigness, like a massive heavenly body, drawing you ever closer.
You can now review past articles at our website: ValleyBrook.Church You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Oct. 4th 2017
“For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:8).
The Lord is not only committed to us in love, He also regards us with deep affection. To better grasp the difference between the two I thought of the following illustrations:
Love is buying our grandson pajamas,
Affection is “Grammy” giving him “Thomas” (the train) pajamas.
Love is providing food for him to eat.
Affection is mixing in a special little treat.
Love is spending time with him.
Affection is spending time doing our “coffee march.”
Love is holding his hand to protect him.
Affection is using the other hand to pat him on the head.
Love is Jesus sitting with His disciples during The Last Supper.
Affection is allowing His disciple, John, to recline upon His breast.
Love is Jesus hanging on the cross, dying for our sins.
Affection is comforting a thief who is dying beside Him.
Love is the Lord supplying all our needs.
Affection is everything He provides beyond our needs,
And all the “just for me” moments He fashions for each one of us.
You can now review past articles at our website: ValleyBrook.Church You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Sept. 27th 2017
Paranormal activity is a real thing! I’m living proof and I have eyewitnesses to support me.
No, I have never seen a ghost. I have never witnessed poltergeist activity. I have never been in a haunted house. But I have definitely had contact with the unseen spiritual world – and it happened before I became a believer. I communicated with real entities with real personalities, relating real information to me by means of a medium. Things that completely defy natural explanation.
It was this kind of supernatural fascination that ultimately led me to cry out to God for direction, clarity and truth. And it was on this date 39 years ago that He miraculously brought a group of young men who were on their way to get ice cream into my life. They were Christians and one of them shared the message of Christ with me. God coated his words with the irresistible flavor of truth that whet my appetite for more of what he was saying, and right there on the streets of East Lansing, Michigan I said “yes” to Christ.
Since that time I have come to understand that biblically speaking there are legitimate and forbidden entrance points into the spiritual realm. I was on the forbidden path. Consulting with or through mediums is not only deceptive but also dangerous. But for me, God graciously used it to confirm that this “spiritual stuff” has real substance and it led me to Him.
Today I am celebrating the beginning of my 40th year in Christ. All I can do is thank the Lord for calling me out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9) and for giving me hope and eagerness for the fascinating years of life in Him that lie ahead.
You can now review past articles at our website: ValleyBrook.Church You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Sept. 20th 2017
Notice: In reading this, you are entering a prepared prayer zone.
This is a space that has been pre-conditioned for your arrival today by a special prayer. A prayer that centered on you realizing and enjoying the presence of the Lord with You. Whether He chooses your fellowship with Him to be sharing a biscuit or a buffet, His presence is the perfect gift for you today.
The Lord’s promise, “My presence will go with you,” inspired Moses’ leadership for 40 years. “For Thou art with me,” was the reason David feared no evil. “I am with you always” was the confidence Jesus gave to His disciples to go and make disciples of all the nations without a detailed plan.
Living under the New Covenant, we are especially blessed! By faith in Christ His presence dwells within us by His Holy Spirit. Why is that an even greater blessing? He affects our inner desires, motives and disposition. He transforms our external actions and effects. His presence is the gift that makes all other gifts greater. Our love is deeper, our hope is more enduring, our joy is fuller, our peace is transcendent, and our earthly pleasures are purified and heightened. And if that is still not enough, because the purpose of His presence is to make known to us the infinite depths of the eternal God Himself, there will always be “more,” throughout all eternity.
So may you be blessed today with a rich understanding that His presence isn’t just a difference, it makes ALL the difference!
You can now review past articles at our website: ValleyBrook.Church You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Sept. 13th 2017
This morning I gave hearty thanks for Jim Allen. He is my proof that I’m not crazy or too idealistic for continuing to promote “knowing Jesus better” as the absolute “IT” of life!
Jim is in his late 70’s but has a shiny new and glorious perspective on his life, which he attributes directly to his focus on growing closer to Jesus Christ. Despite serious health issues, his pure excitement about the supernatural journey of knowing Christ rings out in his description of his pain as well as through his infectious laughter. Jim interprets every event in his life – good or bad – as an opportunity for greater trust in the Lord, which brings with it greater intimacy Him.
God has graciously granted Jim a dynamite partner, his wife, Evelyn, who has also experienced a supernatural surge in her walk with Christ. Together they are a continual reminder that it’s never too late for God to revolutionize our lives. Jim told me though they married later in life, past the time of house buying, career building, child rearing and the other things younger couples may bond over, the Lord gave him and Evelyn something even more precious: a shared desire to know Christ better! Jim marvels over the transformation he is also seeing in his wife. What could be more “bonding” than that?
Sometimes, just like me, Jim wonders if his transcendent attitude has come at the expense of common sense. In other words, “Am I crazy?” And we laugh about it. But Jim is not crazy. Evelyn is not crazy. And I’m not crazy, either. Nor is my wife, my closest friends and all our other brothers and sisters for whom Jesus is more than a religion or a weekly ritual but THE grand prize of life.
My prayer for you dear reader, wherever you are in your faith journey, is the same one I pray for myself each day, that God may deepen your desire to know Him better. Because no matter how much about Him we already know, there is infinitely more to Him, and “more” is much better.
Many years ago, another man advanced in years penned these words, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).
His name was Paul, and he wasn’t crazy either!
You can now review past articles at our website: ValleyBrook.Church You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Sept. 6th 2017
In a movie I recently saw, a man who had professed to be an atheist found himself in a dire life or death situation. Desperate, he called out to God: “Do something! Prove yourself! [Forget] faith! Earn it!” As crude as that sentiment may seem, truth be told we all find ourselves at times at least flirting with the notion, “What good is God if He’s not going to do anything for me?” (Which, translated means if He’s not going to do what we want Him to do, when we want Him to do it and the way we want Him to do it?)
That is where we miss the point. That is where we make the critical miscalculation that leads us to the wrong conclusion. For it is not what Goddoes for us that is the most precious benefit of knowing Him, it is who He can be to us! That is the mystery of the unsearchable riches of Christ. Whether we have a lot or a little, the apostle Paul testifies “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am in” (Philippians 4:11). What price would so many pay for simple contentment? What futile spending, self-destructive decisions or pressures to impress others would be avoided?
The value of knowing Christ is in the ability He gives us to enjoy the life we have in Him. But don’t think He is opposed to giving us what we want, because He also shocks us with generosity beyond all we could ask or imagine. He just wants us to trust in Him as the regulator of our desires and needs – not in ourselves. That has always been His goal with His people and throughout history His people have always fallen short. Because we think we know ourselves better than He does. But what do we really know? He is supremely and exclusively equipped to keep the ebb and flow of our lives in perfect balance. I know this from personal experience. The creature comforts come and go, people come and go, money comes and goes, jobs come and go, but the Lord remains forever. And He desires to bless us with the glorious wealth of Himself in whatever our circumstances may be. Just trust Him.
You can now review past articles at our website: ValleyBrook.Church You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Aug. 30th 2017
When it comes to prayer, faith is like lightning and the words are like thunder. Our faith flashes in heaven the instant our hearts turn to seek the Lord, followed by the rumble of our words – or even without them. As it is written:
“Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD” (Psalm 139:4). … “For the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts.” (2 Chronicles 28:9). … “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them” (Daniel 10:12). … “It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).
So consider this magnificent medley of amazing promises from the Lord, turn your heart towards Jesus and “unleash the lightning.” Don’t worry about eloquence, articulation, locution or anything else related to the delivery of your words because the skies of heaven will already be illumined by your faith.
You can now review past articles at our website: ValleyBrook.Church You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Aug 23rd 2017
The men and women cursed, drank and smoked. Some had been into drugs and other stuff and some were burned out from the stressful climb to the top of their professions. Most were Christians. I was one of them and I loved being with them.
I had been hired to facilitate a series of discussions for people who just wanted to talk about life as it is, without editing any of their feelings and without the fear of being judged. They wanted to be able to cry and scream and argue. They wanted to wrestle with truth not sip tea and chat with it. They wanted to talk about the God of their experience and attempt to reconcile Him with the God of their professed faith. They wanted space to authentically process and recover.
The person who hired me to facilitate this group was a former pastor who had given up on the church as a vehicle for allowing people that space. He had concluded the church was far too mulched by dogma and traditions to allow true love to bloom. Love that embraces messy spirituality and cares for real people.
I didn’t agree with his conclusion. In fact, as I was leading one of these sessions it became clear to me that I wanted to create a church environment that respected each person’s place, pace and process, just as the Lord respects mine. Just as He respected the seekers at the tavern.
We don’t live in an easy world. It does no good to pretend that the issues Christians face are any easier than the ones facing those who do not believe. It doesn’t help the cause of Christ when believers act as though they are beyond human pain, confusion or sadness. The apostle Paul notes that to one degree or another all temptations are common to mankind (1 Corinthians 10:13), which includes Christians.
The grand difference between believers and non-believers is not found in a formula that prevents all suffering but in the treatment. The treatment that comes from a living Savior, Jesus Christ, who not only accepted the sick and the sinful, they were His focus: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”(Luke 5:31-32).
Our “secret” to success is an increasingly intimate relationship with a living Savior who never judges us and is always coaching us to greater heights of living. So let us imitate Him in our treatment of one another.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Aug. 16th 2017
“For the grace of God… teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions…” (Titus 2:11-12).
I am a strong promoter of the grace of God because I do not believe we honor our Savior by doubting, diluting or discounting the gift He died to give us, proclaiming with His dying breath “It is finished!” In a nutshell that is what grace means: It is finished! Christ did it and it is done! Forever!
That does not mean I am casual towards sin. Sin is an abomination before God. Sin is destructive. It destroys potential and makes us a shell of the person God intended us to be. It is what crucified Jesus.
Sin is so pervasive, so sticky and stinky that there was only one solution to the problem – the grace of God. And that grace is all that distinguishes us Christians before God. Not our efforts to clean up our life. Not our diligence in prayer. Not our knowledge of the Bible. Not our abstinence from sex or alcohol or tobacco or pornography. Grace and grace alone is the difference between life and death, heaven and hell, favor and judgment. Apart from the grace of Jesus Christ, even our best efforts fall woefully short of God’s perfect standards (Romans 3:23).
Because Jesus fulfilled our righteous requirements before God (Romans 8:1-4), instead of living in fear of punishment or scolding from God, we are instructed by the Scriptures to focus our energy on loving others, not on a preoccupation with our sin or sulking in shame.
The best treatment for the attraction to sin is the attractiveness of Christ. That is, focusing on understanding His grace and magnificence. The greater our vision of who He is grows, the less we are drawn to the distractions of sin. The stronger our relationship with Him grows, the weaker the chains of sin become. And love becomes the evidence and expression of our closeness to Him.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Aug. 9th 2017
“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead…” (2 Timothy 2:8) … “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Peter 1:16) … “After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time…” (1 Corinthians 15:6) … “From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands” (1 John 1:1) … “After His suffering, He showed Himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3) … “In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am” John 14:2-3 (NIV). “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead…” (1 Corinthians 15:20).
Keeping the main thing the main thing, this is the magnificent and glorious foundation of our faith.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Aug. 2nd 2017
I believe if there is one word the Lord would want to speak to us as we enter His presence it would be “relax.” His desire is that we feel welcome not uptight. “In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence” (Ephesians 3:12). You see, God is not pretentious. Though He is indeed awesome, He has “old-money” greatness. He doesn’t megaphone His breathtaking artistry displayed in creation. He is as comfortable in a pair of Walmart jeans as He is in a designer suit. He is as personable with a crack addict as He is with a power addict. He knows it all without being a know-it-all. He’ll chat you up as you ride together in a hooptie or listen patiently to you in the back of a limousine.
On the other hand, despite His accessibility, don’t think for one minute that He is not aware of His greatness: “To whom will you compare Me or count me equal? To whom will you liken Me that we may be compared?… I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me” (Isaiah 46:5,9).
He is simply and yet awesomely “Beyond,” and yet He is forever “near to all who call on Him in truth” (Psalm 145:18).
And that’s how He “rolls.”
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
July 26th 2017
God gave Moses detailed instructions for the Tabernacle, which was His dwelling place among His people as they traveled to the Promised Land. (See Exodus chapters 35-40.)
The materials used to construct it were precious: acacia wood, silver, bronze, gold, precious gems and fine linen. “Just any old place” would not do to house the presence of Almighty God.
After it was completed, each Tabernacle utensil was then ceremonially sanctified, that is, set apart for service to God. Not “just any old common utensil” would do.
What does it mean for us today? It is a marvelous picture of how complete was the work of Christ to make us suitable habitats for the Presence of the living God. Because of Him, we are not “just any old place” and our service to Him is not “just any old religious duty.” He is honored by it. For God did not lower His standards for quality and beauty when He chose us, instead He raised us up to His exquisite standards of glory and splendor.
Sprinkled with Jesus’s precious blood, we are eternally cleansed, sanctified and beautified, and are now and forevermore a residence that befits the Most High God.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
July 19th 2017
According to the Old Testament, “Urim and Thummin” were used by the high priest to discern the will of God. There is no physical description of them in the Scriptures and little is written about their actual use. But it is clear they were part of the wardrobe of the high priest, small enough to be carried in his breastpiece and used as “the means of making decisions for the Israelites” (Exodus 28:30). One Bible researcher describes them as a form of divine dice.
Wouldn’t it be great to have Urim and Thummin to get a clear read of God’s will in a given matter? Does God want me to buy this, that or nothing at all? Should I take that job or this one? Should I leave or stay? Should I say yes or no to my child’s request? Should I act or should I wait?
Discerning God’s will can be an excursion into frustration. I remember teaching a seminar a while back and instructing the participants to listen to what God is saying to their hearts when they pray. One guy raised his hand and said, “But my heart mumbles a lot.”
Urim and Thummin would be so much easier it seems. But sometimes God’s will is not for us to “know” but rather to trust without knowing. Just as it is sometimes His will for us to “believe” instead of “see.” Even the “right” choice is never a perfect choice. There will always be consequences and effects that don’t feel too good later on; it doesn’t mean our choice was a mistake. It just means life isn’t perfect.
Our greatest guarantee for the future is God’s faithfulness.He is always leading us in His triumphal procession in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14).He wants to trust in Him, not in our decision making.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
July 12th 2017
When I think about what it means to know Christ better, it doesn’t necessarily involve a particular feeling or gaining more information about Him. It means growing in security in His love and care for us and confidence in His ability to work in us and through us despite our weaknesses. Those two words, security and confidence, are a big part of the unsearchable riches of Christ.
“Ok, great! How do we get there?” you may ask. Sure it happens as the Lord faithfully showers us with pleasant blessings. But this is also the end God has in view through the “testing of our faith” as described in James 1:3. Our confidence and security in the Lord also grows as we experience His support for us in adversity again and again and again.
That’s why, despite our best efforts we’re not always going to be “killin’ it.” We won’t always be crushin’ it. It’s why some days despite our ballin’ our shot will not be fallin.’ Why there will be times when instead of being on fire we’re going to feel like we’re in the fire – right out of the frying pan.
Whatever terminology we may use to express, “It’s just not happening’” or “How could I let this happen.” Or “I can’t believe I made this happen.” Or why is this happening to me? That is the perfect soil for growing closer to the Lord. For becoming familiar with the critical truth that God loves us so much, and there is so much of us that needs God’s love. It’s a perfect match waiting to happen. And happen. And happen. And happen again.
This process is the stuff confidence and security is made of.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
July 5th 2017
If we were to sit down with any of the Hebrews 11 “Hall of Faithers,” people like Abraham, Rahab and Samuel, they would be the first to say the difference in their lives was the Lord, not themselves.
I can imagine David saying, “The God of Israel was the difference. It was inspiration from Him that spurred me to confront Goliath. I mean, do you think I thought I had the physical abilities or the military skill to match Goliath’s? Ha! Not a chance! I was no fool. But I certainly believed the God who had delivered me from the paw of the bear and the paw of the lion could handle this giant, too. I was no match for the bear or the lion either, so being overmatched was nothing new to me. I just relied on the One who is never overmatched.”
There are things in life that we have to confront that are bigger than any of us. Bigger than money, fame, family or friends. Bigger than any of our resources or resourcefulness. According to the Scriptures, “The fool has said in his heart there is no God” (Psalm 14:1). So I don’t know what the fool does, when he meets his or her Goliath, but as for me, when I find myself overmatched the choice is clear: “I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust” (Psalm 91:2).
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
June 28th 2017
“What more can David say to you? For You know your servant, O Sovereign LORD” (2 Samuel 7:20).
When, like David we realize the Lord knows us personally and He is sovereign, it is then that, even as we ask Him for what we want, we can trust Him in “what is.”
Our faith goes from the head to the heart when we realize the Lord’s love for us is not just acceptance of us as pardoned sinners, or just emotional. It is dead-on calibrated to who we are. It is bull’s eye love.
While He is faithfully executing our greatest and highest good, we can constructively engage in the process by following this simple but sage advice a friend once shared with me:
1. Let go of what’s gone.
2. Be grateful for what remains.
3. Look forward to what is to come next.
The Lord knows exactly who you are. Nothing you have done or has happened to you has “faked Him out.” So you have every reason to let go of the past, to be grateful for your present situation and to look forward to the best that is yet to come. That is a bull’s eye response to His bull’s eye love.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
June 21st, 2017
Our private conversations with the Lord are often like jazz solos. Things come out of our mouths or pour into our minds that are beautiful, creative and soul-touching but we couldn’t repeat them again in a million years – not exactly like that.
I had such a “solo” this morning revolving around the theme of Christ being the very Essence of my life. Recalling verses like “Christ, who is your life” (Colossians 3:4) and “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain,” (Philippians 1:21) I “freestyled” into “He is the core of my desire. Sure, I have responsibilities, dreams and goals, but at bottom He is the foundation. He is the substance. He is the heartbeat of all that truly matters. He is the bull’s eye. He’s all that and more, with or without all the other trappings. He is my orientation to life, and the desire for deeper connection with Him is what drives me and transforms me.”
It went something like that. But not exactly.
And if there is any miracle I can be part of for the rest of my life, it is partnering with the Lord as He imparts this same “Theme of Him” to others, inspiring their solos.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
June 14th 2017
Trackers and smart watches are in vogue. They monitor our steps, our hearts, pinpoint our location, they even monitor our sleep. Some send encouraging messages to us to inspire healthy movement.
All just like the Lord.
He knows our going out and coming in, watches over us as we sleep and inspires us with His truth to take spiritually healthy action.
But the “technology” of the Lord makes the best of human ingenuity primitive in comparison. For example, one of the “special features” of our relationship with the Lord is the “pre-cog” (precognition) function. Precognition means foreknowledge of an event. It is a feature described in God’s owner’s manual in several places, including Isaiah 65:24. “Before they call I will answer…” It is one thing to have a device that will answer a call. It is quite another to have One who answers before the call is made. In addition, by the heavenly technology of Himself, He not only knows where we are, He knows where we are going and is already waiting there for us to arrive.
And beyond all this, The Lord tracks all our thoughts, desires and plans. He not only knows where you are and where you are going, He knows who you are and how you came to be the person you are. As David wrote, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain” (Psalm 139:6).
He is benevolently tracking you and guiding You through His glorious purposes for Your life, and will continue to do so all the days of your life.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
June 7th 2017
Last night I had a terrible and demonic dream. It was so vivid I woke up in the darkness and put the back of my arm around my wife, as though to shield her from whatever evil forces were assaulting me. But what was so extraordinary and encouraging is I awoke alert and completely unafraid. Calm and confident not in myself but in the One who lives within me. Vigilant and wide-eyed in the darkness, I felt my spirit almost daring any evil entity to reveal itself. Not that I considered myself anything close to a match for Satan or his demons, but the nearness of the Lord was my confidence and His strength was my shield.
Reflecting on this later on in the day, I felt like the focus the Lord has given me on seeking to know Him better resulted in a reflex of trusting in Him. The truth of His word now becomes more deeply embedded in my personal experience: “The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul” (Psalm 121:7) “and take up the shield of faith, [in the living God through Christ Jesus] with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16).
The terrible dream produced a wonderful result: the reminder that getting to know Him better is not only inspiration for the present, it is also preparation against the schemes of the evil one.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
May 31st 2017
“And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever. So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:22-24 NIV).
News Flash! The cherubim have now been relieved of duty.
By His astonishing sacrifice, Jesus Christ did not merely reopen the way to the tree, He became the tree itself! Declaring Himself to be “the way, the truth and the life,” (John 14:6) and authenticating His claim by His resurrection from the dead, He now invites all who will put their faith in Him to eat freely and receive eternal life.
Not only is the invitation to live forever after this present life, it also includes an unfathomable bonus, immediately available upon saying yes to Christ: “Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent” (John 17:3). It is the privilege of getting to know our Creator personally even as we live out our earthly existence. And, speaking from personal experience, regarding quality of life, His presence in my life has made all the difference!
No cherubim guard block the way. No flaming sword threatens. Jesus stands with outstretched arms and an offer that has no equal.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
May 24th 2017
My heart resonates with these words by Brennan Manning in his book, The Ragamuffin Gospel:
“In essence, there is only one thing God asks of us – that we be men and women of prayer, people who live close to God, people for whom God is everything and for whom God is enough. That is the root of peace. We have that peace when the gracious God is all we seek. When we start seeking something besides Him we lose it. As [Thomas] Merton said in the last public address before his death, “That is His call to us – simply to be people who are content to live close to him and to renew the kind of life in which the closeness is felt and experienced.”
