My Course
My Confidence
My Confidence
My Remembrance:
Memories on the Midway
While walking on the decks of the USS Midway, which is now nestled in San Diego’s harbor as a museum of maritime memories, my grandson Josiah, who accompanied me during a recent tour, remarked to another young tourist that his grandpa had been stationed on this ship. Clearly impressed, the curious you
My Remembrance:
Memories on the Midway
While walking on the decks of the USS Midway, which is now nestled in San Diego’s harbor as a museum of maritime memories, my grandson Josiah, who accompanied me during a recent tour, remarked to another young tourist that his grandpa had been stationed on this ship. Clearly impressed, the curious youth asked, “Is he still alive?”
Yes, I’m still alive, as are the precious memories aboard the USS Midway that changed my life forever. I certainly had no idea how profound that change would be when, on September 11, 1973, the Midway left Alameda for her new home port in Yokosuka, Japan, arriving on October 5, 1973 along with Carrier Air Wing Five, becoming the first forward-deployment of a carrier task group in a Japanese port. In order to grasp the eternal depth of the change that took place, it will help to revisit my boot camp experience at Recruit Training Center (RTC) San Diego.
In the summer of 1972 during my training at RTC San Diego, a Christian recruit in my unit, Joe Lieggi, asked me if I would be interested in talking about spiritual things. He didn’t know that I had been pondering the uncomfortable inevitability of eternity for quite awhile, wondering if there was a credible answer to the question about what happens beyond the grave. I accepted his offer, unloading years of my frustrated silence, challenging him to PROVE that his Christian view was right, to the exclusion of every other competing point of view. He could not answer me, either to his satisfaction or mine, as he had only been a Christian a short while, and was frankly not prepared to objectively defend his faith. I was a discouragement to him. He was a disappointment to me. But that would not be the last that I would hear from Joe Lieggi.
My first duty station was in Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore, California, where Joe Lieggi caught up with me again. He said that he was prepared to give me the answers that he had been unable to articulate in our last meeting. At the time I was with another guitar-playing buddy who was definitely not interested in his presentation, so I put him off politely, and never found the time to get together with him while at NAS Lemoore. Next stop: USS Midway.
Junior enlisted life on the USS Midway had its share of lonely midnight to 0400 watches on the flight deck. That is where I began to really regret my missed opportunity to speak with Joe Lieggi at NAS Lemoore. This was especially true after a catastrophic incident in my aircraft squadron (VA-56) just 17 days after our arrival in Yokosuka, Japan. On October 22, 1973, one of our A-7A Corsair II pilots, LTJG Goodrow, was fatally involved in a mid-air collision with an EA-6A Intruder aircraft (VMCJ-1). The SH-3G helicopter which was assigned to go to the collision site crashed off of Midway’s bow upon take-off for the SAR mission. All three of the helicopter crew members perished. That incident began to speak to me forcefully during those long mid-watches of gnawing emptiness. Eternity. Like it or not (I didn't), that ultimate reality was undeniably there, and I was right on LTJG Goodrow's heels, whether it was 10 minutes, 10 years, or more. In a virtual blink of an eye (compared to eternity), I would be there. Was there no way to know the truth? I began to share my honest concerns with some of my closest shipmates; it only served to alienate them. How bitterly alone I felt in an insanely apathetic world! Who could I turn to? That was when I began to formulate my crude "God, if You're there" prayers during those late night watches, complaining that if He WAS there, I was still looking for credible proof. I was interested in hearing from Him if He was inclined to make Himself known to me. What an awkward prayer! Who would bother to give it any attention? Answer: The living God! He looked right past the audacity of that prayer, and in pity saw my anguish. It seemed that, without an audible voice answering me, I began to perceive the clear logic that God had neither been silent nor absent on the stage of earth, but had so uniquely identified Himself by the impact of Jesus Christ that our calendar is universally marked by His arrival into this world (B.C./A.D.). I began to be stirred with a sense that God was breaking the silence— and that I had better pay attention! Shortly after that, a Christian shipmate, Tony Tamble, asked me if I would like to go with him to the Christian Servicemen's Center in Yokosuka, Japan. I accepted his invitation, intending to launch the same challenging questions there that I had raised with Joe Lieggi in boot camp.
