Fearlessly Courageous
12/1/2022
Desk of Dennis Piller
Pastor Brooks lived a life of relationships. What about you?
I labor today to share my heart as it has been continually on the loss of my dear friend and Pastor, Dale Brooks. I have been continually thinking about how God positioned him in my life at a time of extreme darkness. He accepted me into the church family. Didn’t judge me. He just loved me and gave me time and spiritual nourishment to heal. Pastor was never one of those who candy-coated what a Christian life is when we are coming out of a desert. It wasn’t easy. It didn’t turn around on a dime. It took time. I was broken enough to ask for help. He was passionate enough to love me by mentoring me and putting me in groups so I could grow in my faith.
Too many people dangle the carrot of Christendom, that we come to Christ to live a better, happy, healthy, and wealthy (or prosperous life). And I’m not saying that God does not want these good gifts for his children. But it can be problematic when people come to Christ, because they are easily disillusioned when these “promises” don’t manifest in their personal lives immediately or over longer periods of time.
Seeking after these gifts of God is not the same as
pursuing God for who He is in this fallen world.
It is in this world where Jesus spoke about the grief and scattering of his disciples that would accompany his coming death, where Jesus said to those he mentored and called friends:
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world". (John 16:33)
And there was Pastor's truth of God… for the people of God. The truth and Word of God can give us peace even when things are hard, when we are grieving, suffering, or scattered. And we can embrace this peace and be encouraged because of the truth that is greater than our present reality—and that is, Christ has overcome the world!
Even when times are so hard that they blind us from seeing rightly, Christ IS victorious over this world!
When things get hard for the people we are mentoring and for ourselves, we need more than words of encouragement and comfort. We also need to acknowledge the truth that we will have trouble in this world. People will die. Sometimes we will feel alone. Our feelings and egos will get hurt. People, yes even in the church, will disappoint us. There will be suffering and loss. And some of this trouble has little to do with the gravity of our own sin, or the boxes we did or did not check. Some of it is a result of other people’s sin or trusting or entering into unhealthy relationships with the wrong folk. Some of it can be a result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Much of it is just the reality of living in a fallen world—a world that is tainted by numerous years of unconfessed and unrepentant sin. That’s trouble for everyone—the old and young, the rich and poor, the unjust and just.
Christ has overcome it all, and he says we can live at peace in the midst of this trouble. And I believe at least part of living in peace and pursuing that peace, is learning from the instructions of Paul, and teaching ourselves and our mentees to stand our ground against the schemes of the evil one.
Dale was always that rock for me. Pastor would openly talk about his struggles as a man and a father. He was uncomfortably transparent at times, but you knew you were getting the truth of his life filtered through the word of God for our edification. I am already getting stories of how Pastor did that in other people's lives. It was his calling.
I read this scripture today and it reminded me of Pastor Dale.
Paul says, “If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I’d still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I’ll spare you. I don’t want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you’d encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk. Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first, I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, ‘My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.’ Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.” 2 Cor. 12:6-10 MSG
Let me encourage you to be an encourager.
God is looking for a relationship with you.
If you want to touch people like Pastor did, be relational.
When we celebrate Pastor Dale next Thursday, you will hear all about relationships. How he touched thousands of people's lives. One at a time. Jesus is all about relationships. Reach out and touch someone. Love on someone. Listen to someone and let the Holy Spirit be your guide to give you the words you need.
Services are December 8th at Grace Family Church Lutz Campus – 5 pm Visitation 6 pm Service
5101 Van Dyke Rd Lutz, FL 33558 In Lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to the missions dept. via Grace Family Church It was Pastor's most true passion. In 60 years of ministry, he and Momma Kaye visited and spread the gospel in 39 different countries.
What a wonderful name it is Hillsong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQWFzMvCfLE&list=PLCd-wh1hNZpQRQZ73gnTCeUYflnkLMF_S&index=11
Excerpts are taken from Natasha Sistrunk Robinson's "Mentoring through hard times".