This does not mean that I kneel in prayer all day, isolate myself from people, or that I no longer involve myself in the rich offerings and daily responsibilities of life. I laugh a lot. And just like everybody else I also get frustrated, impatient and tired. I have to deal with “issues” at work, pay bills, do chores and get the car serviced.
Living close to God means in all of my life events, my moods, my relationships and circumstances I am trusting Him to use them to help me hear His voice, feel His touch and see His handiwork. In me, through me and around me. My primary objective regardless of what is happening is to grow closer to Him.
In short, wherever I am and however I am, in the words of the psalmist Asaph, “The nearness of the Lord is my good” (Psalm 73:28).
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
May 17th 2017
“When I am weak then I am strong…” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
Thank the Lord for those times when you feel over matched by your circumstances or personal habits. Those times when you feel inadequate and weak. That’s right! Give thanks. For, by faith in Him, when you are weak then you are strong. Not, “when you overcome or get rid of your weaknesses,” mind you, but while they are still present! While you are still experiencing them. Still feeling them. Even as weakness remains then you are strong.
The difference is beyond semantics. It is critical.
Understanding this prevents us from waiting to feel strong. We are strong because by faith in Him our weakness does not weaken us – that is our spirits. Feeling weak does not intimidate us. It doesn’t shame us. It doesn’t sideline us. Our weakness makes us dependent on Him. And when we are dependent on Him, we are not just strong, we are invincible, because the power of Christ dwells in us. We are no longer trying to make “it” happen in our own strength, because we have none. We are weak. So we are prompted by the Spirit to focus on Christ for His strength and He supplies the inspiration, the resiliency, the perspective, the hope, the resources, the whatever-we-need-at- that-moment to endure and advance. This is what it means to “be strong in the Lord.” It means receiving strength from Him, not trying to be strong for Him.
Wherever you may be feeling weak today, don’t fret, don’t fight it and don’t try to conquer it. Instead accept and acknowledge it before the Lord and trust Him to supply the strength you need. Don’t look for a formula. Look to Him.
There isn’t a weaknesses you can have that His strength can’t handle.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
May 10th 2017
“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” Lamentations 3:21-23 (NIV)
“New” is always an exciting word. A new car. A new house. New shoes. A new school. With few exceptions, “new” gives us a boost of joy and happiness.
Here are the definitions of “new” from one dictionary:
1. not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently or now for the first time.
2. already existing but seen, experienced, or acquired recently or now for the first time.
3. just beginning or beginning anew and regarded as better than what went before.
It’s hard to believe there is never a day when the Lord’s love for us is lukewarm or blasé, but that is what the Scripture instructs us. And realizing His affection for us is new every morning changes the way we think of “prayer,” “fellowship,” “serving,” “reading the word” and all the other things associated with our relationship with God. We see them as conduits of heaven-fresh love instead of spiritual tasks to be performed. Meditating on “new” gives us a new attitude, perspective and experience of walking with Christ.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
May 3rd 2017
Moses sent twelve spies into the land God had promised His people. Ten came back beyond worried and fretful. Two returned exceptionally optimistic.
The two optimistic spies were named Joshua and Caleb and the difference between them and the other ten spies is they wore their bifocals. They were able to see the situation for what it was naturally – giants and all, while at the same time remaining focused on the Lord’s promise, infinite ability and resources. The other ten spies were terribly near sighted, all they saw were the obstacles and that’s what shaped their response of trepidation and discouragement.
The Scripture is filled with stories of the gigantic differences in the responses of men and women who wore their bi-focals and those who did not. Jesus saw with ultra-clarity the obstacle of the cross but, wearing His bifocals, He looked past the pain of the cross to the promise of our redemption through His blood.
As Believers, we have to walk by faith not because God is grooming His ego or playing some kind of cosmic game with us, but because as humans our capacity to understand what is really going on is so limited.
Enter the Holy Spirit. God’s eternal presence within us, inspiring, instructing, directing and reminding us to wear our bifocals.
Our bi-focals allow us to live confidently beyond the circle of our control, understanding and perception. To let go of the perceived security of the present and move optimistically into the uncertain future, entrusting ourselves to a faithful Creator (1 Peter 4:19).
So are you wearing your bifocals today?
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
April 26th 2017
I woke up this morning to an amazing discovery. Last night I ran the PERFECT dishwasher cycle. Zero spots, no food residue AND (this is the greatest feat) NO sneaky water pools on any cups, bowls or lids. All dishes and utensils sparkly clean and dry.
I would love to say it was due to my geometric and spatial brilliance but that would be a lie. The truth is I don’t know what I did. I use the Cascade square packets because they’re so easy that if you mess up it’s a real sign that you need to go in for IQ testing. But they don’t often produce these superior results.
I called this perfect dish-washing event a “Jesus Cycle.”
We were all like those dirty dishes. But in Him, we’ve been sprinkled by His blood (infinitely more effective than a Cascade packet) and are now spotless, sin free and sparkly clean, “without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:27).
Forever! No need to run it again. It is finished.
And though this may be a familiar truth, it is vitally important to regularly remember it, meditate on it and celebrate it before the Lord. Because according to the Scripture, our practical, daily effectiveness and productivity as believers actually depends on remembering we have been cleansed from our past sins (2 Peter 1:8-9).
If you have said “yes” to Christ, you have been through the Jesus Cycle and are now a clean and sanctified utensil, beloved and useful to the Master of the Universe!
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
April 19th 2017
“I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1). And the reason I will bless Him at all times is because He is always, at all times, faithful to me. Always! His faithfulness has no delays or lapses. He doesn’t just “do” faithful, He is faithful. He is as faithful as I am male. As faithful as rain is wet. As faithful as a sparrow is bird. Faithfulness is part of His very nature.
So I thank You Lord, for my present place. Yes, this place! Right here. Right now. Just as I am. Just as “it” is. Thank You for the love for me You are pouring into this very moment. You are being faithful to me. And I wait for You “more than watchmen wait for the morning” (Psalm 130:6).
I am not waiting for You to change anything, but to meet me here. I seek to enjoy my fellowship with You in this present place by faith in what is true about You. I wait for You – not for what You are going to do. I trust in You, so I trust Your doing, Your non-doing and Your un-doing on my behalf.
You are what I desire, Lord, because You are the life. “It” is in You. You are the “Spring of Living Water” and without You everything else is “broken cisterns that cannot hold water” (Jeremiah 2:13).
My brothers and sisters, if Christ is in Your life, wow! Do you have some kind of life!!! Right at this very moment! You may not know it because of the challenges and obstacles in your path, but helping you to realize your amazing life in Christ is what God is doing every moment of your daily life. And He won’t ever give up, because He is faithful.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
April 12th 2017
Do you cringe when you see the “mismatch” between your thoughts and actions and those prescribed for us in the Bible? If so, help is available. In fact, your help is the Helper, the Holy Spirit God has placed in everyone who has trusted Christ as his or her Savior.
Shortly before He went to the cross, Jesus said to His perplexed and grief-filled disciples, “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7 NASB77).
Now that Christ has risen and has sent the Holy Spirit, every biblical commandment and directive becomes a promise. That is, when we approach it by faith in the Lord’s unchanging love for us, His ability to inspire us and to empower us, and not with reliance upon our own strength, righteousness or spirituality.
As an example, this morning I was meditating on the biblical directive to be “overflowing with thankfulness.” I wasn’t. So there was the mismatch. That gap between what the Bible instructs and where I was standing. So I said to the Lord, “That’s a place I’d love to travel with You, Lord, by Your sponsorship.” I couldn’t afford the “fare” to get there, so I asked the Lord.
No, my mood did not instantly change, but instead of cringing and feeling ashamed or judged, my hope was rightly placed – in the Lord. I correctly saw Him as a supportive Friend and not as a scowling, exacting judge. Viewing the Lord accurately, as the One who loves me beyond imagination, makes my relationship with Him more genuine, relevant and intimate. And that ultimately leads me to “overflowing thankfulness”
The way I put it in my journal today: I stand before my Maker in the morning the same way I stand before my coffee maker, with anticipation, delight and sometimes desperation.
And so we are all invited to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
April 5th 2017
It is important to recognize who gives us our victories.
If we believe we just happened to get “lucky” and escape, or if we believe it was by our own power, intelligence and ingenuity that we overcame the threat, that will lead us to one perspective on the future. If we believe God delivered us, that will lead us to another. The former will lead us to self-reliance, insecurity and/or fear of future adversity. The latter will lead us to confidence and hope. We will see God’s faithfulness at work in our circumstances, creating a deeper trust in Him that says to our hearts, “He did it before He can do it again.” As David said when he was about to face Goliath, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37). Had he been evaluating his chances based on luck or his own capabilities he most likely would have come to the same conclusion the rest of the terrified army of Israel had come to. Don’t even think about it! That is why trust in God is a gift to be treasured above all others. It gives us security and confidence.
Nor do we need to be afraid that God will purposely add tribulation to our lives in order to build that trust. Life is going to create tribulation no matter what path or perspective we choose. Sometimes mild. Sometimes severe. But a faith perspective receives those challenges as opportunities to grow in trust in the Lord. The Lord promises to redeem our tribulations, making them constructive building blocks for a richer relationship with Himself. A relationship of deeper intimacy rooted in deeper trust. A relationship of invincible dependence. A relationship that allows us to smile at the uncertain future whether the forecast is pleasant or stormy.
Therefore, whatever may be the source of strength and hope of others, the Lord is mine. Whatever works for anybody else, may God bless them. I’m neither threatened nor envious of their strategies. But nor am I ashamed to say the Lord is my portion. He is my hope. He is my trust. And I will fear no evil for He is with me.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
March 29th
The sense of unfulfilled longings is an experience common to all humans. We have all had that “not enough” feeling from time to time. That hankering for something more, even when we are not able to put our fingers on it exactly. A wonderful explanation is provided by one of my favorite authors:
“The Christian says, ‘Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger: well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim: well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire: well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing.’” — C.S. Lewis
It is true that most of our soul-level longings will be fulfilled after this life and throughout eternity. But because those desires are connected to Christ personally, and we have Christ living inside of us right now, much more than we can imagine is available to us in Him in this present life as well. Many of us have tasted and seen that the Lord is good – and we simply want more. We’re turning our cups of grace bottoms up to our mouths and shaking them. But ours is not a depressing desperation born of hopelessness and futility but a celebration of possibility. Ours is an eager anticipation that comes from knowing where to go.
Whether here or in the hereafter, our deepest desires are meant to be satisfied by the One who created them in the first place – and it is in seeking Him that rests our best hope for satisfaction. “For those who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing” (Psalm 34:10).
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
March 22nd
A long-time churchgoer and recent visitor to our church was surprised to learn I have been a pastor for more than 30 years. She said, “You are so fresh!” No, she didn’t mean that other kind of “fresh.” She meant energized and enthusiastic. Her fascination is understandable considering the fact that “Pastor” is right at the top of the “most likely to burnout” list of careers.
I attribute my “difference” to spending time at this fantastic spot.
It’s a small café, located nowhere in particular but is everywhere I am. It is always open and a table is always reserved just for me.
It is a place to taste the Lord’s goodness and enjoy the wall hangings of His faithfulness. A place to process my disappointments, celebrate my victories and gain perspective on my challenges. It is a place to reconnect with my confidence. A place to refresh and refocus my dreams and hopes.
The name of the cafe is My Seeking Heart, and its charter is found in the Scriptures:
“Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always” (Psalm 105:3-4).
Alone with the Lord in My Seeking Heart, my emotions are releasable, my spirit becomes malleable, my thoughts permeable and my spirit movable. And my soul is no longer a prisoner of my present condition.
A Seeking Heart is the place to be for those who wish to be forever “fresh,” and it is not just for pastors. The Lord is always waiting to meet with you at the one in your present location.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
March 15th
“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how” (Matthew 27:65). With those words Pontius Pilate and the enemies of Jesus devised a plan to foil the ending of the greatest true story ever told.
There is a word for such people: Marplots. A marplot is one who intentionally frustrates or ruins someone else’s plans or undertakings by villainous meddling.
According to Jesus, the ending to His story was to be His return to life after being killed. The marplots were on a mission to prevent even the appearance of such a thing. Having done their level best to discredit the Jesus story while He lived, they continued even after His execution. They made His tomb as secure as they knew how. They thought that was the end of the story. But…
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for the angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightening, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men” (Matthew 28:1-4).
Oops! The story had a twist that even the marplots could not have possibly anticipated. They not only failed to prevent the happy ending of the Jesus story, but their best attempt to do so made it even more glorious!
In the same way, the evil one will use deception, other people and difficult circumstances in our lives as marplots to try to destroy our confidence and credibility in Christ. Don’t be discouraged. Though he makes the deception as secure as he knows how, and rolls a stone over the door of our hopes, God always assigns an angel to roll it away at the proper time, revealing to us an even more glorious Jesus!
Because in the end, marplots are but instruments of greater miracles for God’s people.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
March 8th
“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how” (Matthew 27:65). With those words Pontius Pilate and the enemies of Jesus devised a plan to foil the ending of the greatest true story ever told.
There is a word for such people: Marplots. A marplot is one who intentionally frustrates or ruins someone else’s plans or undertakings by villainous meddling.
According to Jesus, the ending to His story was to be His return to life after being killed. The marplots were on a mission to prevent even the appearance of such a thing. Having done their level best to discredit the Jesus story while He lived, they continued even after His execution. They made His tomb as secure as they knew how. They thought that was the end of the story. But…
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for the angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightening, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men” (Matthew 28:1-4).
Oops! The story had a twist that even the marplots could not have possibly anticipated. They not only failed to prevent the happy ending of the Jesus story, but their best attempt to do so made it even more glorious!
In the same way, the evil one will use deception, other people and difficult circumstances in our lives as marplots to try to destroy our confidence and credibility in Christ. Don’t be discouraged. Though he makes the deception as secure as he knows how, and rolls a stone over the door of our hopes, God always assigns an angel to roll it away at the proper time, revealing to us an even more glorious Jesus!
Because in the end, marplots are but instruments of greater miracles for God’s people.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church.
March 1st
Very few of us enjoy being in a vulnerable place emotionally, physically or circumstantially. We don’t want to be worried about our finances. We don’t want to be sick. We don’t want anyone looking down on us or treating us disrespectfully or doubting the value we bring to the table. It simply feels much better to be on top of the heap than under the pile. But, as is typical of the way God works, things are not always what they appear to be. There are also treasures buried under the pile.
The apostle Paul shared his journey to discovery about “weaknesses” in his second letter to the Corinthians:
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take [my weakness] away from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)
Paul took “delight” in his weaknesses, not because he found them to be pleasant but because through them he experienced the all-sufficient power of Christ. He found another gear in Him. He found an enclave of encouragement, an oasis in the desert, affirmation of the Lord’s affection for him. He found strength in Christ he would never have discovered otherwise, which more than adequately compensated for his weaknesses. In short, he became more personally acquainted with Christ.
He also found confidence to trust Him for whatever lay beyond.
And so, following Paul’s example, I prayed, “Lord, I don’t like being worried or insecure, but if being so causes me to draw near to You, and if drawing near to You makes my relationship with You more precious to me day by day, I will receive it with gratitude.”
Security in Him is buried in our insecurities. And there is no better place to be than supported by His grace.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Feb. 22nd
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message,” (John 17:20).
Jesus prayed for others and for us with love, concern and with passion, but never with any panic.
He realized nothing is too difficult for His Father. So when He looked at situations that appeared to be impossible to figure out, or encountered people in situations that seemed overwhelming, Jesus knew it was not only not impossible for God, it wasn’t even difficult for Him.
Realizing it is important for me to monitor my own faith as I pray for others, I offered up this prayer for my prayers for others.
Lord, as I pray for others today help me to trust You for their well-being in the same way I trust You for myself. Let me enjoy peace about them in the same way You grant me peace about myself. As I pray that their faith may not fail because of their circumstances, may my faith not fail because of my concern for them. As I trust You to use their situations to draw them closer to You, so use my concern for them to draw me closer to You.
Amen.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Feb. 15th
From time to time, a dear friend and church member fondly calls me a genius, and when I chuckle and try to play it off as kind flattery she corrects me and lets me know she’s serious. So rather than protesting further, which I suspect would make her even more insistent, I adopt my “Yes ma’am” posture and move on. I love it and I love her. And I know she is really just saying she is deeply moved by the way I help her connect God’s truth to her life.
But I know I’m not really a genius. I’m light years away from that galaxy. What this dear woman sees as “genius” is, in reality, the fruit of a genuine and tenacious belief that the living Christ is the grand prize of life. Nothing we desire compares with Him. He is the ultimate “it” and the One who makes all of life more “alive.” She sees the results of hanging out day after day with Someone whose magnificence is indescribable and irresistibly attractive.
There is more than enough of Him to fascinate and overwhelm us all: “Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom… ‘Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable thing you do not know’” (Psalm 145:3; Jeremiah 33:3)
Thus we are all invited today to marvel at HIS genius.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Feb. 8th
“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest’” (Mark 6:31).
Being a committed disciple of Christ does not necessarily mean being super busy. The goal of our faith is not busyness for the Lord but engagement with Him. Sometimes engagement means going with Him, like the disciples, to a quiet place and getting some rest or sitting with Him, like David, beside still waters. Sometimes it means going with the flow instead of forcing our plans, realizing our thoughts are not necessarily the Lord’s thoughts. Sometimes the better prayer is not “Lord help me to accomplish my tasks,” but “Lord what are You up to today and how can I be part of it?”
What we want to be each day is receptive and responsive to the Lord, not just active. A jam-packed schedule is not necessarily an indicator of our significance or our effectiveness. Sometimes the biggest waste of time is a frenetic pace that leaves us frustrated, irritated and exhausted. The important thing is not how much did we get done in a day but in what shape is our spirit and our love when the day is finished.
In the same way, though there is much more I could write about this, longer is not necessarily better. So, having said what I have to say, I’m done.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Feb. 1st
“Hold every moment sacred,
Give each clarity and meaning
Each the weight of thine awareness
Each its true and due fulfillment.”
This sentiment, penned by Thomas Mann, is one I often reflect on and pray about. It has been expressed in many ways by untold numbers of theologians, philosophers and self-help gurus of every sort. The main idea being, essentially, “Life is short, so make every minute count.”
I have come to the realization that though it sounds good and feels very important, I don’t know how to do that! I’m often too busy trying to live to take time to think about whether my moments are “counting” or not. And besides, how do I even evaluate that?
Nevertheless, I have come up with a satisfying solution: I “hold every moment sacred” by surrendering the ones allotted to me to the Lord each day. I have come to the conclusion that He is the only One who can maintain constant focus on each moment. And He is the only One who knows what is the wisest use of them because He is the only One who knows the “Big Picture” and how my life fits into it.
And so, having consigned my moments to Him, during the course of the day, whenever I think about making the most of my time, I remember “My times are in Your hands” and “the Lord will accomplish what concerns me” (Psalm 31:15; 138:8).
As I live my life as wisely as I know, my trust is not in how I am spending my time but in how He is spending my time.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Jan 25th
We all just want to be loved.
This is one of the places of re-discovery I came to with the Lord early this morning after I saw a man and a woman standing in the parking lot of the hotel I pass each day. Her car was running and they were standing beside it hugging and kissing and rubbing noses. It had the new relationship look and feel about it. They had apparently arrived in separate cars, spent the night together and were now about to leave each other. I don’t know if they were married, single or even married to other people. I saw no wedding rings. But my mind and heart did not go to a place of judgment but of compassion for all people.
We all just want to be loved.
It is a pure and natural desire that the evil one often counterfeits, deceiving people into unhealthy, unsafe, unwise and even unloving ways to try to satisfy it. But His primary objective is to prevent people from going to the Source of love.
God is love. He does not just give it, He is it. To know Him is to know love personified. To pursue getting to know Him better is to be on the road to experiencing never-ending revelations of what it means to be truly loved. Loved beyond measure. Beyond description. Beyond imagination.
He certainly uses human beings to convey His love but He is not limited to human expressions of love. He is infinitely creative and resourceful. So much so, David described His love as not only better than all love counterfeits, it is better than life itself (Psalm 63:3). And it is available to all who call upon Him. So pick up the prayer line and call 1-800-His Love. Call today!
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Jan 18th
Earlier this week I took a picture of a Ferrari and playfully led others to believe it was mine before making it clear it was not. Would I have wanted it to be mine? Oh absolutely! If someone gave me one, and that’s about the only way I’d own one, I would be driving it around, blowing the horn, waving at strangers and acting all undignified. But the blessing of knowing Christ is I don’t need a Ferrari, or even the Camry I drive in order to be happy or to feel successful. I do not need to compare who I am or what I have to anyone else – I am free. So are you. Live in freedom.
The blessing of the gospel is not in what it allows us to get but in appreciating what we have. Specifically, what we have in Christ. Take all our stuff away and in Him we still have everything because He is the qualitative difference in our lives. The blessing of knowing Christ is inner satisfaction regardless of our circumstances or possessions. The Bible calls it “fullness in Him.” So we don’t have to covet anyone else’s life or their things.