It was December 28, 1973. The Christmas season seemed to reinforce in my mind that God had historically left His impact on this world. I arrived with Tony Tamble at the Christian Servicemen's Center and was seated in a room with others who were listening to a visiting missionary, Dick Patty, who was presenting a testimony about his personal experience with Christ. I listened, but was still preoccupied with my own unanswered questions, wondering if I could get honest answers, or if I would just be dismissed. Was there actually concrete evidence that allowed people to logically accept the claims that God had unmistakably made Himself known? Was there a way, apart from the confusion of conflicting religious traditions, to really know God? Without spending too much time on the details of the conversation that followed, I was so relieved to find that my questions were not regarded as defiant threats, but were patiently answered in a way which convinced me that there was ample evidence to confidently trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. The bottom line was plain: I was a sinner (Romans 3:23). I needed a Savior (Isaiah 45:21,22). The Lord Jesus Christ was alone qualified to save sinners (John 14:6, 1 Timothy 1:15). So now what was I going to do about it? Dick Patty said that my condition was like being in a burning building. There was an open window, the singular way out, and the One standing at the window was well able to rescue me, if only I would let Him. The building floor was heated with the rising flames, and at any moment my hesitation could seal my doom... forever. Mr. Patty asked me if I wanted to pray to receive Christ as my Savior, in view of the promise that He would enter if I sincerely invited Him (John 1:12,13, Revelation 3:20). I prayed one of the clumsiest prayers I have ever prayed, and was saved by the grace of God. I went back to the ship that night with a thrill that seemed to increase with every step back to the Midway. I knelt down again on the green tile floor of my berthing compartment and thanked the Lord for saving me, repeating my prayer to receive Him in order to be sure that it was a settled personal matter between me and the Lord. I was born again! The Midway became my mission field with every meal conversation and every long line in which I stood (haircuts, chow, payday, etc.) to share my evidence-based faith with anyone who would listen. Yes, I learned that speaking to people about Christ who weren’t interested in the truth was ineffective, yet I also learned that there were many who were genuinely searching for answers just as I was, anxious to hear a clear explanation of the Gospel in view of fulfilled prophecy, the historical reality of the Lord Jesus Christ, and His victorious resurrection.
Not long after this, I was transferred to the USS Kitty Hawk and stationed in San Diego, where I visited the Servicemen's Christian Home directed by Byron and Pearl Berry. They sacrificially mentored me (and others like me) to grow in practical Christ-centered discipleship, Bible study, evangelism, and most of all, in the sincere worship of the One Who had first loved us. Among the many blessings that God bestowed upon me through their ministry, they gave me their daughter Cindy in marriage (44 years ago in August 2021). Byron is now with the Lord, and Pearl continues to be an inspiration to Cindy and me, as well as to our daughter Amber and her husband Marc with their growing family (now with ten children, all being trained to know and love the Lord). What a blessing!
I retired after 24 years in the Navy as an Aviation Storekeeper Chief at NAS Alameda. Can you guess who showed up in my final command? Chief Joe Lieggi! What a happy reunion, twenty years after he had spoken to me in boot camp! Our God is awesome!
Please contact me if I can be of any help to you in your search for the truth and salvation that is found in the Lord Jesus Christ.
E-mail: david.hall@cox.net
My Confidence
My Confidence
My Confidence
My Reasons:
The Irrefutable Evidence
The Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Creator (John 1:1-10), is the singular Savior of humanity. Here are seven layers of evidence that render all who reject Him as "without excuse" (Romans 1:20).
1. The TRANSFORMATION of Christ’s Redeemed People (as demonstrated in the apostle Paul):
“Paul, a servant of Je
My Reasons:
The Irrefutable Evidence
The Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Creator (John 1:1-10), is the singular Savior of humanity. Here are seven layers of evidence that render all who reject Him as "without excuse" (Romans 1:20).
1. The TRANSFORMATION of Christ’s Redeemed People (as demonstrated in the apostle Paul):
“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,” —Romans 1:1
2. The TRUSTWORTHINESS of Christ’s Recorded Prophecy:
“Which He had promised afore by His prophets in the holy scriptures,” —Romans 1:2
3. The Family TREE of Christ’s Required Patriarchy:
“Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh,” —Romans 1:3
4. The TRIUMPH of Christ’s Resurrection Power:
“And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead,” —Romans 1:4
5. The TRIBULATION (Judgments) of Catastrophe Revealed Precisely:
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness,”
—Romans 1:18
6. The Internal TRUTH of Convicting Reproof Present:
“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them,” —Romans 1:19
7. The External TRACE of Creation Reflecting Purpose:
“For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” —Romans 1:20
Our Sin Problem (1-4) requires Our Savior's Provision (5-7)