So if you happen to see the “perfect” family, the kids well-behaved and excelling in school, mom and dad both with successful careers, all of them healthy and good looking, emerging from their beautiful home together all smiles, holding hands and eating ice cream cones, while getting into the luxury car of your dreams, don’t say in your heart “they’re probably struggling to pay that mortgage and car note, the kids are little robots and all that sugar they’re eating is going to make them all die soon – and since they don’t know Jesus they can’t possibly be happy.”
Yes, I’m exaggerating but you know what I’m saying. Don’t go there. You don’t have to.
The gospel frees us from the envy that drives “sour grapes” attitudes and it beckons us to open wide our mouths for the living Lord to fill them. To draw near to the One who has pleasures forever at His right hand. To taste and see that He is good. To know He is the Source and the Substance of life and the Revealer of the unsearchable riches that are ours in Christ. With or without all the other stuff.
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Jan 11th
So often these days it seems the Lord gives me more to say than I have time to say it. But today I would rather have someone else speak to you from her heart. I received the following letter this week and am sharing it with permission. It reflects my prayers for all of us and is an encouragement to me that God is indeed answering them. Prepare to be blessed.
Good morning Pastor,
I just finished reading your Monday Morning Boost for this week. I was contemplating how the Lord has answered so many prayers for me in the last few months, and many of them have been miracles really. At times I felt so unworthy of all these miracles. While I feel so blessed and loved by Him, I can’t help but turn to him and say Father, but what about [this very distressing trial]? Can’t you fix it? I am reminded of your text this past Monday, “There is something about Him to be gained in our “now.””
I seem to keep forgetting the purpose of my present trial is not to resolve the difficulty. Messages such as yours remind me that the trial is just the mechanism that God is using to increase my faith in Him. [Pastor Dan’s editorial note: God wants to increase our faith in Him not for no reason but because as it does we enjoy greater security, joy, and peace. More of the abundant life He promised us. Ok, now resuming…] After all, He will use what is most important and dear to us to get our attention. I asked myself this morning how can I focus more on the Lord and less on my circumstance, because my circumstance doesn’t show signs of changing any time soon. I am asking God to show me His will for me, what He wants me to do. He repeatedly says “keep the focus on Me and do nothing”. My instinct is to constantly watch for signs for things for me to do, but alas, I don’t find them.
In keeping the focus on Him, I determined that I must shift the focus on me and make myself into the person that God wants me to become. Making myself into that person would require that I spend time with Him and more time on what I can do to take care of my soul, mind and body. After all, God did not create us so we can “idolize” other people and wait on them to give us the delights of our hearts. Instead, He expects us to [worship] Him and look to Him to give us those pleasures.
It is not easy for someone like me to look a difficult situation in the eye and tell it “I am not going to solve you”. With His help, I will be able every day to fill his palms with my difficulties and leave my palms free to worship Him.
-Nadine
(I’d love to hear from you. Write me at Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Jan 4th
J.J. is a gifted musician. Home from college for the holidays, she stopped in at her old high school to visit her former music teacher, Mr. D. She wound up in pleasant conversation and helping him grade papers, just like old times.
J.J. wasn’t there to earn a grade. She had already graduated. She showed up for only one reason – to see Mr. D. Her relationship with him was special to her, and being with him, she became involved in what he was involved in –serving other students. She just wanted to be with a friend who had positively impacted her life.
And you can imagine Mr. D’s delight in seeing her come through the door of his classroom – without assignment or obligation. He knew her being there was all about him.
This is the uncomplicated picture of freedom in Christ.
By His sacrifice for us, Christ has qualified us for heaven. The “risk” God took by freeing us from the Law is we are free to “take the grade” and walk away. For all who places their faith in Christ, “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23) There are no strings attached to His gift of grace, otherwise is it really a gift?
But when we understand grace, and more important, the Giver of grace, we realize salvation was but an introduction to His magnificence. As we get to know the God who has so positively and profoundly affected our lives, like J.J. with her music teacher, we just want to be near Him and assist Him as He serves His people and invites the world to Himself. And we do so without assignment or obligation.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Dec 28th
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us” (1 John 4:16).
Let us not confuse the reliability of God’s love with its predictability. The two are very different. We can rely on the love God has for us because of the proof furnished by the death of Christ on the cross. For God demonstrates His own love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. In addition, we have the ongoing evidence of how He cares for us, encourages us, surprises us and reassures us.
It’s the unpredictability of His love that the devil (or our own erroneous thinking) sometimes uses to throw us off, to lead us to believe God has forgotten about us or is not really concerned about us. But what can seem to be inconsistency on God’s part is rooted in the fact that God’s thoughts and plans far surpass our understanding. That is not a cop out. It is just a fact. It is a fact that is familiar to any parent who is incapable of explaining to a child how the good thing the child wants is not a good thing at all – either not now or ever.
That is not to say God doesn’t care about our felt needs and desires. He does. He is concerned about the slightest things that affect our hearts. That’s why He invites us to cast all our anxieties on Him and to make all our requests known to Him. He is generous and gracious to us.
Our greatest need for the coming year that our faith may not fail as our lives around us change. And change they will. Sometimes with pleasure and sometimes with pain.
I pray in every change our hearts would trust in His faithfulness and the reliability of His changeless love.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Dec 21st
I was speaking to my sister yesterday, my biological sister, and we were gleefully recounting the miraculous circumstances that led to her eventually coming to Christ. We talked about how in her distress she had fled her home, not knowing where she was going. Certainly not thinking about the Lord. Actually putting her own life, and her children’s lives in harm’s way.
As she reflected, she recalled how on every side, despite her confusion and vulnerability there was “favor, favor, favor.” Eventually, while running away she wound up running right into Christ.
The Lord’s favor was upon my sister even before she came to know Him. How much more so is it upon her now that she is His beloved daughter?
Each of our stories of how we came to Christ are different – some may be more dramatic than others, but in every case, regardless of the specific details, just as He did with my sister, the Lord guided, provided and protected each of us right into His arms.
Coming to Him was only the beginning. Today and every day for the rest of our lives, no matter what lies on the path of life, whether it goes to the left, to the right or (apparently) all wrong – the Lord’s favor towards each one of us extends as far as the eye can see – in all directions.
So do not sweat the details of decisions. Do not worry about so-called setbacks. Never doubt that He knows what He’s doing. And never forget He’s got you covered. “For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield” (Psalm 5:12).
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Dec. 14th
I am reminded of a scene in the movie Mr. Holland’s Opus in which Mr. Holland, a high school music teacher, is working with a female student who is having trouble playing her instrument. Despite diligently practicing, she just can’t seem to raise her proficiency. She is so discouraged she is thinking about quitting. In a private tutoring moment with her, as she holds her instrument, Mr. Holland asks her what she likes best about herself. She says her red hair because her father says it reminds him of the sunset. Mr. Holland then directs her to “play the sunset.” Just as she begins, he takes away her music. Her eyes widen for a moment. “Because you already know it” he explains. He tells her to close her eyes and she begins to play. She plays in a way that so surprises her that she stops playing and breaks into a smile. Chuckling with her, Mr. Holland says, “Don’t stop playing” and she continues, lost in the melody, oblivious even to her teacher sitting next to her as he stares at her in pleasant contentment.
What she needed was not more dedication but more inspiration.
To me, that is the “deeper place” of discipleship in Christ. It is beyond our technical performance. “Because we already know it.” It is playing the sunset. Remembering not just His love for us but also His “like” of our individual peculiarities. “For the Lord takes delight in His people” (Psalm 149:4).
May God give us grace to “play the sunset” from the instrument of inspired hearts, that we may express the music of His love to the world around us in ways that even surprise us.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Dec 7th
On this date, Pearl Harbor Day, I was victimized by a surprise attack by the devil through an event that was emotionally devastating and touched the nerve of one of my greatest insecurities.
As I drove home alone, it seemed the devil himself was seated in the passenger seat. Out of sheer willpower I gave thanks. The evil one taunted, “It’s not helping. You don’t feel any better.” He was right. I didn’t. At home, deeply wounded and humiliated I wrote and prayed and wept. Here are some of the excerpts:
“It hurts deeply but with each pain I must draw near to God for His comfort and encouragement. This is where my knowledge of God grows and my character develops. Tomorrow’s effect is being forged today in my pain and disappointment.”
“I must hold my head high by faith and trust God. He will exalt me at the proper time and He knows how much I can take. I need to be humble and trust God for His grace to deal with this. I cannot afford to become self-sufficient, it’s too painful. I feel so weak and wounded. I am a ‘bruised reed, a dimly burning wick’” (Isaiah 42:3).
Despite my spiritual focus, all I FELT was pain. But God is faithful, and as my wife has famously said, “He wastes nothing.”
A couple years later, that very episode led to the fulfillment of one of my greatest dreams and literally became a blessing to thousands upon thousands. And beyond that, it is now 27 years since that painful incident occured and I am still receiving dividends from it (which by the way, despite its benefits, I would have never chosen on my own – so it’s a good thing I didn’t get to choose).
We don’t always get to see how God is causing all things to work together for our good. Some things we will not understand until we get to heaven. But God has promised to always supply sufficient grace. He will always give us enough resolution to trust Him for the unresolved. Today marks the anniversary of one of those times.
Our faith walk becomes more energized when we remember from whence He has brought us.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Nov 30th
The view from my place today is a dialogue with a dear friend (whom I will refer to as “Shawn”) that took place this morning and I believe is beneficial to all of us as we seek to grow in our faith.
Shawn: Never thought I’d make it to church at 7 am most days including Saturday. But I do. A tear of thanksgiving with communion this morning. Not my church but I’m welcomed as a sister in Christ. Praise be to God.
Me: I am thankful for how He is crafting and customizing your relationship with Him.
Shawn: Me too.
Me: You do realize there is no end to this, right?
Shawn: I hope not.
Me: Nope. No bottom. No ceiling. No walls. And I am praying for all my family, friends and all who respect me as a spiritual leader that they would be caught up in the wonder of simply knowing Him better. It is not merely a spiritual pastime. It is life transforming.
Shawn: I’m ready for my life to be transformed. Trying to pray for His will instead of my wish list.
Me: Focus and desire are the two most important ingredients, and the Lord has blessed you with both. You have already been transformed into a new creature in Christ, but there is so much more He wants to be to you – as is true for me as well. Note I did not say there is so much more He wants you to be, but that He wants to be more to you. I am realizing the transformation He desires is not first in my behavior, but in my relationship with Him. My personal attraction to Him. The hunger to know Him better – in the same way I would get to know you better. It is as simple as this: the closer we get to Him, the more His values and perspective become our own. Not by force but from heart.
My conversation with Shawn will continue for a while, but the work God is doing in Shawn’s life – and in all of our lives – will go on forever. For He “who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Nov 23rd
“Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2)
This Thanksgiving, in addition to giving thanks for family, health and God’s faithful provision, let us also triumphantly celebrate the Lord’s abundant, manifold spiritual benefits of His favor.
Let us feast on the sumptuous buffet of His magnificence by remembering and recounting His greatness.
Let us recline in the security of His beyond-imagination love.
Let us move about freely, unworried by our human inadequacy, confidence in His immutable purposes for us.
Let our awareness, by faith, of His ever-Presence keep us alert to the shimmer of the -supernatural occurring in ordinary moments.
Let us appreciate the blessings of this unseeing phase of our eternal relationship with Him. For “blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” There are blessings to be received in this phase that are unique to this phase and will never be available again after this life.
Let us thank Him for not only insuring our destiny but for being our destiny, our lives, both now and forever are in Him.
Let us thank Him for the honor and the privilege of trusting Him today.
And have a glorious and peaceful Thanksgiving!
“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:11-12)
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Nov 16th
“Reviewing the View from My Place”
One of the directives the Scriptures give to shepherds of the Lord’s flock is to be an example to them. Paul said “Follow me as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). He also instructed Timothy to not let anyone look down on him because he was young but to set an example for the believers. And Peter instructed pastors to not lord it over the flock but to be examples.
Accordingly, the original intent behind “The View from My Place” was to give the readers a window into my own relationship with the Lord. Not as a template for them to follow precisely, (though they are certainly free to borrow any ideas they may glean from anything I’ve shared) but as inspiration to cultivate their own walks with Him.
My goal was to show them, through personal examples, the possibilities and the range of our fellowship with the living God. To try to demonstrate how deep is the love of God in Christ Jesus and how personally invested He is in each of us. I wanted to have the effect of spurring each reader to explore the depths of His mercies and to taste His delightfulness for themselves. In short, I wanted my being “turned on” by Christ to be a “turn on” to Christ for others.
I assumed some of my readers would already be even more turned on to Christ than I am and would be inspired seeing me coming to join them. While others, perhaps more tepid in their spiritual aspirations, would find the waters around them warming up.
The bottom line is, as we approach the end of another year, I hope to continue to exhort and inspire all of us to simply “fix our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2) because, truly, life just doesn’t get any better than Him.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Nov 9th
In light of last night’s election, some of us believers awoke this morning praising God for the results and others of us were praying in distress. Those who are celebrating find it impossible to conceive how a true, mature Christian who knows and believes the Bible and loves Jesus could not be celebrating today. Those who are distressed by the results find it impossible to believe that those who are rejoicing are not ignorant, hypocritical and unloving. What are we to make of this?
Let us remember, given the demographics of Jesus’ disciples, some of the bickering that took place among them was no doubt political. One of the disciples, Simon, was a zealot for political change and another, Matthew, was considered a Roman collaborator. But Jesus never took sides with their politics.
So what would Jesus say to Christians who voted last night? We don’t have to speculate because He already revealed His position on the matter: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”(John 13:34-35). We can be assured He would not be pleased with the bickering, judging and “writing off” of each other among Christians this election season.
It may seem simple, it may not seem like “enough,” but the love of Christ, given to one another – despite our political differences, love given in the same way Jesus gives it to each of us, is not “soft,” nor is it passive. On the contrary, it is one of the most challenging and most oft-repeated directives in the Scriptures. And if we truly believe God’s word, it is the most important spiritual work we can do.
Whether your candidate won or lost, neither our future nor God’s purposes were at stake last night. And going forward, contrary to what many may think, the appointment of Supreme Court justices is not on the top of God’s agenda. According to the Scriptures, the greater impact upon the advancement of His kingdom will come from our attitudes and actions towards our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ today.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Nov 2nd
I was recently encouraged by the reminder that despite his impressive spiritual exploits that are so well documented in the Scriptures, the apostle Paul was not a super human. Thank the Lord!
He wrote, “I have suffered the loss of all things,” (Philippians 3:8) which means he actually felt those losses. He wasn’t so spiritual that he somehow lived above the human pain and sorrow of losing friends, material possessions, social status, financial security, and even his physical comfort and freedom.
In fact, Jesus Himself felt the excruciating pain of letting go of all the things He chose to give up for our sake, to the point of being “overwhelmed with sorrow.”
The miracle and the charm of their lives and example is not that they avoided suffering, it is the fact God was big enough to them to be worth it to them. He was able to shine brighter than the darkness. His warmth was greater than the coldness. His joy was sweeter than the sorrow. His power was made perfect in their weaknesses.
The glorious statement of their lives, and the lives of countless others who have gone ahead of us in Christ, is God’s magnificence is strong enough to draw us forward, step-by-step, through the difficulties and challenges of life to a place of security, confidence and supernatural power in Him.
The astonishing thing is this, for those of us who look with awe at Paul and Jesus, hoping one day to be so resolute, to be freshly encouraged we have only to look behind us at the bridges we have crossed. The God who inspired Paul and Jesus, is the same one who carried us from “back there” to here. And He is the same One who will carry us from “here” to there, wherever “there” may be.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Oct. 26th
“Faith without works is dead” means genuine faith will always produce works or else the faith is dead. In other words, faith without good works is dead faith. It does not mean work hard to prove You have faith. It means the battery (faith) that powers good works is dead and needs recharging. It does not mean start pushing the car around.
The difference is important. For if we focus on proving our spirituality by our works, it can lead to pride, self-righteousness, judging others, and frustration when we fail to perform or just get tired from all the “pushing.” But if we focus on recharging our faith, it leads us to the One to whom a desperate man once pleaded “Help me overcome my unbelief.” It takes us to Jesus, who said to Peter regarding the storm that was about to engulf Peter, “I have prayed for you that your faithmay not fail.” Jesus knew if Peter’s faith was protected the works would follow. The same is true of us.
Our good works are indicative of the health of our faith in the same way lights on the dashboard of a car indicates the health of the engine. When good behavior is our primary objective, rather than sincere faith in Christ, it is easy to bypass our relationship with the Lord and seek more effective strategies. “How-To” books abound for every conceivable area of human endeavor. But when we realize that lack of good works is a sign that our relationship with the Lord is lacking “octane” we look to Him for the faith that powers our godliness.
Trying to prove our faith leads us to programs, while revitalizing our faith continually leads us back to a personal and humble relationship with Christ.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Oct. 19th
How did you get here? I mean, here in Christ? Seeking Him? Knowing Him? Loving Him? Desiring more of Him? Talking about Him? How did He become more than a religious notion or a church service to you?
Let’s retrace your steps through Ephesians 2:8-9:
“For it is by grace,”
–That is, God’s supernatural, unmerited, incomprehensible love, mercy and generosity,
“you have been saved,”
–It does not read “you might be saved,” or “you can hope to be saved” or “you can try to be saved.” Your place in heaven is now guaranteed and reserved.
–Further, you have been saved not only from eternal separation from God but also from the futile search for substance in life.
“through faith,”
–by trusting in Christ as the payment for your sins.
“And this is not from yourself,”
–You neither conceived nor orchestrated this amazing situation you now have in Christ.
“it is the gift of God,”
–free, with no strings attached, inexplicably magnanimous.
“not by works,”
–because there was literally nothing you could do to earn it or deserve it. As a friend once said, you could go to church so often the people thought you were the janitor – and it still wouldn’t be enough.
“so that no one can boast.”
–No one can claim to be better than anyone else. We were all equally needy, equally hopeless and equally unworthy.
–So He alone deserves the credit, the praise.
And that’s how we all got here.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Oct. 12th
“I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…” Philippians 4:12
As I considered Paul’s astounding words, my meditative prayer was, “Lord, I want that! That is true security. Stuff can be taken away. Situations can change. But if I have learned to be content no matter what, it doesn’t matter what changes come my way.” It was a wonderful prayer, I thought. But then the follow up question entered my mind, “How did he learn this ‘secret’?”
Years earlier Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move… in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles… I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:24-28 NIV).
Hmmm. Maybe I don’t want to learn that secret after all, Lord. Or can’t You just whisper it in my ear?
But then I realized Paul’s next statement, following “I have learned the secret…” is “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” The “secret” all along was not a method or a strategy, it was Paul’s intimate and energizing relationship with the living Christ, forged through the pleasures and pains of a life spent following Him. Christ had been with Paul and sustained him through every trial. Christ had become more real to Paul as the years had passed and he wrote his most beautiful, powerful and personal descriptions of Christ and His “unsearchable riches” after going through all of those hardships. And near the very end of his life he declared that compared to knowing Christ, everything else was rubbish and his most ardent desire and prayer was simply “More, Lord. More!”
So we need not fear the process that takes us to supernatural contentment. The Lord knows the perfect recipe for our growth in Him.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Oct. 5th
If you think your workday is challenging, consider the workload of the Lord’s blessings. They never get a day off. Never take vacations. They follow us every single day, all day, everywhere we go, morning and evening, while we are sleeping and awake. In the city, in the country, when we come in and when we go out.
They are everywhere. They call us on the phone, text us, email us. Show up at our door. Sitting with us on the train. Whispering pleasant meditations in our ears.
Sometimes they are inconspicuous, but if you look carefully you’ll see them. Standing there beside you as you wait in line at the grocery store or in your car as you sit in traffic. Big ones, small ones, loud ones, quiet ones, old ones, new ones. They’ll show up in the oddest places, where you would least expect them.
Some are so regular we don’t appreciate or even acknowledge them. But they keep on showing up. That’s the job of the Lord’s blessings – and they do it faithfully.
They receive no pension because they aren’t allowed to retire. Their assignment is to follow you all the days of your life and throughout all eternity.
So the next time you’re stressed about work, think about all those hard-working blessings surroundomg you.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3)
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Sept. 28th
Whatever may be your situation or anyone else’s, never forget the Lord is compassionate.
A woman wept at Jesus’ feet, drying them of her fallen tears with her hair. Jesus understood and comforted her. He heard the hidden fear in a tough man’s shameful reluctance to become a disciple and reassured him. He wept with grieving sisters whose brother had passed, even though Jesus knew the brother would soon be miraculously alive again. Personally, He heard my cry to “know the truth” and knew I was hungry for so much more than knowledge. The Lord does not ignore our hearts’ desires simply because we don’t have perfect behavior, complete understanding or precise terminology. He is not a formula, He is a Person and He searches hearts. When we give them to Him, He receives our sobbing, our confusion, our frustration and our silent longings as though they were well-formed theses. He reaches beneath the murky waters of our hearts and draws out the things that really matter to us, because they also matter to Him.
We often think of God’s Old Testament frustration with His people, but whatever suffering they experienced, He felt it with them. “In all their distress He too was distressed, and the angel of His presence saved them. In His love and mercy He redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old” (Isaiah 63:9)
He never despises or trivializes our felt need, even though He knows our realneed. That’s compassion!
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Sept 21st.
A fitness approach of counting steps is in full season. Various types of fitness watches and wristbands abound. There are step challenges, badges and contests.
So allow me to suggest a “three-step perspective” on walking with the Lord. It involves a step with the Lord, a step towards the Lord and a step for the Lord.
A step with the Lord means an acknowledgment that He is always with me – wherever I go, and wherever He is the possibilities are endlessly surprising.
A step towards the Lord is an expression of a desire for “more” of Him. It means pursuing the opportunity for ever-increasing experiential knowledge of Him and going deeper into His infinite glory.
A step for Him is trusting that the overflow of His love for me and His life in me will come forth from us in ways that will accomplish His purposes and my highest good today.
Physical steps profit the body and a spiritual mind enhances every area of life.
“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Sept. 14th
For believers, eternal life will not begin sometime in the future. It is happening in us right now.
The apostle Paul instructed his beloved disciple, Timothy to “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:12).
Right now, as you read these words, if you have “made your good confession,” that is placed your faith in the risen Christ as Your Savior, you have eternal life. Jesus also confirmed this during His earthly ministry when He declared, “He who has my words and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and does not come into judgment but has passed out of death into life.”
The essence of the eternal life that we now possess is our union with the living God, through our relationship with the risen Jesus Christ, facilitated by the Holy Spirit who lives within us. In short, eternal life means wherever we are, whatever we do, whatever happens He is always with us, in us and attuned to us. He is the qualitative difference in our lives each day.
For us, death is simply a change of address, not the end of the line. And while we live in these temporary earthly bodies, we are encouraged, like Timothy, to “take hold of” the eternal life we have been given. To meditate on it. To cherish it. To affirm it through praise and thanksgiving. To encourage our fellow believers in it.
What the future holds for us is a continuation of what has already begun, and it will gloriously unfold throughout the rest of eternity.
So take hold.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Sept. 7
Tackled by sadness, I was slow to get up. I didn’t have my usual zeal. Didn’t have the usual pep in my step. Someone I care deeply about just wasn’t getting it. Or, more accurately, wasn’t getting Him.
It occurred to me the more Christ means to me, the better I get to know Him, the more deeply it pains me when the people I care for seem to have little or no interest in knowing Him. When my best efforts to persuade them seem to be for naught and all the prayers I’ve prayed for them seem to have had no effect, it leaves me feeling a deep sense of failure and futility.
Failure and futility, whatever may be the cause, whether in sharing Christ, or our efforts in the work world, or in personal relationships or just in dealing with our own personal habits, leave us feeling weak. Weakness is not a pleasant feeling, but from a biblical perspective, it is place of rich blessing:
“Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
After his own bout with failure and futility, the apostle Paul gladly boasted about his weaknesses, not because it felt good but because he realized the point of limitation of his own power was the doorway to the infinite power of Christ.
So I just threw up my hands. Not in despair and resignation, but in praise and dependence. The pep in my step has returned, not because the matter is solved, but because my focus has changed from what I can do, to what Christ can do, and accepting when and how He wants to do it.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Aug 31st
“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:8 NIV).
Yes, we are called to be fruitful, but beware! Motives to “be fruitful” can lead us astray, like those of the men who preached the gospel but were doing so to cause the imprisoned apostle Paul distress. Or Simon, a sorcerer who desired the power of the Holy Spirit so much he was willing to pay for it – so he could add it to his repertoire. (The request almost cost him his life.) Or Judas Iscariot, who wanted to stop the “waste” of an expensive perfume being used to anoint Jesus so the money could “be given to the poor,” which translated actually meant “more for me to steal.” Or Peter, trying to perpetuate the Jesus movement with violence. Or the disciples arguing among themselves about who was the greatest among them. No doubt they were clueless their motives were being driven by their egos until Jesus exposed them as such.
Our motives can be tainted with things such as trying to measure up to someone else’s expectations, or trying to shed shame by paying a form of penance, or trying to perform our way into The Lord’s favor. These and many others like them are corrupt incentives because they do not flow from faith in Christ’s perfect sacrifice that gave us eternal favor with God. There is nothing more we need to add to it. We don’t need to prove anything to others or to God. It is finished.
We can better avoid wrong motives if our primary desire is to draw near to God, to be connected with Christ more deeply, to want to know Him better. If this is the “stuff” driving our spiritual aspirations, it matters less and less to us how prolific or impressive the fruit we produce may appear to others. What becomes increasingly more important to us is knowing He is the One who produced the fruit and knowing it grew out of the rich soil of intimacy with Him.
That is why it is wise to make knowing Him better our focus and let Him choose the fruit He wishes to bear from our lives.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Aug 24th
“I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips” (Psalm 34:1 (NIV)
Have you been touched by life lately?
Let us give thanks and celebrate the Lord today for all the beauty, love, adventure and pleasure He has allowed us to experience in this world.
Let us bless Him for the hidden world of life in Christ and for His unsearchable riches, continually revealed to us by His indwelling, eternal Spirit.
And let us also thank Him for His provision of sufficient grace that allows us to persevere by faith through the trials and challenges of each day.
Finally, if ever before you have been called a “loser,” felt like one or acted like one, thank the Lord for making you a forever winner. In the eyes of the One whose assessment matters most and will matter ultimately, you are and will forever be a beloved celebrity.
Far more than a religious ritual, lifting our voices to the Lord with praise and thanksgiving gives us perspective and focus. It opens our eyes and spirits to greater realization of how truly favored and embraced we are by Him today and every day.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Aug 17th
We’ve all had them. Those moments of exquisite clarity and conviction, leading to joy, blanketing peace and soothing rest in the Lord, when we are transported to that state of spiritual agreement with David, “I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand I will not be shaken” (Psalm 16:8).
We are in a place of dependent invincibility.
And then the rest of life surges in. It comes through a troubling phone call, by email or snail mail. Stress-couriers at work. An ongoing marital conflict. A threatening illness. An unexpected expense or an expected one that we stillcan’t pay. Whatever it is, we find ourselves now having to deal with the urgent realities of “living” and suddenly that moment of bliss is a faded memory.
But as the apostle John assures us, the anointing we have (i.e. His presence in us) is real – and not counterfeit (1 John 2:27). The faded memory was a genuine encounter with the living God. So do not be intimated or distracted by those earthly realities because the Lord is just as real as they are. Actually He is morereal, because the things that are seen are temporary but the things which are unseen are eternal. However situations may turn out, they are temporary and in the words of the apostle Paul they are “light and momentary” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
It may seem like it came to stay but it truly does come to pass.
The Lord Himself exists behind the scenes of the “seen” and periodically reaches through the curtain of eternity and touches our lives with His loving hand. He steadies us, comforts us, guides us and reassures us, only to withdraw it again that we might continue to grow in living by faith. For in this life – and only in this life – we live by faith, not by sight.
Despite what may seem like cameo appearances, He is always with us, and will be to the end of this age and throughout all eternity. And that is the everlasting reality.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Aug 10th
God has a strange kind of numbers operation going on that is very unhuman-like. For a critical battle, He astonishingly reduced an army of 32,000 to 300 and chose a general over them who had 0 military experience. As God figures it, the last shall be first and a woman who gave the least gave the most. Instead of seeking out a wealthy donor, Jesus received a paltry 5 loaves and 2 fish and fed thousands.
On the other hand, He allowed a woman to “waste” perfume worth almost a year’s wages anointing His head and a number of women supported Him and his disciples as He conducted His ministry. Why would someone who could command all of creation let a group of women use their own money to support His work? To us humans it all seems random and contradictory because God’s scoreboard records what is invisible to every human eye – the heart. He is attuned to the faith, the motives, the intentions and incentives that driveoutward behavior.
Each of our lives is a single-person event before the Lord. There is no competition but that which exists between our flesh and our faith and the only “clock” is the uncertain number of days each of us has allotted to us on this earth. Therefore, it is a waste of time and energy comparing ourselves, trying to impress others or judging them. Our duty is not to worry about the score but to surrender ourselves each day to God’s love and His purposes for our lives and to walk in dependence upon Him. That is how we “run in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24).
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Aug 3rd
I have been meditating on the word “unfathomable” as of late. It’s a big word. Not in terms of letters but by definition. It means “incapable of being fully explored or understood; impossible to measure the extent of.”
Job describes the Lord as the One “who does great things, unfathomable, and wondrous works without number” (Job 9:10). King David agreed: “Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom” (Psalm 145:3) and centuries later, the apostle Paul joined the chorus: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” (Romans 11:33).
In other words, whatever we have learned of Him, whatever we have seen, whatever we have experienced, we ain’t seen nothin’ yet! That is why every day I awake with anticipation of the possibility of “more” in Him. Even in the daily, ordinary routines of life there is “more” if we are attuned to Him, and the one thing we have permission from above to be “greedy” for is more of Him.
My prayer for you today, dear reader, is that you would be inspired by the possibilities in Him but not frustrated. That you would aspire to know Him better but not feel the need to “try harder.” That you would envision a larger place with Him but not be discouraged by where you are.
In 2 Corinthians 8:12, an important principle is set forth: “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.” Whatever time or energy or creativity you have, if the readiness, the desire is there, God can do wonders with it. So even as the Lord stokes the fires within you, may He also, at the same time, satisfy you in the process. And yes, He can do both because His “amazingness” is unfathomable.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
I have been meditating on the word “unfathomable” as of late. It’s a big word. Not in terms of letters but by definition. It means “incapable of being fully explored or understood; impossible to measure the extent of.”
Job describes the Lord as the One “who does great things, unfathomable, and wondrous works without number” (Job 9:10). King David agreed: “Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom” (Psalm 145:3) and centuries later, the apostle Paul joined the chorus: “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” (Romans 11:33).
In other words, whatever we have learned of Him, whatever we have seen, whatever we have experienced, we ain’t seen nothin’ yet! That is why every day I awake with anticipation of the possibility of “more” in Him. Even in the daily, ordinary routines of life there is “more” if we are attuned to Him, and the one thing we have permission from above to be “greedy” for is more of Him.
My prayer for you today, dear reader, is that you would be inspired by the possibilities in Him but not frustrated. That you would aspire to know Him better but not feel the need to “try harder.” That you would envision a larger place with Him but not be discouraged by where you are.
In 2 Corinthians 8:12, an important principle is set forth: “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.” Whatever time or energy or creativity you have, if the readiness, the desire is there, God can do wonders with it. So even as the Lord stokes the fires within you, may He also, at the same time, satisfy you in the process. And yes, He can do both because His “amazingness” is unfathomable.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
July 27th
The heart and soul of the abundant life the Lord promised us is not in mastering certain biblical principles, or mastering certain biblical concepts or even mastering biblical behavior. Simply stated, it does not come from personal mastery, it comes from knowing the Master personally.
Pardon me if I sound like a broken record. But if I had to choose a spot on the recording of all I have said or written about the Lord, I could not choose a better place than this one. I will say it over and over again in as many ways as I can because it is the truest thing I know about spiritual joy, growth and impact.
Day by day He continues to ask each of us “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15). Every believer knows He is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, but that is just the starting point of truly knowing Him. That is the entrance way. To access the “more” of who He is, you don’t need an elaborate plan, just a genuine desire. Remember, the Lord is a Person, not a technique. He desires to be more intimate with us far more than we desire to be intimate with Him. We don’t have to twist His arm, we just need to give Him our hearts.
It is no exaggeration to say, as He hung on the cross, He was literally dying to be with you. Therefore, we can come to Him in faith, not with dread but with anticipation as strong as we have for anything else this life has to offer.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
July 20th
My observation is no matter how diverse and divergent we Christians are in our views and ministries, whenever I speak or write about the Lord’s love and affection for us and the magnificent Presence He wants to be to us, it becomes the well in the center of town to which all of us come to drink.
Why is this?
It is not just because “God’s love” is a safe, non-controversial subject, it is because whether we always think or remember it or not, by the Spirit, who indwells every believer, we all know we are who we are only by the grace and love of God. No matter how committed, dedicated and spiritually mature we are, some days are better than others, and on those less-than-our-best days we need His consoling embrace. Beyond our ministries, doctrinal rhetoric and well-guarded positions on moral issues, we need deep-down reassurance that God knows us and cares for us. The real us. The “us” that isn’t as tough as people think we are, or as certain or as capable or as secure.
The divine “love that surpasses knowledge” is the true fuel and refueling of all endeavors for God. So we meet at the well, share a refreshing drink of the Living Water that is Christ and then return to our respective journeys.
As for me, I am one whose ministry is simply dipping and pouring the Water into the waiting cups of the thirsty.
“If anyone is thirsty, let him [keep coming] to Me and let him [keep drinking]” (John 7:37).
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
July 13th
“Get a life!” You’ve heard the phrase. Probably have used it a few times, either about someone else or maybe even about yourself. But according to the Scriptures, none of us “had a life” until the Lord gave us one, and those who have yet to accept Him – regardless of the particulars of their daily existence, no matter how rich, famous or powerful – still don’t have a life. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53).
For those of who now, through faith in Christ, have a life, what a life it is! We now have fellowship with Jesus Christ. Fellowship is more than a weekly meeting, it literally means sharing life together. Jesus has called us into a relationship where we share the life He has given us with Him and He shares His life with us. Stop and let the stunning fascination of that truth sink in a moment. The living, risen Jesus Christ wants to share more and more of HIS life with each of us.
Think about it. “Reality shows” have large audiences seeking to get a peek into the behind-the-scenes, real life of celebrities. Jesus is offering us more than a peek into what He is doing each day, He actually includes and involves us. And the life we have in Him gets bigger and better to us as our desire for more of Him grows.
He called you and me into a mutual-exchange of lives because He wanted to be in a personal relationship with each of us. And if that’s not “a life” of the highest quality what is?
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
July 6th
“The Ubiquitous One”
“‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:24).
The Lord is not confined to our personal devotional times, routines or favorite places. He fills heaven and earth.
He walks among the street signs, traffic signals, telephone poles and mailboxes. Among passing cars, trucks and buses. By backyard swimming pools with children’s water toys hanging on the enclosing fence. Along paved roads and dirt paths. Among the walkers and joggers, the helmeted bicyclers and stroller-pushing moms at the park. He rides the elevators of office buildings, sits quietly in cubicles and conference rooms. He moves along the sidewalk below, past the orange road work cones. He stands among the chattering crowds in restaurants. He is present in every rush hour train and traffic jam and rides along in every emergency response vehicle.
He is as real as the unseen air that surrounds us, as solid as the ground that supports us and as present as anything we perceive with our senses.
He is the Living One and nothing in our daily experience diminishes His reality. “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” — Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:20 New Living Translation).
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
June 29th
“A Potpourri of Praises on a Special Day”
[Since this is a special day for me, I am giving myself permission to share a different kind of “View” straight from my heart-to-heart with the Lord this morning]
Freshly aware that today is my birthday, the gas station cashier’s head snapped back in surprise when I told him how old I was. “You look good!” he said. And another customer standing near smiled and nodded in agreement. I walked away feeling great – until I began wondering why nobody said “You look good!” when I turned 25. Later on, at the end of my morning walk, another neighbor said “You look 40!” And I suppose whether that earns a smile or a punch in the face depends on whether you’re 25 or 60. But regardless of how I “look,” I thank You for the blessing of this place in my life.
I am not entitled to, nor do I deserve any of what I have today. A wife who loves me deeply and knowledgeably and who, despite having a life-threatening, incurable disease, literally glows with the joy of the Lord. All five of my children, alive and generally healthy. Three darling grand children who are just sparklers of joy. Being the pastor of a dream of a church that, God as my witness, I would not trade for any other church in the world. And I certainly do not deserve to know You, Lord, and to have all the blessings that come from getting to know You better each day.
Because You live inside me, You have access to all the ways I experience my life. My thoughts, my feelings, my physical senses, my spirit and my soul. And my prayer on my birthday is that You would help me fully receive who You want to be to me today. I register that request before You now and orient my faith to that possibility. For in You all things are indeed possible.
I gather up all the moments and the blessings You have allotted to me for this day, I embrace them with gratitude and I give them back to You, asking You to invest them to make my relationship with You even richer than it is because You are the true riches of life.
Praises to You because You have perfect knowledge of how to be with me at all times, in any given circumstance and in whatever mood I may be in.
Finally, if anything in my journey with You is to my credit, I will leave determining what it is and any accompanying blessings up to You. For my part, I credit You with everything. I am learning every day what it means to trust in You, and even in that I credit You as a phenomenal Teacher rather than me as a brilliant pupil.
My cup indeed runneth over.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
June 22nd
“What more can David say to you? For You know your servant, O Sovereign LORD” (2 Samuel 7:20).
Our faith goes from the head to the heart when we realize the Lord’s love for us is not just acceptance of us as pardoned sinners, nor is it just emotional. It is dead-on calibrated to who we are. It is bulls eye love.
When, like David we realize the Lord knows us personally and He is sovereign, it is then that, even as we ask Him for what we want, we can trust Him in “what is.”
While He is faithfully executing our greatest and highest good, we can constructively engage in the process by following this simple but sage advice which a friend posted online this morning.
1. Let go of what’s gone.
2. Be grateful for what remains.
3. Look forward to what is to come next.
He knows exactly who you are. Nothing you have done or has happened to you has “faked Him out.” So you have every reason to let go of the past, to be grateful for your present situation and to look forward to the best that is yet to come. That is a bulls eye response to His bulls eye love.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
June 15th
“Orlando is God’s judgment on the gay community and is nothing compared to hell.” This was posted on Facebook by a Christian whom I knew from a long time ago, and because I used to be this person’s pastor, I felt inclined to respond. This is how it went down:
Me: “What was the cause of a man pretending to be a Bible study attendee and then shooting and killing all the attendees? Was that God’s judgment, too? Be careful about pronouncements about WHY something happened. Bad things happen to Christians, too.”
Her: “Wow, I am embarrassed to call you a pastor! When did you fall away from the truth in Scripture? Do you have God’s standard on sexual immorality?”
Me: “You don’t have to call me a pastor if you prefer not to, but my comment still stands: Be careful about making pronouncements of God’s judgment, because tragedy visits ALL people. God is the only One who knows the reasons for devastating storms, terrible accidents, sickness and disease and seemingly absurd acts of violence. Yes, I believe in God’s standard for sexual morality. But I also believe in His standard for ALL conduct and attitudes. The same God who hates sexual sins also hates gluttony, jealousy, grumbling, pride, envy, and self-righteousness. If God were inclined to judge people for their sin right now, He would have quite a number of categories to choose from. To suggest that He would select some and bypass others is to not understand the gospel or His infinite holiness. As the Scriptures says, “If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?” (Psalm 130:3). My problem with Christians who claim to be upholding God’s standard is that they don’t go FAR ENOUGH in understanding exactly what that standard is! God hates ALL sin, not just the ones WE hate, His standard is PERFECTION, not just being “better” than someone else, and on that Day, when He judges ALL sin, faith in Christ, not “cleaning up our sin” will be the only claim any of us will have to righteousness. In the meantime, we would all do well to follow Jesus’ instructions to a group of self-righteous religious folk: “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:13).
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
June 8th
Sometimes it is the vision, not the view that inspires us. The view is what is in front of us – our daily circumstances. The vision, on the other hand, is the big idea that moves us forward even when the view isn’t pleasant. The vision is our reason for living; the view involves the details of daily life. The vision inspires our faith.
The Scriptures instruct us that “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). God has never promised us visual security. In fact, visual security is the opposite of faith. We live by faithnot by sight. It is the vision of faith that keeps us steady when the view isn’t clear. The vision gives us hope when our immediate circumstances are confusing or foreboding.
What does the vision entail? It is a vision of a God who proved His incredible love for us by dying for us and who watches over all the details of our lives (indeed the very hairs of our head are numbered Matthew 10:30). It is a vision of Him giving us a purpose beyond mere existence. Most of all, it is a vision of a living, personal, vibrant relationship with Him that makes life – regardless of its present conditions – a treasure beyond earthly measure. It is a vision of relationship in which He is a real and living presence in our lives and not merely a religious idea or a means to an end.
The vision that inspires us is of a God that not only can be known who knows each one of us.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
June 1st
As we get to know the Lord better we discover how well He knows us. Not just by name. Not just by appearance. Not just by voice or habit. He knows us at the very roots of our being.
He knows the thoughts that are the roots of our words, long before they are spoken. He knows the feelings that are the roots of every one of our responses to people or circumstances. He knows the desires that are the roots of every request we present to Him. He knows the intentions that are the roots of every one of our plans and actions. His mindfulness of us goes directly to our hearts. He knows not only our “what’s” but also our “why’s.”
To be known this intimately by anyone can be intimidating. But the Lord is not “just anybody.” He is our Creator and He is our Redeemer. He chose each one of us with the full knowledge of our “roots.” And He is using that knowledge of us to plan, administrate and oversee our specific contribution to His eternal purposes and our highest good.
He wants us to talk with Him not only about what we want but who we are – even though He knows us better than we know ourselves. Why? Because disclosure opens the door to experiencing a more personal, authentic and trusting relationship with Him. There is nothing more valuable in life.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
May 25th
“A different day, the same God.”
This slightly modified version of a statement passed onto me by a dear sister captures so much in such a small span of words.
The Scripture reminds us in several places that we do not know what a day may bring forth. Some days we wake up and can’t wait to get started, and other days we want to pull the bed covers over our heads and roll over. Sometimes we have a cheery good morning to offer and other days we shove out a reluctant grunt. Sometimes our belt loop catches on the door as we’re leaving, forecasting a series of other impending mishaps, and other days the lights are green, the parking spaces are close and they open another register just in time for you to be first in line.
Beyond these shifting minor characteristics of a given day, there are those circumstances which, like stubborn stains, just don’t go away. The same well-grooved problem at work that we fall into like an old phonograph needle stuck in the same spot on the record. The same lack of finances to do some things around the house that just need to be done, and maybe a little extra for some of the things we just want. The same “how many times do I have to tell you” speech to the kids.
But whatever the happenings of the day, He is the same God who knows all things and for whom nothing is too difficult, let alone impossible. Many of us can testify how quickly He can change “what is.” We also know the miraculous blessings of peace He can give us for what doesn’t change. Either way, the “same God” is big enough to be all we need every day!
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
May 17th
You really do have it made now! You are set for life. As set as if you won the Power Ball lottery – and far beyond that.
No, it is not because of your financial assets or acumen. No, it’s not because of your strategic career positioning. No, it is not because of your fail-safe plans for the future.
No, it is not because of anything you possess. No, a rich relative did not likely remember you in his or her will.
You have it made because of the One to whom you belong and who belongs to you. He Himself is our wealth, and far from making us selfish “fat cats,” His wealth turns us all into philanthropists, eager to share the wealth of Him with others.
Depending on what is going on in your life at present, you may find this easier or more difficult to believe, but regardless, it is true and God is doing everything in His power (in accordance with His surpassing wisdom) to change the entertaining idea of it into an immovable conviction that emboldens us to face the future – whatever it is – not only without fear but with joyful expectancy.
It is an assurance that is the new-birth right of every believer, paid for by Christ’s own blood and anchored in one simple line of Scripture, posed as a rhetorical question: “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
Why not claim your secure and forever fortune by surrendering to His care for you today?
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
May 11th
“Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.’” Matthew 22:34-38 (NIV)
Under the New Covenant, the greatest commandment is a requirement that has been met by Christ for us – as have been all the requirements of the Law. (See Romans 8:1-4)
For those who have not yet trusted Christ, the requirements of the Law still stand and they will one day be accountable to God for every one of them.
But for those who have placed their faith in Christ, the commandment has now become a blessing, facilitated by the Holy Spirit in our lives day by day. He is redeeming all our circumstances to bring us to a place where we are loving the Lord with all our hearts, souls and minds. By His ongoing work, the Lord is becoming more and more our deepest desire.
For us in Christ, loving the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind is no longer a commandment we need to obey, rather, it is a promise the Lord is fulfilling as we continue to do the real work of a Christian, which is “to believe in the One whom [the Father] has sent” (John 6:29).
As we continue to grow in our relationship with Christ, what was once a daunting commandment, becomes our greatest passion.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
May 4th
There is hi-tech, then there is the “Most High” Tech.
The Lord is the Most High Tech because all things are possible with Him and nothing is too difficult for Him. He has unlimited, multi-functionality.
The human body, which He created, is such a hi-tech wonder that all human technology is merely trying to catch up and emulate its design. We have not been able to invent anything close to the human mind and yet with all its magnificence it cannot grasp the mysteries of the universe.
We also live in a hi-tech creation. What human invention can compare with the perfect, majestic design of the eagle? Or the relentless power of the ocean. We have models that can predict the weather (sort of) but we have not come close to being able to control it, which He does with a few words like, “Peace! Be still!”
It used to be much harder for people of faith to fathom how the Lord could be aware of all people at all times, that the very hairs of our head are all numbered – and then along came GPS technology.
As human technology “advances,” we are getting the growing sense that all of our “new” inventions are bringing forth old technology that God has been using all along – only without needing any devices.
Jesus’ words, “all things are possible” seem more and more believable, and for those with open minds and hearts, technology does not diminish our need for God, it heightens our awareness of His greatness.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
April 27th
(*Note – The end of the following prayer goes, “And to all of this, my soul says ‘Amen’!” I invite you to take a moment to join me in this prayer for “going deeper” with the Lord today, and if your soul cannot say “Amen” to all of it, let it say so to the parts it can agree with. I am certain there is something in this prayer for everyone, and the Lord will take and can do miracles with whatever we can give Him in faith. )
“Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” He asked” (Matthew 20:32)
Lord, I know You see me, I know You hear me and I know You are with me. So I look to You for what I may receive, fresh from Your hand, that will help me to abide and delight in You more fully today.
I present to You no “demands” and relinquish all specific expectations of how my day “should go.” Instead, I offer to You an open, trusting heart that is eager and hungry to receive its daily bread from You. A heart that longs for the riches of fellowship with You. A heart that desires to give thanks regardless of how my day turns out because I know You love me beyond words or imagination.
I ask You to invest for me all the moments You have given me today in a more precious relationship with You.
I surrender myself, just as I am, to Your care, creativity, craftsmanship and to my calling from You.
I release to You all pressure to perform, all impulses to force matters or to press for any particular outcome.
You know what I truly desire and exactly what I need. You know all my tricks, tendencies, defenses and fears. You know my weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
And You are using all this knowledge to create for me a marvelous future that is anchored in a deeper security and confidence in You. A future of deeper awareness of You, greater appreciation of You and a stronger attraction to You.
To all of this, my soul says Amen!
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
April 20th
“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15).
We do not have to be physically present with others to offer this kind of support, we can do so as we process our own life experiences. In our tearful places we can remember those who have experienced sadness. In our joyful places we can remember those who have shared similar gladness. We can include them in our prayers and in our praise.
We can go further and give them a call or send them a note letting them know they are on our heart and in our prayers.
In other words, the instruction to mourn with those who mourn also applies for people who are mourning. And rejoice with those who rejoice also applies for people who are rejoicing. It helps prevent us from getting stuck on “self.”
This is not only a way to love others, it is also a way to care for ourselves. When from the heights of celebration we include others, it multiplies our joy and when from the depths of sorrow we remember others it becomes a balm of blessing to our own spirit.
To paraphrase and familiar saying, remembering others as we process our own lives doubles our joy and halves our sorrows.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
April 13th
In one of the most familiar stories in the Bible, Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman who was drawing water from a well. Surprised that He would speak to her in the first place (for Samaritans were often considered outcasts by Jews), she was deeply affected by their conversation and raced off to tell anyone who would listen all about it.
When His disciples approached Him with something for Him to eat, Jesus expressed His joy over the encounter with the woman with the words, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” Sensing their confusion, He explained His meaning: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work.”
God’s work for Jesus on that day was to assist this woman’s spiritual journey. Jesus preached to multitudes and healed many, but that private encounter with that one woman, away from the spotlight, caused as much joy to well up within Him as anything else He had done up to that point because – regardless of its “low profile,” He was executing God’s will.
More and more I am inclined to believe the Lord’s “purpose” for me is not a singular effect, but rather a flowing stream of moment-to-moment decisions, opportunities, encounters and challenges, which the Lord irrigates to His purposes as He sees fit. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10) and “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases” (Proverbs 21:1).
So let us “seize the moment” instead of “sizing it” and may God grant us that food others “know nothing about” as we accomplish His purposes today.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
April 6th
We’ve all seen movies where one partner appears to be operating not in the best interests of the other and when this is discovered the partner says to the one feeling betrayed, “It’s not what it seems – you have to trust me.”
There have been times in my spiritual journey when from the amount of prayer and faith I have invested, I expected a big, dramatic and visible result. But instead, what I got was the equivalent of the Lord blindfolding me for a big surprise and driving me to an empty field where the only sign of life was the sounds of crickets. Or, worse, the very opposite of what I was trusting Him for.
At best, my disappointment in those times is substantial. At worse it led to a crisis of faith. But those times also challenged me to consider what I was going to choose to govern my spirit. Was it going to be what I did not receive or was it going to be what I know to be true of the Lord?
Getting there is a process that takes longer sometimes than at other times, – and it is ok to be in process – but when by faith we internalize all the Lord has done to earn our trust, and we give thanks, it no longer matters so much what we see with our eyes, it is well with our souls. And I can personally testify that one of the greatest crises of my life paved the way directly to one of the greatest blessings of my life.
“Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek You” (Psalm 9:10 NIV). Through this and many other passages of Scripture, the Lord whispers, “There is more here than what it seems. You have to trust Me.”
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
March 30th
I stepped up onto the curb and the darn thing moved away from my foot. Down I went.
I was more embarrassed than hurt because it happened at a busy intersection where the oncoming traffic was stopped at a light, so I had a captive audience.
I got up, dusted myself off, and bent over to make sure all the parts were intact and I continued.
My fall turned into a meditation: “What exactly was the purpose of that fall?” I wondered. Where does that fit in God’s good plans for my life? Why didn’t He stop it from happening?
Then I remembered a regular prayer of mine, which in effect goes, “Lord I am not asking You to insulate me from regular human experiences but to use allmy experiences to make my relationship with You more precious to me and more attractive to others.”
Falling is part of the human experience. It is also a metaphor. We not only fall physically, but also morally, emotionally and spiritually. And with but a few exceptions, like falling in love or falling on our knees in prayer, falling is generally unpleasant and many times embarrassing.
But surprise! The blessing is often in what happens after we fall. We get to experience the infinitely creative ways the Lord extends His hand to pick us up. Others get to see us stand up and dust ourselves off and are both comforted and inspired. It leads to a testimony to His grace. And we learn that with Him we can survive a fall – and even the embarrassment that often follows it.
Blessed be the name of our glorious, living Lord, who “upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down” (Psalm 145:14). The One who delivers “my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life” (Psalm 56:13).
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
March 23rd, 2016
Our calling in Christ has little to do with our plans for Christ. Though making plans is a noble thing and certainly allows us to accomplish worthwhile and God-honoring tasks, our plans are not the same as God’s calling.
I also have no doubt our assumptions about God’s calling are narrower than what God has in mind. That doesn’t necessarily mean God intends for us to have greater prominence, it means He wants us to have an effect for Him in more areas than we realize. Perhaps you see yourself ministering to thousands or to a particular demographic in specific way. It may or may not happen, but that is not the extent of your calling. Your calling includes all those unexpected circumstances, encounters and opportunities that sometimes seem to be hindrances. They represent the wider calling of God.
The essential part of our calling is being responsive to our resurrected, living Savior as we live our lives each day, making adjustments as prompted by His Spirit, even if it means modifying or even abandoning our plans. Instead of a specific destination or accomplishment, our calling is more like receiving our mission from Him day by day and throughout the day.
As the Scripture instructs, “He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught” (Isaiah 50:4). Jesus Himself lived in a responsive state with His Father: “I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me” (John 8:28).
It’s fluid. It’s organic. It’s surprising. It’s relational. Perhaps that is why Jesus’ calling of His disciples was a simple two-word mission statement: Follow me.
Seek His face and listen for His voice today, without worrying about or speculating on what He wants you to do tomorrow. The cumulative effect of this daily process is what it means to fulfill His calling for our lives.
March 16th, 2016
“We live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
The implied question put to me was, “What good is knowing the Lord better when nothing seems to change and I’m miserable?”
Experiencing intimacy with the Lord comes from trusting in the Lord, not just trusting the Lord to fix our situations. It comes from trusting in Him not just for outcomes but for the “Even Whens.”
Even when life doesn’t make sense. Even when life is painful. Even when we experience disappointments and setbacks. To paraphrase the prophet Habakkuk, no figs, no grapes, no olives, no crops and no sheep. And yes, even when He seems distant and unresponsive.
Where does this “even when” faith come from? Believing He loves us as much as His words tells us and as authenticated by His sacrifice for us. It comes from believing He knows us better than we know ourselves. It comes from trusting in the grace He is providing in the moment and accepting it as sufficient for “what is.” Most of all, “even when” faith comes from remembering He is the living God, personally invested in our lives to the extent that He lives inside each one of us.
The “even when” faith produces true nourishment for our souls, not junk food or a sugar high, but sustenance that produces endurance. It brings peace of mind and contentment of spirit.
When we are struggling, we can ask others to pray for us. Not only for our particular situation but also for our perspective. Because it is our perspective more than our circumstances that determines the quality of our lives and how we experience our connection with Him.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
March 9th, 2016
Don’t be discouraged when you find yourself in a place of “nothingness,” that seemingly dry and barren place of spiritual dullness, because “nothing” is never nothing with God. In fact, “nothing” is the matter of all Creation. It is the stuff from which the Lord made the universe and upon which He hung the earth. He calls into the nothingness and brings new things into existence.
Fullness of joy can come from “nothingness” as well as from abundance when we approach it with faith. So be patient. Be expectant. Be hopeful. Be calm. Praise the One who is the Lord of invisible substance, realizing He is using “nothing” as part of the exquisite craftsmanship of your relationship with Him. He is the ever-present, magnificent and fascinating Something in all the “nothing” places and we get to share the nothingness with Him.
We can explore “nothing” with Him as well as we can explore abundance because good friends can have a great time talking about “nothing.”
A Prayer For “Nothing”: Lord, in this nothing place I give You thanks and praise for Your intimate knowledge of me. In this nothing place I give You thanks for Your superb care for me. In this nothing place I thank You for Your peace that allows my heart to rest. And if walking with You through the nothingness of today is the very best thing to make my relationship with You more precious to me, let me walk through the nothingness with joy. Let me enjoy it as a special gift from above.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
March 2nd, 2016
The Lord cannot only “do the math,” He created math. In fact one of the books of the Bibles is titled, “Numbers.” Nothing is ever random with Him. It is all part of the equation of His purposes.
When the fullness of time came, Christ Jesus was born, and at just the right time Christ died for our sins, and on the date He has fixed Christ will return.
The Scriptures are not exaggerating when it says, “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name” (Psalm 147:4). It is but one of many references to the calculus of our Creator.
Jesus wasn’t exaggerating either when He said, “and even the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30). God knows all the “numbers” concerning us. Exactly how much we need of this, how little of that, how long this should last and how soon that will end.
He never miscalculates. We can trust His math, and He doesn’t mind showing us His work. In fact, He invites us to “consider the works of the Lord,” to be inspired and to rest in the mathematical genius of His love, care and purposes for us.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
February 24th, 2016
“How can I repay the LORD for all His goodness to me?” (Psalm 116:12).
My heart was warmed and my eyes brimmed with joyful tears this morning as I thought of my little grandson, Major, as he waved goodbye to us this morning. All he can offer in exchange for the love and support he is receiving is a developing “thank you,” and “I love you,” a smile, a kiss and a hug.
In the same way, we will never know the cost of the eternal life and the love relationship we enjoy with our Creator through the sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ. As songwriter Chris Tomlin put it, “I’ll never how much it cost to see my sins upon that cross.”
Like Major, all we have to give the Lord is a developing “thank you,” and “I love you,” a smile, a kiss and a hug, expressed in worshiping Him and loving each other. And as Major’s response is enough for us, so is ours enough for our Lord.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
February 17, 2016
As I have made “knowing the Lord better” my primary life goal and my prayer, it recently occurred to me one of the things the Lord has being doing in response over the past few years is tutoring me in worship.
I understand worship. After all, I studied it, taught it, preached about it and even served as a worship leader for many years. But I am discovering the “House of Worship” is a much larger place than I ever realized. How large? It is as large as the Creator Himself because He is its object!
“Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD or fully declare his praise?”(Psalm 106:2). It’s a rhetorical question. There are simply not enough words or big enough superlatives to capture the magnificence of our Lord. “His greatness is unsearchable” wrote David, another aspiring worshiper.
Whatever the form, whether it be singing, saying, praying, reading, writing or meditating, consistently spending time with the Lord with no other agenda but to focus on and declare His deeds performed, His attributes and His character (for example, His love, kindness, power, wisdom, presence, forgiveness, faithfulness, etc.) can lead us to places in Him that we never knew existed.
And the promise for growing in worship is even greater security and confidence in Him: “Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you” (Psalm 9:10).
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
February 10, 2016
I am not one of those people who would boldly say “I don’t care what people think about me” because that would not be true. I have too many symptoms of the virus to deny it. I ask my wife how what I’m wearing looks before I go out, while on my days off, when I’m just going to be home, I don’t ask her anything. If I was alone on the earth I wouldn’t even own a mirror. When we’re on vacation, before launching some out-of-the-box behavior, I will say “We will never see these people again.” Which means, of course, if we were going to see them again I might not do it. I help extra tidy up our home when friends are coming by – just because they are coming by, otherwise what harm is a little carpet fuzz creating?
I suspect I’m not alone. Quite simply, many of the things we do are rooted in trying to manage our images. We want to be liked. We want to be respected. We want to be trusted. We want to impress. So let’s be real. We do care what people think, and it’s not a problem until it becomes destructive, when we begin worrying, guessing, assuming, and attempting to prove we are not “this” or convince others we are “that.”
Instead of being bullied by what others may think of us, it is better to direct our energy into letting them know, with all sincerity, how highly we think of them. Compliment them. Applaud their successes. Thank them for the positive impact they have had on our environment or on us personally. Not to get anything in return, because it may or may not raise their opinion of us. The greatest “return” we receive is freedom from the dungeon of preoccupation over others’ opinions of us.
This is one way to apply the wise prescription from above “Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). It also puts us in compliance with “Do to others what you would have them to do you.” And ironically, this will do much more for our image than trying to get others to think highly of us ever could.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
February 3rd, 2016
Starting off each day specifically acknowledging the Lord as the living One who is with me reminds me it is not who I am that makes the difference in how I experience my day, but who is with me – and in me. It reminds me I am in a personal relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. And this morning the Lord used the following individual thoughts like logs, creating for me a fire of warm inspiration about the gift of His Presence.
“My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest,” the Lord said to Moses.
“If Your presence does not go with us do not lead us up from here,” Moses responded to the Lord.
“Only may the Lord be with you as He was with Moses,” the people said to Joshua.
“The Lord is with us,” said Joshua to the people.
“The nearness of the Lord is my good,” wrote the psalmist.
“I will fear no evil for You are with me,” said David.
“And David became greater and greater because the Lord was with him.”
“Behold, I am with You always, even until the end of the age,” said the Lord to His disciples.
“But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength”… “I can do all things through (the indwelling Christ) who strengthens me” Paul testified.
“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine” penned the songwriter.
Therefore, if I am “growing” spiritually in anything may it be growing in awareness of His nearness. For where the Lord is, anything is possible and He is inside of us wherever we go, now and forever.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on
Jan 27th 2016
This morning, as I was praying for a friend and member of our church who is periodically agonizing over certain life circumstances, it occurred to me that there is a boundary line between caring for a believer’s pain and despairing over his or her situation.
I always want to care. I never want to despair.
There are times when artists are at work and looking on we can’t figure out exactly what the artist is doing, and then suddenly the face appears in the painter’s strokes, or the odd shape in the sculptor’s hand becomes the tail of the horse, or the musician’s random notes smoothly transition into the familiar melody.
God is the Master Artist. Every stroke, every shape and every sound of our lives becomes, in His hands, part of the beautiful craftsmanship and durability of the relationship with Himself He is building for everyone who trusts Him. He knows exactly what He is going to do with the chaos of our situation. So there is never cause to despair and always reason to give thanks.
“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone” (Ephesians 1:11-12 MSG).
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Jan 20th 2016
So I prayed, “Lord I don’t want to sound weird as I talk about my relationship with you. I have heard “weird” and I don’t like it. I really don’t want to be thatguy. I want to sound authentic, grounded, reasonable and, you know, normal.”
But then I realized that’s not how everyone is going to perceive me. What believer, at any time in history, who has talked about what it means to know Jesus has been considered “normal” by everyone?”
The apostle Paul found himself in a high-stakes situation, being examined by the king of Rome and the governor of Judah before a large audience. Paul shared with much grace and eloquence his personal story of his encounter with Christ, but he was interrupted by the governor, “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane” (Acts 26:24).
The truth is, to know Jesus – to really know Him – beyond the boundaries of appropriately placed religion, to know Him personally, is to be anything but “normal.” After all, when you think about it, how can an authentic, supernatural relationship with the living God, who became a man, was killed, rose from the dead, went back to heaven and is invisible ever be considered “normal?”
In fact, the more “real” He becomes to those of us who know Him, the more abnormal it will seem to those who don’t. That’s the deal.
So I changed my prayer to, “Lord, just help me to speak the truth about you in love and respect for others. And let those who have ears to hear, hear.” Amen.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Jan. 13th 2016
Last night I penned a memo to the Lord. It read:
“Love what You are doing
with the Dan Baty project
I turned over to you, Lord.
Please continue the great work.
Lots more to do!”
As we continue our daily journey towards greater Christ-inspired love, let us not forget to thank Him for the work He has already accomplished. For according to the Scripture, we are His workmanship. Who you are today is a product of God’s craftsmanship, intentionally focused on you!
Yes, we will always be able to see the “more” we can be and hope to be. We can always lament what we are not – and aspiring to a life of greater Christlikeness certainly has its place. But it is equally as important to celebrate progress and success.
Don’t forget, “in everything give thanks” also includes giving thanks for yourself. And as we realize we are His workmanship, the thanksgiving turns to praise, not to boasting, pride or self-righteousness.
The Lord will be at work in all of us until the day He returns, and for Him it is a labor of love. It is appropriate and part of healthy spiritual living to pause to praise Him for the present results of His skill and grace-filled persistence.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Jan 6th, 2016
From my perspective as a pastor, the work of Sunday really begins on Monday. It is the work of making the truths implanted in the Lord’s people a practical reality and a difference-maker in their daily life. But that is not my work. It is the work of the Holy Spirit who resides in and accompanies His people wherever they go. My “follow up” work is to support and assist Him with prayer and love.
So, in this first weekly View from My Place of the year, I want you to know what blessing I am praying for you.
I pray that the Lord would bless your favorite faith “access points” and “rendezvous spots” with Him as you seek Him. That, whatever is your favorite approach to connecting with Him, He would expand it and deepen it.
That you would not only “taste and see that the Lord is good” but that you may experience Him as even better than good.
That ministry and love, rooted in your growing intimacy with Him, would flow freely from within and blossom and spread whenever, wherever and with whomever, in accordance with His magnificent purposes for you.
May you realize dear brother or sister, if our heart’s desire is to deepen our understanding of what we have in Christ, we cannot do it wrong, but it can always be greater! There are always more floors and doors and passageways in Him that He can reveal to us and it is that ongoing revelation that defines the eternal life we have been given in Him. May you feel drawn by His power to the “greater” invitation to more of Himself that He extends to us all.
May your launch of this blessed New Year be powered by hope in Him. Amen!
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
December 30th 2015
Since this is the final “View From My Place” entry for the year, I am thinking back about all I’ve said, written and done in the name of the Lord. And if I could choose one word to describe the effect I would most want my ministry to have on others, it would be the word “invited.”
I want others to feel invited to the amazing feast, festival and fullness of knowing Christ better.
Not shamed. Not obligated. Not judged. Just invited.
The greatest spiritual blessing of my year, by far, is my growing appreciation of the privilege we have been given of access to Him. I have found ever-increasing joy in learning how to enjoy Him. (And because He is limitless, it is an ongoing learning experience for all of us.)
Time and time again the Lord has taken me from a numbed indifference to a vibrant awareness and excitement. From blah to blessing. He continues to confirm for me that His presence makes all the difference.
So I am really thankful for the insight He has given me to focus on His living presence each day as the foundation of my celebration of the life I have in Him. His greatest and most often repeated assurance to us is “I am with you.”
May God grant us all increase in our excitement about His open invitation to “taste and see that the Lord is good” and “rejoice in the Lord” still more in the year to come.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
December 23rd
True story.
Last Sunday, during my message I said, “I want people to hear me talking about my relationship with the Lord and say, ‘I’ll have what he’s having.’”
Two days later, I was having breakfast with our church youth leader and sharing how my relationship with the Lord makes every day like Christmas and New Years. A man sitting with his wife at the table next to us leaned over and said, “I’ll have what he’s drinking.”
It happened just like that. (You can ask our youth leader.)
Because I am not a believer in coincidence, I call things like this “inspirational gifts” from the Lord. Little things He does just to reassure us that He’s present and tuned in to us. The Scripture reassures us, “The Lord has been mindful of us” (Psalm 115:12).
May the Lord stock the stuffing of your heart with reminders of the inspirational gifts He’s given you all year ’round.
Merry Christmas!
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
December 16th
Imagine a doorway to a great hall over which are inscribed the words, “Delight Yourself in the Lord” (Psalm 37:4).
What do the eyes of your heart see in those words?” A command? An obligation? A task? An unrealistic objective? Another “good thing” to add to an already over-packed schedule? Or do you in them what God intended, which is a divine invitation to a heavenly feast?
Imagine upon opening those doors seeing a banquet hall extending as far as the eye can see – and even beyond, stretching into infinity. Imagine a buffet spanning its length, filled one end to the other with various foods. It is the table of His delights. There are classic as well as exotic dishes, hot and cold entrees, spicy and mild, sweet and sour.
Positioned along the table in various places are signs that read “Taste and see that the Lord is good,” “Open wide your mouth and I will fill it,” “I would feed you with the finest of wheat and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you,” “I will fill the soul of the priests with fatness and my people will be satisfied with my goodness” and “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.”
Now imagine the banquet hall is open 24/7/365 and the Lord is always there.
Spiritual growth is not merely doing the right things, it involves learning to receive and appreciate the delightfulness of the Lord Himself. Our appetite for the Lord is not a static condition. It can grow. Our delight in Him can be greater than what it is at present. For all of us. And the greater it gets the greater will be our growth in every other area of our lives.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
December 9th
“Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1).
Pray and not give up? The idea of persistent prayer is such a mystery.
I don’t know the life cycle of a prayer or the path it travels from the heart to heaven.
I do know God doesn’t have an “ignore” button, or a “delete” one, or a “mute” one. I know there is no backlog.
I know I don’t need to have a high-volume prayer time with the Lord every time I engage Him.
I know I do not need to rush through my prayers because I have no quota to meet. I can take my time pouring out whatever is filling my heart.
I know it is ok for my prayers to take the form of silent thoughts and pleasant reflections that just allow me to enjoy Him.
I know prayer is not a program but a conversation with the One who engages me with unconditional, all-knowing love and acceptance.
I know prayer engages my imagination but the One to whom I am praying is not a figment of it. He is the Living One and no prayer given to Him in faith is ever in vain.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
December 2nd
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see… and without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:1,6)
What an amazing gift is faith! No other created being has ever had the privilege, like us, of experiencing the supernatural power of connecting with our Creator through faith. Faith is God’s exclusive endowment to human beings – and only for a limited time. It is only for our stay on earth.
Yes, we sometimes sputter through our days, wishing we either had a stronger octane of faith or hills that weren’t so steep. Trust me, I know. One of my favorite things to say to someone who doubts my “suffering credentials” is “You give me an emotion and I’ll give you a story.” Life is a gift but it’s not easy. We tend to live our lives subconsciously fearing what can go wrong instead of anticipating things going well. This is not without cause. Who hasn’t been zapped by the unexpected?
Faith gives us stability in an unpredictable, shaky and sometimes absurd world. It is the archway we stand under when everything else is quaking. It is there for us to use at all times. We don’t need to see any specific results in order to have it. We don’t need to have any particular feelings or be in any particular mood. We don’t need to have the resolution of any situation or the “right” set of circumstances. Life can be whatever it is and we can still accept the truth that He exists and is always with us and when we accept that truth, our faith supernaturally becomes the pipeline through which flows the joy, hope and surpassing peace of believing.
We can trust God to always reward our faith, sometimes by changing our circumstances and sometimes allowing the circumstance to remain so it produces even more precious gifts. Faith, rightly placed, brings with it contentment with either. It makes us secure in His love and we are no longer bullied by fear.
Biblical faith is not blind. On the contrary its eyes are wide open and focused on the Living Christ.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Nov 25th
In business terms, if there was a meeting of all the spiritual virtues, “Give Thanks” would not be considered the smartest guy in the room. It wouldn’t be the most articulate, the most dazzling dresser, nor would it have a physically commanding presence.
In relationship terms, it wouldn’t have a shot at the prom queen and would probably have a difficult time even getting a date. It would be considered rather average.
Even in spiritual circles, “Give Thanks” doesn’t “wow” many Bible scholars. How could it compete with “Hermeneutics,” Dispensationalim” and “Augustinianism?” And if we’re honest, we ourselves often look at it lying there on the surface of the pages of Scripture and move past it without being stimulated to act upon it. It’s the J.V. not the Varsity of “deep truths,” so we would rather “dig into the Word” for some greater revelation.
Yet, there is no stronger starting place for each day than giving thanks. There is no more effective weapons against the evil one. Entire battles were won by the sword of “Give Thanks.” Nothing is repeated more in the Scriptures. “Give Thanks” is an awesome warrior. Standing by, ready to serve us.
All of us would be well served to take an occasional opportunity to do nothing but enter the presence of the Lord and give thanks – without asking for one thing. Not that the Lord minds us asking, but doing so would help us see the inventory of blessings that have been stockpiled in our lives. This in turn would help protect our hearts against the evil one’s primary lie: “God is not faithful and therefore cannot be trusted.” It is difficult for him to persuade us to that line of thinking when our minds are filled with evidence to the contrary.
So it’s a wonderful thing to have a special day called Thanksgiving. Let us honor “Give Thanks” by heeding its voice.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Nov. 18th
“‘Oh, my lord, what shall we do?’ the servant asked” (2 Kings 6:15).
Surrounded by insurmountable, life-threatening odds and without either a Plan A or B, Elijah and his servant were in a desperate situation. Elijah knew he had them just where he wanted them. Elijah’s servant, on the other hand wasn’t so sure. In fact, he was downright terrified. So would have been most of us. (Truth is, it takes far less than the threat of death to make most of us say, “Oh my Lord, what shall we do?” Right?)
What was different about Elijah is he had more than a theological understanding that God was with them. By faith, God’s Presence was for Elijahan unseen reality that was as potent as visual evidence. So when, upon Elijah’s request, God opened the eyes of Elijah’s distressed servant to see the awesome reality of legions of heaven-sent warriors strategically positioned to fight on their behalf, Elijah may have been as awed by the spectacle as was his aide, but he was not surprised. He knew all along the Lord was present.
That’s the kind of realization I seek each day and for which I pray for my family, friends and flock. I am not seeking for myself nor for them a spectacular display per se, (though I always remain open to that, too) but an inner, steady confidence that He is always there, an awareness that His presence and His care surrounds us at all times – regardless of the odds. That He is forever faithful and “forever” includes right here and now.
This is the place where we know the Lord is our fortress. We are then “more than conquerors.” We are invincibly dependent. We “fear no evil,” not because we are so tough but simply because we know He is with us. To slightly vary the lyrics of an old song, Jesus in me is a majority.
May God grant us by His Spirit “Elijah Awareness” today.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Nov 11th.
I’m still chewing on a verse from the text passage I shared during the message last Sunday:
“We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us” (1 Corinthians 2:12).
The Lord has given us an astonishing and miraculous gift in His Spirit, who is a live-in Tutor assigned to help us receive the blessings God has so generously given to us.
The most precious of these blessings is individual access to Him. The Spirit is a V.I.P. pass to the behind-the-scenes working of the Creator as He carries out His primary purpose on earth: drawing and influencing people to Himself. Seeking people to move from death to life and from glory to glory.
Access also includes the privilege of experiencing the vibrant energy of His life within us, life beyond the physical and despite the circumstantial, producing joy, peace, hope, faith and endurance and other portions of the fruit of the Spirit.
Because He is always with us, He often surprises us with samples of the supernatural, dispensed from the ordinary routines of daily life. A commute, a conversation, a walk, a wait, a meal, a movie, a song, a work project becomes the means of a communique from above leading to a greater vision of the invisible God.
This is but a small sample of God’s blessing of access, freely given, to His infinite creativity, power, love and wisdom. Is there anything on earth more precious?
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Nov 4th.
1 Chronicles 11:9 (NIV) And David became more and more powerful, because the LORD Almighty was with him.
David became “more and more powerful” not because he became stronger or smarter or developed cutting edge weapon technology but simply because the Lord was with him.
The longer I go on in ministry and the more I focus on my relationship with the Lord, the greater my realization that my spiritual strategy for growth is not a plan but a Person! My ministry “strategy” is Jesus Christ Himself.
It’s not that God doesn’t inspire us with practical ideas, guidance, adjustments, resources and the like, for certainly He does, but none of those are the reasons for success. They are simply tools – like David’s sling and stones. (After he slayed Goliath, there is never again any reference in Scripture to David using a sling again. He knew what and who was really behind his victory over Goliath.)
This morning a dear sister sent this passage to me and others via email:
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV).
The apostle Paul attributed his strength to the power of Christ. The power of Christ is never separate from the Presence or Person of Christ. So, like David, Paul’s strength to overcome his weaknesses, deal with hardships, persecutions and difficulties came from His connection with the living God.
The difference this can make in our lives does not come from knowing this is true, but from our desire before the Lord to experience its truth on an ever-deepening level. Our desire to go beyond our present understanding of Him to stronger convictions about Him. The deeper our connection with Him the more amazing will be the seeable effects in our daily lives and relationships.
When it all boils down, the secret of strength and success – as God defines it – is not in what we know, but Who we know – and how well we are getting to know Him.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Oct. 28th
My parents used to say about us spending too much time at a friend’s house: “Don’t wear out your welcome.” I’m glad there is no such thing with the Lord. “Seek His face continually,” we are invited. We are always welcome.
One idea is to take some time in the evening with the Lord to just “digest” the day. It doesn’t have to be a time of “heavy prayer.” There is no time minimum or maximum. Just review some of your interactions, relive some smiles, and give thanks for small victories (or large ones). It’s even ok to perplex or blow off steam, He knows when the boiler is hot.
Most of all, thank the Lord for His love and faithfulness. Yes, even when you aren’t “feelin’ it,” or “seein’ it.” For it is an absolute and unchanging spiritual fact that He has been both loving and faithful to you. (Ever have one of those situations where you thought someone was up to something devious and you were getting ready to get ugly with them, then you find out he or she was actually plotting something special for you? You know that embarrassed “Oh” that happens at the moment of discovery? Give thanks to the Lord and save yourself an “Oh.” If you don’t see it in this life you will certainly have it presented to you in the next.)
Digest the time without worrying about acquiring some great insight or experiencing a tectonic shift of emotion or a tidal wave of the Spirit. Although, don’t notexpect it either. Anything is possible with God. Just do it regardless and be done with it. You’ll be glad you did because just like physical indigestion isn’t good for our bodies, spiritual/emotional indigestion is not good for the mind or soul. Let the day settle and settle the day.
You’re always welcome and the Lord will leave the light on for you.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Oct. 21st
Philippians 3:3 (NIV) “For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh”–
1. Glory in Christ Jesus. 2. Put NO confidence in the flesh. This is a winning spiritual combination. This is the attitude of a maturing Christian. This is the perspective and heart of a person who is figuring it out.
The flesh is our humanness. It is our human performance, our human attitudes and our human tendencies. There are days when we will be tempted to trust in how good we’re doing. Maybe we’re avoiding that bad habit or we’re practicing patience. We’re going out of our way to do good. We’re forgiving. We’re generous. Or we’re “spiritual.”
We’re instructed by the Scriptures to do good and not evil. So there is nothing wrong with doing the right things – UNTIL we begin to base our personal esteem on them instead of on Christ. Until we begin to think God’s favor is upon our lives because our flesh is acting righteously instead of because Christ has won us God’s favor. Until we allow a bad performance to cause us to sink into shame, discouragement or isolation.
The flesh, at its best, is fool’s gold. It is a treacherous lover. It allures. It seduces. And then it devastates.
To glory in Christ Jesus is to celebrate Christ. To keep our eyes fixed on Him whether the flesh is at its best or at its worst. It is to “bank on” Christ’s account, not our own. It is to worship the Lord because we are the righteousness of God IN CHRIST, not because our flesh is acting righteously.
In the words of the great theologian John Wesley: “Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.” But always GLORY, keep your focus on, and base your favor before God on Christ Jesus. He is the one who makes us “the true circumcision,” that is, God’s holy and beloved people.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Oct. 14th
Got a problem? A situation? A menacing harbinger of doom?
Whatever the case, whether it be ominous or merely irritating, sometimes the very best thing to do is to forget about solving it and spend some time focusing on the Lord. (Not on prayers to make it go away, but on who He is!) To “ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name.”
To remember He is not only the Exalted One, He is the Exceeding One, surpassing all beauty, (including this morning’s gorgeous pink, pastel sky) power, (including the most awesome waves of the ocean) splendor, (including the glory and infinity of space) and wisdom (including that of any man all men collectively).
He transforms and revolutionizes lives by the sheer magnificence of His Person.
His Presence banishes fear, begets peace and bolsters faith no matter what may be the current condition.
In Him there is not only joy and hope, there is substance, a sense of well-being greater than our suffering, our disappointment, and our worry. His substance is the canopy over the full range of human experience.
According to the Scripture, focusing on Him strengthens our trust: “Those who know Your name (i.e. who You are and what You are like) will put their trust in You” (Psalm 9:10). Focusing on Him magnifies His greatness instead of our circumstances, and that is how our lives work best. It is also what brings Him delight.
We cannot always control our feelings, we cannot always change our present situation, but we can always choose our focus. And He is a life-changing target.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Oct. 7th
Part of the lyrics to a popular worship song written by Hezekiah Walker go, “I am grateful for the things that You have done, Yes I’m grateful for the victories we’ve won…” Those words are in accord with the sentiments expressed by David in the Psalms: “O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories you give” (Psalm 21:1).
What victories have you and the Lord won together? Why not make a list of them? As David notes, there can be great joy in recounting them before the Lord. What things have you overcome? What things have you achieved? In what are you presently persevering? And yes, “progress” counts, too.
Or course the ultimate, unchanging victory we are to celebrate is the one accomplished for us by Christ through His resurrection from the dead, but we can enhance our celebration by also remembering the day-to-day triumphs He has accomplished for us.
They don’t have to be “big” victories, nor do you have to try to come up with a lot of them. What is important is not the size or the number of them but the gratitude and hope they inspire in our hearts for present and future battles. In other words, when we take the time to focus on God’s faithfulness, it fuels our “faith-forwardness.”
There is no instruction in Scripture given more frequently than for God’s people to celebrate. It is phrased with terms such as “rejoice,” “give thanks,” “praise the Lord,” “sing,” “exult” and “glory.” These are clear indicators that God wants our lives to be characterized by celebration.
Sports coaches being interviewed after a victory will often say, “We’re going to celebrate this win for a while before looking ahead.” Until the Lord returns or our lives on earth come to an end, there will always be battles to fight, so it is important to celebrate victories along the way.
Making a list of victories won is a practical way to align our lives with God’s desire for us in this area and to partake of the joy of the Lord, which is the birthright of every believer.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Sept. 30
The purpose of my morning time with the Lord is not to get all my spiritual nourishment for the day right then, but to enhance my receptivity to Him throughout the entire day (“for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long” Psalm 25:5).
The Lord is always with us! The paramount thing is realizing He is with us. He is always attuned to us. The opportunity we have is to set our hearts to tune in to Him.
He has already made arrangements and preparations for each of our personal participation in this day in order to deepen our fellowship with Him. He reserves the right to determine the measure, the means and the manifestation of that fellowship, but He does so with perfect love and wisdom. He does not play games. He does not vacillate. He never has weird moods. He is always faithful! His word to us is to trust Him and stay tuned.
Morning is a good time to focus our hearts on Him but it is not the only time, for as the Scripture says, “Dawn and dusk take turns calling, ‘Come and worship’ (Psalm 65:8 MSG).
May the Ever-Present One be the Main Attraction of our days.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Sept. 23rd
Wouldn’t it be lovely if life were just… just easier?
If we had enough money to just pay off all our bills (but, not so much money that everybody is asking for some and you can’t tell who your real friends are). Or if we just worked around nice people (but not so nice that they don’t tell you the truth about how you can improve or how your department is really doing). Or if we had kids that just… just behaved (but we don’t want them too docile or compliant because then we would really worry about what’s going on in there. Right? We know all about people who grow up and are described later by neighbors as “quiet and kept to himself”). Or a nice comfortable house (but not so comfortable that we’re never there because we have to work so hard to pay the mortgage. As the saying goes, the grass may be greener on the other side of the fence but the water bill sure is higher).
My point is, the flesh desperately tries to live from the outside in, while the Spirit is coaching us to live from the inside out. Everything external is subject to change and even if it doesn’t our appetites and interests certainly do. It it’s too bad we despair. If it’s too good we’re bored. We’re like Goldilocks desperately searching for but never finding the porridge that’s “just right.”
Let me be emphatically clear: There is nothing wrong with pleasure. God created it, and the Scripture instructs us to see it as God given. But therein lies the critical difference: God is the true Source of pleasure, not things or circumstances. God-given pleasures start on the inside. They begin with a growing relationship with Him that leads to ever-increasing contentment, peace, joy, hope, love and other divine qualities. These God pleasures are independent of external conditions and yet, at the same time, they make external pleasures even more satisfying because they are in the proper order and perspective.
And so we have Jesus’ exhortation, paraphrased beautifully by The Message version: “What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Matthew 6:31-33 (MSG)
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Sept. 16th
Sometimes I look back on some of the things I did and thought, even on some of the things I believed and I just cringe. Sometimes I even find myself shaking my head and asking myself, “What were you thinking?”
I’ve learned to not dwell on it. I realize the evil one is the accuser. I know about forgetting what lies behind. I know I am forgiven. Still, every now and then, despite all my spiritual knowledge and experience, smoke from the past wafts into the present and sets off my shame alarm.
But the Lord silences it with a touch, a reminder of His grace: “I loved who you were then. I love who you are now. And I love who you are becoming. ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness’” (Jeremiah 31:3).
It is a love beyond mere sentimentality. It is a powerful love. An all-knowing love. A transforming love. A transcendent love. A love that inspires me forward and upward to even higher heights with Him.
Best of all, it is a love from which nothing can ever separate me. Not even smoke from the past.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Sept. 9th
We can literally say to God, “Lord You are just too much!” and mean it literally, because the Scripture declares, “the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain Him?” (2 Chronicles 2:6).
He’s deeper than the Pacific. Broader than the Sahara. Higher than Everest. And that’s just earth!
What about the highest heavens? This summer our country celebrated with awe when the New Horizon’s spacecraft passed through Pluto’s gravitational field and sent amazing pictures of the surface back to earth. It took nine years, travelling at lightning speed for it to arrive. And that distance is not even the smallest fraction of a millimeter of the circumference of the biggest celestial body known to man in comparison to thehighest heaven.
Yet, despite the enormity of our God, He lives inside of you and me. Fully. Wholly. Completely. Miraculously. He lives within us perfectly aware of who we are inside and out. Of what we need and what we want. He lives within us neither slumbering nor sleeping but always vigilant, guarding and protecting. Inspiring and enlightening.
Take this as a reminder to never underestimate the glory and greatness of the One who resides within you. The Awesome One who bids you to “fear not” and coolly asks, expecting no contestant “Is anything too difficult for Me? For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me.”
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Sept 2nd.
Aug 26th
Regardless of our age, with each passing day the wicks of our lives burn shorter, which means the day when we will see our Lord face to face draws ever nearer. Our mission during our brief stay here is to enjoy our Creator and bear fruit for Him. In Jesus’ words: “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:8).
It is important for every disciple of Jesus Christ to understand and remember that “much fruit” does not necessarily mean large numbers, length of service, acclaim, wealth or any other human measure. It has to do with bearing God-produced fruit in the quantity He chooses and of the type He enjoys. The fruit is for Him! It is fruit we not only bear for Him but also through Him. Fruit that He produces as we seek Him and learn to enjoy our fellowship with Him, leading to deeper faith in Him.
It is more important to the Lord that we bear a single apple of His doing than to have an abundant harvest of “flesh produce.” In Jesus’ words: “The flesh counts for nothing.”
The more clearly we recognize everything as coming from Him, the more disgusting it becomes to us to attribute any of it to ourselves. We know it is all His doing. We are able to better understand why the true disciples of Jesus were appalled when people thought the fruit came from them. They completely understood the glory belonged to the farmer, not to the fruit.
So let us look this day to our glorious Lord as the Provider of all we give to Him.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Aug 19th
“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you” (Luke 11:33-36).
Good eyes are believing eyes. Trusting eyes. Bad eyes are unbelieving eyes. Faithless eyes.
Imagine two houses. One brightly illuminated and lively. The other dark, eclipsed by shadows. When we believe we live in the house filled with light. We are discerning and aware. We are alert. We are full of wisdom. When we are unbelieving we stumble in the darkness of the unlit house. We walk around in gloomy despair, filled with dread, primed for deception and error.
Faith in Christ always generates light. Unbelief always creates darkness.
How do we keep our eyes “good?” By keeping them fixed on Jesus, the Light of the world. Believing He is with us. Believing He loves us. Believing He is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do. By living each day in contact and communion with Him, trusting that He is the Light of the world who fills us with the light of eternal life, no matter how dark may be our surrounding circumstances.
So let us today let the lamp of His light illumine us within and shine forth.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
Aug 12th
A few days ago, the Lord spoke to my heart and I said in response, “Whatever!”
Whatever You have done for others,
I thank You for what You have done for me.
Whatever gifts You’ve given to others,
I thank You for the gifts You’ve given me.
Whatever possessions others may have,
I thank You for the possessions You’ve given to me.
Whatever privileges others may have,
I thank You for the privileges You have given me.
Whatever You are doing in the lives of others,
I thank You for what You are doing in me.
And whatever You may be to others,
I thank You for what You are to me.
What is your “whatever” to the Lord today?
“…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11)
Aug 5th
“They … worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator–who is forever praised. Amen” (Romans 1:25).
I want to encourage you to do something you may find a little different. I want you to pray every prayer today with your eyes wide open, while taking in the full range of your environment.
Notice the people, the buildings, the landscape, the art on your wall, the music coming from your music device and consider the One who created imagination and bestowed it upon mankind.
As you drive or walk about or look out your window, notice the beauty of nature and acknowledge the Maker of the heavens and the earth.
This evening as you give thanks with your family before dinner, look around the table at each family member and as you gaze upon them, give thanks for God’s amazing design and creativity expressed in each one.
Take a moment to become aware of your heart’s inclination towards Him. Your desire for Him. Remember and acknowledge that it comes from His loving inspiration. We love because He first loved us and because He continues to inspire our love.
This kind of conscious acknowledgement of God’s handiwork helps us to see God actively at work in the world and not as a passive observer or a mere religious construct. Indeed, everything that amuses, fascinates, awes and delights us is a derivative, an extract of the Lord’s infinite Majesty.
So, with eyes wide open today to the manifold glory of God on display in your environment, engage the living God with praise and thanksgiving in this very moment.
(I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.)
July 29th
It was 23 years ago yesterday, during a trip to Virginia Beach that my 7-year-old son, Christopher, was in trouble in the water. He had already gone under once as I rushed out and grabbed him, but then both of us were being pulled out even farther. The harder I tried to get us back to shore the more futile it became.
We were caught in a rip current.
It “just so happened” that a man not too far away noticed us and tossed us a floating raft and pulled us out of the current to safety. A panicked, out of breath lifeguard who had sprinted to us, arrived on the scene moments later and said to me, “I saw what was happening and it scared me to death.”
It all happened so suddenly and made me so aware of the fine line between life and death and how unexpectedly it can be taken.
Today my son is an apprentice architect and I’m proud of how he is pursuing his dream, but I am most grateful today that he is still with us and that I’m here to tell it. July 28th, 1992 could have been a tragic anniversary, but that it was not leaves me exceedingly grateful today, and every year I send my son a reminder of the blessing of life we both received freshly on that date.
This is just a reminder to value your moments with your loved ones and take no moments for granted. For life, even at its greatest length is “a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:14)
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
July 22nd
“A Full House” – Pastor Dan
“God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9).
Fellowship with Christ means sharing life with Him. Through the work of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, fellowship with Him is the greatest blessing God has ever given to us. Continuous contact. Continuous access. Continuous life.
The word that perhaps describes God’s highest intentions for fellowship with us is the word fullness. Fullness is satisfaction of soul above and beyond our human senses or emotions. Old Testament believers referred to it as fatness of soul (Psalm 63:5). It is what Jesus was referring to when He said, “I came that they might have life to the full” (John 10:10).
Many things can give us pleasure or a sense of satisfaction or a sense of purpose, but only the Lord can give fullness. He can provide it through our circumstances or despite them. He is the Source. “Life to the full” is a life full of Him.
It could be well argued that everything we seek to achieve or acquire is an attempt, to some degree, to satisfy our souls. Throughout His lifetime on earth, Jesus presentedHimself as the substance our souls desire most. The best part of every day is that we get to spend it with Him. He is the fullness of life. Our bodies are His residence and He wants us to enjoy a full house with Him.
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
July 15th
“A High Five” – Pastor Dan
What can you do in 5 minutes?
You can do any one of the following: make a cup of coffee, vacuum one room, boil eggs, drink a bottle of water, clear (or put a serious dent in) desk clutter, make several Amazon purchases, write a note to a friend, hang a picture or clip your nails. You can even read this piece – twice.
That’s just a small sample of how you can constructively use five minutes. What do you imagine God could do with five minutes? Plant an idea? Ease a burden? Open a door? Change your perspective? Increase your joy? Strengthen your faith? One thing is for certain: He won’t waste them.
When it comes to our relationship with the Lord, we often think of large expenditures of time, but I have been surprised by what five focused minutes meditating on a single Bible verse, or of concentrated prayer on a single issue (or person) or set aside just for thanksgiving can yield. Think of it this way, five minutes spent with the Lord will cause something to come into being that otherwise may not have because God is not only a good listener, He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Most of us would love to have the flexibility to spend as much time with the Lord as we would like whenever we would like, but as someone once wisely said, “all or nothing thinking usually leads to nothing.” Five focused minutes on a regular basis is better than an extended time hoped for but rarely achieved. What matters to the Lord most is our desire to be with Him, not how much time we have for doing so. “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth” (Psalm 145:18).
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
July 8th
“The Longest Quiet Time” – Pastor Dan
What is the longest recorded “devotional time” with the Lord?
The record holder was a prophetess named Anna. In the brief and only reference to her in the Scriptures (Luke 2:36-38) we are told “She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.” We don’t know how old she was when she first went to the temple but once she arrived she became a fixture. “She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.” If she went there right after her husband’s death she would have probably been in her low to mid 20’s. At 84 that would have made her devotional time about 60 years long! Seeking the Lord constantly! How blessed she was that the Lord would make Himself so real and compelling to her that she would stay there day and night just worshiping Him.
Her example also confirms that God doesn’t get worn out by our visits, no matter how long or relentless. He means it when He invites us to pray without ceasing. “Night and day” is a whole lot of hearing from someone – anyone! But the Lord does not grow weary or tired.
As for Anna, in addition to the other blessings she received from her fellowship with the Lord, which were many because He’s just marvelous and fascinating, the punctuation mark came when one day (we never know what “one day” will produce in our lives) Joseph and Mary brought Jesus into the temple and “coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God,” which means she was still full of praise, even after all those years. She was also spiritually discerning, which happens as we grow closer to the Lord, for she “spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”
Anna’s three “measly” verses in Scripture speak volumes to us. Whether we spend 60 minutes or 60 years with the Lord, He can handle it and we are always blessed beneficiaries.
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
July 1st
“The Voice of His Silence” – Pastor Dan
“But the Lord doesn’t speak to me!”
Ever felt that way? I have too – and we aren’t the only ones. Consider the words of Davd:
“To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit. Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place” (Psalm 28:1-2).
It happens to all of us. It is part of the spiritual struggle we must endure on this earth in this body for this season. One that the evil one tries to exploit by trying to persuade us we are alone. The Lord, on the other hand wants us to be on the alert for His schemes.
A critical part of hearing the Lord speaking to us is understanding and remembering how the Lord speaks to us. Communication with the Lord can be like a lightening bolt bringing instant revelation or it can be like the dawn, gradually illuminating the everyday rooms of our lives. We see may see things we’ve never seen before, or familiar things in a different light. He gives us ideas, changes our perspective, massages our willingness, calms our fears, revitalizes our hopes, gives us new dreams, refreshes our faith, fill us with perseverance. He gives us His peace and allows us to feel His pleasure with us. He lays things on our hearts to consider, people to pray for. These are just a few of the benefits of fellowship with Him, and sometimes He delivers them directly to our spirits – even while we’re waiting for Him to “speak.” He also speaks to us through His people.
Whatever may be our experience, God is never ignoring us. On the contrary, He has an ongoing interest in us – even though He had us all figured out before we were born. He enjoys our presence whether we are speaking or silent, and He continues to cherish us day after day, with a promise to do so forever.
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
June 24th
“His Face is the Place” – Pastor Dan
“My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, LORD, I will seek” (Psalm 27:8).
As we cultivate our faith, it is important to periodically remember the basis of all our efforts. As Christians, our spirituality is not mere mind games or self-induced feelings. It is not just attitude adjustments. It is beyond psychological exercises. Nor is it plugging into an impersonal mystical energy stream or force. It is relational. It is connecting face-to-face (even though we don’t see Him) with the Living God who knows us, loves us and responds to us.
There are times when we are less enthusiastic and less responsive to the Lord’s call. On those occasions it can be helpful to remember that seeking the Lord is never in vain. The Lord is always loving and compassionate towards us. Therefore, every prompting of our hearts towards Him means mercy and grace are calling and our best interests await us.
Sometimes we are evasive because we feel like we’ve “fallen off the wagon” spiritually, (or been off the wagon too long) but failure serves an important purpose. There are times we need to experience results in life that are less than optimal in order to be secure in the Lord despite our “results.” That’s what faith in Christ is all about, trusting in His performance, not our own. So don’t allow disappointment in yourself to diminish your zeal, because when it comes to our relationship with the Lord, resilience is a more important objective than perfection. Toss the dirty towel from yesterday into the hamper and wrap yourself in fresh faith today: “Lord, whatever yesterday was, I’m leaving that with You and I’m freshly trusting You for today!”
We have everything to gain and nothing to lose but that which encumbers us when our hearts say “yes” to seeking Him.
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
June 17th
The Creator’s Craftsmanship” – Pastor Dan
Consider for a moment that God is at work in YOU.
Not just in the world. Not in people in general, but specifically in you!
All the adjectives we use to describe something that is beautifully and exceptionally well made apply to the craftsmanship of His ongoing work in you. Words like durable, distinct, authentic, creative and handcrafted.
Different days have different energy. We wake up with different moods. Physically we feel better on some days than others. But whatever may be the case, He is working His way in you. Skillfully, lovingly and purposefully. He is masterfully at work in “what is.”
However, His work is not always “doing.” Sometimes His work is waiting. He is waiting for what He has already done to settle, harden, cool, or dry before continuing. So don’t despair during God’s seemingly less active moments in your life. Waiting is a vital part of His craftsmanship, and what He is doing in us is well worth the wait.
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
June 10th
“Masculinity, Femininity and Spirituality” – Pastor Dan
I do not believe tender affection for my Creator and powerful masculinity are in conflict with one another. On the contrary, like David of the Scriptures, I experience these two as quite compatible and even complementary.
As my heart grows more deeply connected with Him, the Lord personalizes and liberates my brand of masculinity. It is less and less driven by ego and hubris, less and less manipulated by marketing, less and less rooted in the need to conform or compete. It becomes a confident expression of who God has made me to be as a man, and I believe that kind of God-inspired confidence is the essence of true masculinity.
Likewise, tender affection towards the Lord does not compromise a woman’s power. It does not turn her into a doormat, nor does it make her cynical and defensive. As she grows closer to the Lord, He liberates her to make choices that are less influenced by friends, politics, or popular culture. Her femininity becomes an attractive blend of strength, dignity and self-awareness. The mystery of her womanhood becomes more authentic and less conscious and contrived.
Being “your own man” or “your own woman” is not as complicated as the world makes it seem. You were designed by your Creator for a specific effect. Your intellect, personality and physical appearance – including your gender are all part of the “you” He wants to release with power on a needy world.
The key to this treasure is not found in self-help books, or the advice in magazines, or success seminars, although they can certainly offer practical tips for behavior. The Scripture instructs us that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge [including the treasures that lie within us] are hidden in Him. (See Colossians 2:3.) The more we get to know Him. The more He reveals to us ourselves.
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
June 3rd
“Why Are You So Into Jesus?” – Pastor Dan
Why am I so into Jesus? Why do I talk about Him, speak about Him, write about Him and think about Him so much? It’s because of a growing awareness of how much, literally and figuratively, Jesus is into me. He is into me by His Spirit and He is “into” me in the sense of having great interest. As I believe and receive the truth about His astonishing interest in me, in every part of me, I am inescapably drawn closer to Him.
“Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God’s terms” (Romans 8:9-10 MSG).
“Life on God’s terms” is not what we had previously been led to believe. Instead of the restrictive, oppressive, personality-squelching, fun-dousing, holier-than-thou trumpeting idea of spirituality projected by the evil one in order to keep mankind blind to the glorious riches of Christ, I have found life in Him to be just the opposite. A world of fascination and vibrancy and delight, filled with adventures and challenges that take me even deeper into a real relationship with the marvelous life of my Creator.
It probably doesn’t occur to many people very often that God has a life, too. He doesn’t just spend time listening to prayers. He is His own Person. He has thoughts, feelings, plans, projects and interests. He’s not only all powerful, He is also brilliant and infinitely creative. But what is even more fascinating is He wants to share His life with US, because He is just that “into” us. That is what the Bible means when it says we have been “called into fellowship” with Him (1 Corinthians 1:9).
It has always been God’s desire to get people into Himself by showing them how much He is into them. As the Scriptures instruct us, “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
May 20th
“It’s All About Who You Know” – Pastor Dan
More and more, with each passing day, I more fully understand why Paul wrote to the Ephesian believers, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better” (Ephesians 1:17).
The New Covenant moved spirituality from “the rules of God” to “the relationship with God.” The point of all of Jesus’ teaching was to direct people to a relationship with Himself and away from “the spiritual rules.”
When we make “knowing the Lord better” our primary objective, we need not fear that it will lead to neglecting other spiritual “duties.” On the contrary, we begin to express our spirituality in a much more organic and Spirit-directed manner. Instead of just trying harder to improve ourselves in targeted areas, we become more sensitive to the Lord’s voice and touch in every area. We become more alert to His coaching. We become less uptight about our spirituality and less inclined to force its expression. We begin to sense Him in the subtleties of situations and conversations. We follow His lead.
As an instant example, just as I wrote that last sentence I felt a tinge of nervousness that perhaps this is becoming too mystical and outside the boundaries of “practical” help. But then, one of those subtle whispers of the Spirit reminded me that much of what Jesus taught was very mystical and hard to grasp. And He led me to this conclusion: Sometimes the value of a spiritual message is not measured by how understandable it is but by what it inspires the hearers to explore. Isn’t that great? Well, that was all Him! So, fearlessly I march to my conclusion.
The process of seeking to know Him better tunes us to the frequency of His Spirit. In short, it is through seeking to deepen our relationship with Him that we experience Him living His life through us. As we abide and delight in Him, we become more aware of Him abiding and delighting in us.
No matter how mature we are, none of us can fully know Him, so ALL of us can know Him better and that is literally the key to every spiritual aspiration and desire we have. So I keep on asking…
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
May 13th
“Anticipation” – Dan Baty
“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises…” (2 Peter 1:4)
The counterpart of anxiety is anticipation. Where anxiety is a sense of dread, anticipation is the expectation of good. It’s the smell of hot coals on the grill. It’s your team taking the field. The lights dimming in the theater. Sunset on Christmas Eve. My budget-conscious daughter says it’s waiting for the direct deposit into your account to show up.
God gives us His precious promises to stimulate (or resuscitate) our anticipation. When we anticipate the goodness of the Lord it is called faith.
As children of God we have every reason to live in hopeful anticipation because according to His promises we know He is busy crafting our good out of every circumstance. We know His ever-watchful eyes are upon us as we move throughout our days. We know He is enriching and strengthening our relationship with Him through all the events of the day.
Anticipation is the fuel the Holy Spirit uses to keep the fires of our spiritual zeal burning.
What promise(s) has God laid on your heart?
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
May 6th
“The Best Lies Ahead” – Pastor Dan
“I the Lord do not change” (Mal 3:6).
For many people, their initial experience of the Lord is filled with excitement. A combination of the joy of the Holy Spirit, awareness of forgiveness of sins and new life bursting forth from within. But that is just the beginning. A wide-eyed future disciple named Nathanael marveled that Jesus saw him under a fig tree before Jesus was anywhere near the area, but Jesus said to him “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that” (John 1:50). That was just the beginning for Nathanael.
The Lord will never be more magnificent than He is right now, but our REALIZATION of His magnificence continues to expand day by day. Whether we are on the job, at home, running errands or on vacation, any place or time can be a showcase for His wonders. He is greater than any and every experience we have had of Him thus far. He transcends our most glorious ideas about Him. And there are places He wants to take us in our journey with Him that we have not even conceived as of yet.
The best of Him is forever ahead of us.
This doesn’t mean, however, that every day will sprout new excitement. Nor does it mean that we will always have experiential evidence of the Lord’s presence with us. Some days are so hectic we can barely think a spiritual thought. Other days are so bland that every spiritual thought is like cold oatmeal. Most days will seem like replicas of the day that preceded it. That’s how it seems. But what is actually going on at all times – whether seen or not – is the Lord preparing us to receive the “more” of who He is. To receive it in the measure, timing and manifestation that is best for us.
So let us not settle into the erroneous idea that we have tasted the best of who the Lord is. We haven’t come close. Instead, let us trust in His craftsmanship of the various events of our lives – pleasant and challenging – as His leading of us to a greater appreciation of His magnificence.
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
April 29th
“Rest For Success” – Pastor Dan Baty
Moving to Maryland from Michigan many years ago as a freshly minted pastor, from a familiar and loving environment to one of exciting but uncertain possibilities, I needed a promise from the Lord to hold onto and I discovered Exodus 33:14: “My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.” It was wonderfully reassuring knowing the Lord was going to be with me to guarantee my success.
Many unexpected turns and many years later, I still cling to that promise and I realize the Lord has fulfilled it in my life in quite an unsuspected way. Though I had interpreted the passage to mean God was going to be with me and help me achieve my desired results, the promise is not for “results” but for rest (“I will give you rest”). Years ago that distinction did not register because I was focused on succeeding as a pastor and resting did not seem to be part of any equation of success that I knew. Drive. Goals. Ingenuity. Boldness. Daring. Persistence. Those were the things I needed. Rest? Not so much.
But today, I have learned that the kind of rest the Lord was offering then and offers now is resting from worry and self-reliance and manipulative posturing and from assessing my worth by my achievements. And it means resting in Him. In His love, His acceptance, His power and His wisdom. Resting in His plans for me and not fretting over my own. Resting in my fellowship with Him. I have learned to rest is success.
I also realize learning to rest is probably the most difficult thing for a Christian to learn and yet it is in learning to rest that true success is found. For a Christian, it is Jesus Christ who determines the ultimate measure of success, and Jesus stated it clearly and simply: “The work of God is to believe in (rest in) the One He has sent” (John 6:29).
His Presence is with you today inviting you into a rest of success.
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
April 22nd
“Oh, That Word ‘Patience’” – Dan Baty
Let’s face it! Patience is just not something most of us do very well.
Despite the temporary boost we may get from motivational speakers talking about how “not giving up” was critical to their success, we still would rather not have to deal with “no results.”
Preachers can preach about the benefits the Scripture attaches to persevering, enduring and long suffering but we don’t eagerly embrace them.
It’s simply easier and more pleasurable to get what we want when we want it. The businesses of the world understand this and market themselves to appeal to our impatience. “Faster” and “easier” are key selling points for any product. On the other hand, how much merchandise would sell from a manufacture whose slogan was “It’s better for you if you wait a long time for it?”
We aren’t alone in our struggle. The Bible contains numerous examples of God’s people, even the best of them, acting impulsively or out of desperation born of impatience. No matter how much we know, no matter how much we grow, it’s unlikely that exercising patience will ever feel good because the flesh is inherently impatient. Patience is the fruit of the Spirit, not of our flesh.
The good news is God is patient with our impatience. He understands it quite well and knows how to skillfully and compassionately manage it for our good and His purposes. According to the Scriptures, the outcome of the Lord’s dealings with us will reflect His compassion and mercy (James 5:11).
In the meantime, we can increase our inner peace in the discomfort of unresolved situations by prayerfully accepting that “no results” doesn’t mean God is not at work. It just means His work is not ready to be revealed. If we believe the Lord is worthy of our praise, can we not believe He is also worthy of our patience?
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
Apr 17, 2015
“Help, GOD—the bottom has fallen out of my life! Master, hear my cry for help!” (Psalm 130:1, The Message Version).
If you feel like the bottom has fallen out, still there is hope, which means, of course, for all conditions less than “bottom” there is also hope.
All of us have a reading on the “problem-ometer,” some days its higher and other days lower, but whatever your relative tough spot may be, the rawness of your place contains rich nutrients to enrich and fortify your life and especially your relationship with the Lord.
Instead of just fixating only on “escape,” (though it is fine to seek the rescue of the Lord because He is a deliverer) you can maximize the benefits of your current situation by taking the opportunity that is yours right now to do something constructive.
Rather than fretting, brooding, impatiently drumming your fingers or being generally irritable, which are ineffective options, you can take the time to register your praise and thanksgiving on high and reorient your faith to dependence upon His living presence with you right where you are. It’s simply the best option.
This isn’t new, but it is true. What is always most important in spiritual matters is not what we know, but what we put into practice. The house built on the rock and withstood the storm was constructed by action. The one built on the sand and was swept away was constructed only of hearing. As hearing the alarm is not the same as getting out of bed, so thinking about praise is not the same as doing it.
And, just in case you need some praise “starter logs” for your fire, feel free to borrow any or all of mine from yesterday:
You are the One for whom nothing is too difficult.
You are the One who called me into fellowship with You.
You are the One who fills our hearts with greater joy.
You are the One who always leads us in triumph in Christ Jesus.
You are the One who turns defeat into victory, and every evil intention into good results.
Though it feels like death and looks like devastation, the Lord did not bring you where you are to die but to more fully live. Reach out and take hold of life. Opt up, not out!
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
Apr 8, 2015
Jean Harlow died today. Grand gal.
Those words were written by Spencer Tracy in his diary on June 7, 1937. Harlow was only 26 years old. Tracy himself died on June 10, 1967. He was 67 years old. Last night I watched a special on him, recorded a few years ago and narrated by Katharine Hepburn, who died on June 29th, (my birthday) 2003. She was 96. Each died about 30 years apart, but all eventually died.
And so it goes.
One day someone may read this and say “…and Dan Baty died on…” As s/he does so, may s/he be aware that one day s/he will also be gone and someone may be examining the remnants of his/her life as well.
The Bible describes this life, regardless of its length, as a vapor. This is not intended to depress us but to elevate our consciousness. To raise our vision above the vexations and entanglements of daily life.
Indeed, one of the big takeaways from the Resurrection of Christ is that when it comes to death, we who have placed our faith in him have nothing to be gloomy about. Instead, understanding the brevity of life helps us to be me more keenly aware of the grand opportunity before us, for a limited time only, to invest in the life to come. To get to know Him in a way exclusively available to us through the ups and downs of living here on earth. To serve Him in a way that we will never ever be able to do so again – by faith. And to honor Him by loving one another. To learn a lesson from the stars.
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
April 1, 2015
Better Than the Richest of Foods
As the smells emanating from a restaurant draw us into the restaurant, so all the things we enjoy are but the aroma of our Creator and are intended to draw us to Him. As it makes no sense to leave a restaurant to pursue the smells outside, neither does it make sense to pursue the satisfaction of things and bypass or ignore the very Source of the pleasure they bring us. God is the Source of all that delights us. Not just the Source of the things that delight us. He is the Source of the delight the things bring us.
David put it this way: Because Your love is better than life… My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods… (Psalm 63:1-5).
In other words, He is the prime rib. He is the blackened mahi mahi. He is the warm, freshly baked bread. He is the hot French fries. The things we ask of Him are but the aroma of the delight that He is.
Yes, God is a provider and a deliverer and He wants us to ask Him for what we want, but that is not all there is to Him. He wants us to want Him more than what He can do for us or what He can deliver us from. Not because He is on an ego trip, but because He is superior to and more satisfying than anything He could give to us or do for us. And He invites us to not settle for less! Taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8).
One day the disciples came to Jesus to give Him something to eat. He responded, I have food to eat you know nothing about (John 4:32). Jesus was being satisfied by the very Source of the pleasure physical food would have brought Him. May our hearts long for that food today. The food beyond the natural and the ordinary. The supernatural fullness of the Lord Himself.
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
March 25, 2015
“Your Secret Weapon”
“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18).
How did Jesus plan to “build His church” when, after His ascension, He wasn’t even going to be around? Through each one of us who is indwelt by His Holy Spirit.
Wherever you are at this very moment, whatever may be your circumstances, you have been deployed there for a special mission of critical value to the Lord’s promise to build His church.
As His partners, we have also been given a secret weapon. We need this weapon because we have an enemy, whom the Bible calls the evil one who is opposing God’s kingdom-building plans and people. The secret weapon is prayer, a multifaceted weapon that comes with a number of projectiles of differing effects.
Never underestimate God’s response to your prayers. Whether you notice any differences or not, your prayers when launched are like flares always detected by Him.
However, we must also remember the power is not in the prayers themselves but in the One on the other end of them, in the One who sees and receives them. For example, one could pray fervently to a tree and nothing will happen except maybe the squirrels will be looking at him or her funny. The One who is receiving our prayers is the One who said “I will build my church.”
Because He is the builder, we are blessed to be part of a global enterprise that is guaranteed to succeed.
I’d love to hear from you, pastor@valleybrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
March 18, 2015
Stabilizing Our Spirits
Yes, I see the cultural trends. I am aware of the assaults on faith. I too am often frustrated about how anything that smacks of biblical morality is considered “puritanical” and anyone who suggests that we would all be better off doing life God’s way is considered intolerant and judgmental.
We live in a time when each person wants to be his or her own god – and “nobody better try to tell me what to do!” Yeah, I’ve noticed and it bothers me, too.
However, I also believe that like Peter walking on the water, we Christians would do well to not fear the anti-God cultural waves and to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Let us never succumb to the notion that the problems and attitudes of the world are greater than His plans and His power. Let us live in the true hope that God is greater than the one who is sowing disillusionment among our young people and leading the the whole world astray.
The truth is always the truth. No matter how it may be distorted. No matter how deeply it is buried. No matter how vigorously it is denied, resisted or railed against. The truth is always the truth. And Jesus is the truth! Despite all the thunder and rain of opposition, He continues to build His church. Touching life after life of those who formerly ignored, resisted or denied Him.
And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:11).
So even as we live in a tempest of God aversion, let us trust in the One who can speak to every stormy heart, “Peace! Be still!” And let us also remember how the story ends: ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20).
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
March 18, 2015
Invincible Dependency
Choose the Biblical character you admire most, and no matter how different he or she may have been than any other hero or heroine in the Bible, you will find they all have at least one thing in common. They operated in a place of what I call invincible dependency. All the glorious Biblical exploits that inspire and encourage us were transacted from this condition.
Yes, we could simply call it faith, but “invincible dependency” encompasses the effect of faith as well as its definition. In other words, when we are dependent upon God we are truly invincible.
“Invincible dependency” contains a built-in paradox, for anyone who is dependent upon something else is not invincible because if you take away the thing he is dependent upon he becomes quite vulnerable. But what if the thing he is dependent upon cannot be taken from him? What if no power in heaven on earth or from hell itself could ever separate him from it? Then, regardless of his natural weaknesses or external circumstances, because of his attachment to that indomitable thing, he becomes invincible.
The Scriptures declare us to be “more than conquerors” not because we are or will ever be stronger than our foe (or even our flesh for that matter) but because we are forever attached to the One who is far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:21)
He is the invincible One on whom we depend.
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
March 4, 2015
Don’t Fixate on “All”
Dan Baty
Then the king said to me,
‘What would you request?’
So I prayed to the God of heaven.
Nehemiah 2:4
An all-or-nothing mindset usually leads to nothing.
We don’t always need a five-course meal with the Lord. Grabbing a snack together can be just as intimate at times.
Spirited brevity, like a shout of hallelujah, a single chorus of praise, a review of a favorite verse, a heartfelt “Thank You!,” or a quick but passionate prayer can yield amazing benefits. The king asked Nehemiah a question and between the king’s question and Nehemiah’s answer, Nehemiah lifted up a prayer.
There is a time for extended stays in His presence. But that time is not “always!”
These healthy “snacks” are often more accessible during the day, so why not take advantage of all opportunities to feed our souls and prepare our way?
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
February 25, 2015
Handling Hauntings
Dan Baty
Notice to all shaming spirits: All hauntings will be immediately referred to the throne room of grace in the presence of the Lord, per authorization code Romans 8:38-39: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Oh yes, they come! Rattling their chains of sin and failure. “Booing” out accusations. Shrieking “Give up.”
Sometimes they directly invade our thoughts. Sometimes they are embodied in unsuspecting human hosts – sometimes even preachers. But always the message is fear. Fear that we are not as beloved by God. Not as welcome in His presence. Not as imbued with His favor. That God’s grace is not sufficient for our weaknesses. That “It is finished,” as spoken by Jesus as He poured out the last of His life for us, really meant “It is somewhat finished” or “Finished unless you really mess up, willfully mess up or mess up too often.” The message is fear and the intent is to separate us mentally and emotionally from that which we can never be separated from actually: the love of God in Christ Jesus.But God’s perfect love always casts out fear (See 1 John 4:18). (Repeating for emphasis: God’s perfect love always casts out fear.) No matter what, always pick up the shield of faith and run to Him, never from Him. To run from the Lord is to run directly to destructive influence of the haunting spirits. There is no neutral site!
Therefore, the way to handle these inevitable hauntings is not to debate our worthiness or to try to justify our behavior but to make our status in Christ our focus and stake our claim to the unfathomable, unwavering, transforming and eternal love of God.
And as we practice this, over time we will become so attuned and attracted to Christ we will hear the woeful wailings of shaming spirits less and less and desire to respond to the voice of our Savior more and more.
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
February 18, 2015
The Best That It Can Be
Dan Baty
There is a sobering truth we are sometimes reluctant to consider, but if we examine it closely it becomes a wonderful source of hope. From the moment of our birth, our time on this earth is a clock winding down. All our material possessions eventually wear out, break down, go out of style or become obsolete and as Jesus put it, moth and rust do indeed destroy the things of this world. Like all of us, even the most stellar athlete eventually has to retire. Hairlines recede. Body shapes “re-settle” and eyesight dims. Even our most precious relationships, no matter how great or carefully preserved, eventually come to an end down here. That is the deal we have with Life. Everything we “own” is really a loan and neither spirituality nor secularism can change this. On the other hand, according to the Scriptures, the hope we have in Christ is that He is a Redeemer. Not only is He the source of all the pleasant and obvious blessings we receive, He also promises that behind the door of every loss is always a hidden blessing. A working together for good of all the painful inevitabilities of life. Life takes and He restores. Life hurts and He heals. Life depletes and He replenishes. Even when Life ends, He resurrects.
That is why having Him in our lives makes life the very best it can be.
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
February 11, 2015
A Pop Quiz on Trust…That Isn’t What You Might Expect
Dan Baty
Do you believe the Lord is worthy of and can be trusted with the total surrender of your life to Him today?
Understand, the question is not whether He is worthy of your commitment, but is He worthy of your trust. Trust always trumps “commitment” with God because it is possible to be committed to “spirituality” without ever truly trusting the Lord. That was the meaning of the Lord’s sad words, these people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. (Isaiah 29:13)
There is no “right” or “wrong” answer to this question. As is always the case, the only answer that matters to the Lord is the honest one. Do you believe you can give your life to Him today – just as it is – with all its flaws, failings, fears and fickleness? Do you believe He can care for the fragileness of your faith without breaking it? Do you trust Him enough to give Him your futility? On the other hand, can you give Him your joy and successes? All the things you feel good about. Oh yes, praise and thanksgiving also require surrender. It is much more natural to receive pleasurable and favorable circumstances in stride, to assume they are our due or are the work of our hands. To take the time out and surrender our vanity by acknowledging our Source requires trust. So think about it! Put all the pieces of what He means to You and what You truly believe about Him on the table. Spread them out. Sort through them. What do you think?
I believe the Lord is on a relentless quest, using everything, to persuade us that He has better ideas for our lives than we do. He’s up to the challenge of all our objections. He is eager to demonstrate His ability to work with “what is” in our life, to redeem our struggles and to enhance our happiness.
Do you believe He is worthy of the life that is yours today?
I’d love to hear from you, Pastor@ValleyBrook.church. You can also follow me on Facebook @ Dan S. Baty.
February 4, 2015
Spiritual Postscript to the Super Bowl
Dan Baty
One scene in the immediate aftermath of the Super Bowl, which was obscured by the drama of the outcome and by the ensuing celebration, was Seahawk players, who had just lost, kneeling with Patriot players, who had just won, for a postgame prayer. Players from all NFL teams do this after every game, but for the players, especially the Seahawks to do it after THIS game, as excruciating as it was, and shortly after a fight between players from both teams, triggered by the level of agony and frustration, this prayer moment was simply spectacular.
There was no focus on it by the network cameras but it demonstrated the focus of men who believe there is One who transcends even the most spectacular events conceived by humans. One in Whose hands are our destinies, beyond the immediate. The One who not only is worthy of our trust, but who also inspires it.I was proud of my brothers on both teams.
The lesson for all of us is there is no better way to launch a victory celebration or to put defeat in perspective than to kneel before the One who is the blessed controller of all things. Let all things that touch our hearts be prompts that direct us into the presence of the Lord for celebration or consolation, care or counsel, coaching or comfort as He deems appropriate.
January 28, 2015
Return on Investment
Dan Baty
anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields—whatever—because of me will get it all back a hundred times over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life.
Matthew 19:29 (The Message Version)
The default inclination of our flesh is most often an expectancy that spirituality always involves loss. So we lift our hands to the Lord, still clutching the portions of our lives we consider precious and we ask for strength to let them go for His sake. That is indeed how it feels sometimes and the Lord receives and honors the faith that prompts us to look to Him within this frame of reference. But is this mindset an accurate picture of what is happening?
Spending time with the Lord the other day I asked Him to change my paradigm. I said to Him, “Lord, I don’t want to imagine impending disaster or loss when I surrender my day to You and release all claims upon its contents or outcomes. Instead, I want to consider it submitting to Your good intentions and better plans for me. I want to envision myself being cradled in your hands and enveloped in abundant grace.”
My preferred imagery is in fact more reflective of the truth. God only takes from us what He intends to give back in much greater measure, much better shape and much increased value. That is His character. That is His history. That is His pleasure. We give Him the standard version and He returns to us the deluxe. We give Him the base and He give us the bonus. We give Him eggs and He gives us a souffle. It’s not always returned in the same form, but it is always returned better than the original. Sooner or later we will see this to be true. For as sure as God is God, we will never be able to “outdo” Him.
Not seeing it? Not feeling it? That has no bearing on the truth of the matter. The truth is God is always more faithful, more giving, more loving and more powerful than we give Him credit for. So the psalmists asks Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD or fully declare His praise? (Psalm 106:2). I don’t think he was really expecting a response because in our hearts we already know the answer: No one!
January 21, 2015
The Spirituality of Sex
Dan Baty
But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”
John 4:32
Sex is like dynamite. It can clear obstacles and provide a path to intimacy, or it can destroy homes created by years of loving labor. It is a natural and extremely powerful human desire. And God created it! What was He thinking?
The physical pleasure of sex, like every other earthly pleasure is an expression of its Source, in Whom is its ultimate fulfillment. All pleasures are intended to point us to the Creator of pleasure and result in our worship of Him.
Does this mean it is possible to be sexually satisfied without sex?
It means there exists in Christ a satisfaction that is deeper than sex, of which sex is a physical representation. One may still crave the physical experience, but beyond it is a satisfaction that is superior to it. Many spiritually-minded people for whom sex, for various reasons, is either currently or no longer an option can attest to this.
Jesus felt physical hunger. On one occasion He had not eaten, and recognizing this, His disciples sought to give Him some food. But Jesus’ response was “I have food to eat that You know nothing about.” They puzzled over where He had gotten food and Jesus further explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work.” The very real and powerful appetite for physical sustenance was subjugated by the deeper satisfaction of Jesus’ fellowship and partnership with His Father.
Like everyone else, I have diversions that bring me pleasure, but there are times in my relationship with the Lord where the connection with Him is such that He is a greater attraction. And yes, when those foretastes of heaven with Him pass, the cravings for the earthly pleasures may return. But knowing that with Him and in Him is superior joy and satisfaction brings me back again and again to Him. Knowing what is possible in Him beckons me to trust Him through the cravings, even as I acknowledge them, to find in Him the fulfillment that many “know nothing about.” In that sense, “self-denial” is not a sacrifice of pleasure but an upgrade.
However, it is very important to understand there is nothing wrong with pleasure in the right context. Food, entertainment, sex, friendship, material things are not wrong to enjoy. In fact the Scripture instruct us that God gave them to us to enjoy. The point is He is the Creator and Supplier of those pleasures and therefore He Himself is a superior source. There is always “more” in Him.
Apprehending this truth is a process that the Lord wants to lovingly and patiently coach us through. Part of that coaching involves creatively providing for us along the way ideas, activities and resources to ease the physical craving for inaccessible or inappropriate sexual relations while strengthening our personal and ultimately satisfying relationship with Him
January 14, 2015
Joy Spreaders
Dan Baty
….so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.
Can you think of a more refreshing and constructive objective for your day than to be one who increases the joy of another brother or sister in Christ? To be one who causes the joy of Jesus to overflow in another person’s life? Can you sense the smile that doing so would bring to the heart of our Lord?
Today’s meditation is a reminder for some and a fresh exhortation for others because during my message last Sunday I asked our congregation to make this week “Joy of the Lord” week and to make it their objective to spread the joy of the Lord to others. So for those of you who were there, this is a midweek reminder. And you don’t have to limit yourself to just one person or attempt.
Joy is not light spiritual fare. It is not in any way inferior to any other spiritual attribute. It is important to God and important to us. Important to God because it is an indicator of faith. Important to us because it lubricates the gears of all our Christian activity. Without it, spirituality becomes a grind. Perhaps that is why one of the last things Jesus prayed for His disciples as He pondered His imminent death was that …they may have the full measure of My joy within them (John 17:13).
The joy of the Lord is not a feeling, necessarily, it is an inner spiritual condition that is a mix of gratitude, hope, security and confidence that is rooted in the belief that God is with us and for us. This belief can be fortified by prayerful meditation on the Lord’s promises, sharing His promises with others, remembering the Lord’s awesome attributes in praise and giving thanks for the blessings we otherwise take for granted. It can also be stimulated by intentionally serving others.
So go ahead, call someone, write someone, visit someone, pray with someone, do a “just because for someone” and make it your purpose to increase their joy in Christ Jesus.
January 7, 2015
A Dietary Supplement
Happy New Year and welcome to the year 2015!
…in quietness and trust is your strength…
Isaiah 30:15.
I’d like you to consider this year incorporating into your spiritual diet a regular time of quiet before the Lord. Consecrate a certain amount of time that is specifically dedicated to being still before Him. You can think of it as a “fast of silence” for the express purpose of drawing near to the Lord.
Don’t worry about the mental distractions that will invade your mind as you attempt to do so. Just refocus, or turn them into prayers. Understand the Lord is not judging how “good” you are at it; He is simply pleased by your faith and desire to just be with Him.
Waiting time with the Lord is never wasting time. God uses everything we surrender to Him – including our silence.
The result of spending this quiet, focused time waiting on the Lord will not always be a new spiritual insight that we can write down in our notebooks or in our Bibles, but a quiet movement of our spirit from one state to another. From irritation to calmness. From resistance to acceptance. From dullness to sharpness. From fear to love. From anxiety to peace. Many times without a perceivable “touch” or distinctive thought from God. Sometimes we just discover that while we were waiting, God’s Spirit was quietly massaging our temples and shoulders, releasing our tensions and renewing our hearts.
Give it a try. Don’t get frustrated. Don’t give up. I believe if you stick with it you will find the benefits of just being with Him to be so refreshingly rewarding it will become a pleasant habit. He’s waiting for you.