1. Sin separates us from God.
Isaiah 59:2; Luke 16:26
2. All have sinned against God.
Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23
3. Sin’s penalty is eternal death in everlasting punishment.
Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:14,15
4. Good works cannot save us.
Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5
5. Christ paid the sin’s penalty.
John 3:16; Romans 5:8
6. You must repent and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior.
John 1:12,13; Revelation 3:20
7. The Lord Jesus Christ saves us immediately and eternally.
John 5:24; 1 John 5:12,13
Why We Believe
1. The Bible declares that Christ changes lives (2 Corinthians 5:17). This truth is quite evident in the lives of Christians in every time and place. The apostle Paul, who was once an enemy of the cause of Christ, was transformed into a bold “servant of Jesus Christ.” —Romans 1:1
2. The Bible exhibits the promise and fulfillment of hundreds of prophecies with 100% accuracy. Christ’s place of birth, His betrayal, His suffering, His crucifixion, and His resurrection, to name just a few (Micah 5:2; Zechariah 11:12; Isaiah 53; Psalms 16 and 22). —Romans 1:2
3. The Bible declared that Christ must be a descendant of David, the ancient king and psalmist of Israel. The Lord Jesus met that criterion (2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 89:3,4; Matthew 1; Luke 3). —Romans 1:3
4. The Lord Jesus promised to rise on the third day after His death. He staked His whole reputation on that claim. His enemies posted guards at the tomb, hoping to prove that His claims were false. But three days later, He rose. The empty tomb could not be explained then, nor can it be today, except by this conclusion: Christ is risen indeed! —Romans 1:4
5. God has historically revealed His judgments from heaven. Whenever He warned of a national or personal chastisement, it came to pass to the letter. The flood in Noah’s day, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Egypt’s plagues, the judgment of Tyre, and the calamities upon Israel all testify to the wisdom of taking the warnings of God very seriously! —Romans 1:18
6. God has already placed within each of us a witness of Himself. Those who deny the witness of God still “hold the truth,” even though they suppress it. This inner witness is two-fold. We have all been given a “conscience... bearing witness” of God and of His moral absolutes of right and wrong (Romans 1:19; 2:15). God also holds us accountable for His witness by the Holy Spirit, who continues to “reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8). —Romans 1:19
7. Finally, the obvious design in creation that we observe all around us every day testifies to the God of the Bible. “It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves” (Psalm 100:3). “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 1:18). “He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see?” (Psalm 94:9). This is a logical appeal to the Law of Cause and Effect. The Bible is in perfect agreement with the laws of science, but it opposes the irrational idea that we are all a mere product of chance! —Romans 1:20
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6).
Will You Believe?
1. You must believe God.
God holds each of us accountable for the evidence He has provided to prove that He, the God of the Bible, is the only true God; there is no other. God is holy and we are sinful. Our sins have separated us from God (Isaiah 59:2). But God became Man (John 1:1,14) to save sinners by His death (Romans 5:8). These are the facts. But saving faith is more than a agreement with facts about God.
2. You must seek God.
“Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6). To seek God means that you must turn from your sin (that is, repent) and turn to God. God has warned us to not delay: “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”
(2 Corinthians 6:2).
3. You must receive God.
“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12,13).
Jesus said: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).
Will you receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior now?
This prayer is a suggested guide:
My God, I am a sinner and I need your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ died and rose to save me from my sins. Lord Jesus, I now turn from my sinful life, and I open the door of my heart to receive You as my Lord and my Savior. Thank You for entering my life, for saving my soul, and for making me a child of God as You have promised. Help me now to live for You for the rest of my life.
***
“Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble: Thou wilt prepare their heart, Thou wilt cause thine ear to hear” (Psalm 10:17).
"For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted... behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation"
(2 Corinthians 6:2).
"Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon him while He is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon"
(Isaiah 55:6,7).
My Community
My Confidence
My Community
My Relationships:
The Fellowship of my Family
My community relationships that define who I am certainly include my immediate family. My wife Cindy and I have been married for 44 years (as of August 2021), and we have one child, our daughter Amber, who is pictured next to me with her nine children from right to left: Melody, Enoch, Chloe,
My Relationships:
The Fellowship of my Family
My community relationships that define who I am certainly include my immediate family. My wife Cindy and I have been married for 44 years (as of August 2021), and we have one child, our daughter Amber, who is pictured next to me with her nine children from right to left: Melody, Enoch, Chloe, Anna, Noah, Naomi, Elijah, Pearl, and Josiah, along with my son-in-law, Marc de la Motte.
After this photo was taken in 2019, the Lord has added another child to this musical family, Moses, born on September 24, 2021. These musical family members are certainly not strangers to Balboa Park, as they spent many weekends in the park performing their classical and sacred music compositions as the De la Motte Strings ensemble. I carry this photo with me in the park to emphasize how important it is to teach our children early in life to think clearly and critically about what they believe and why they believe it. Each of them understand that every pursuit in life is an opportunity to live out the purpose so succinctly expressed by J. S. Bach: "Soli Deo Gloria" (To God Alone Be the Glory).
Now that my Marc and Amber have relocated to San Francisco, allowing their children to receive advanced musical training at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM), my wife and I stay in touch with them via Zoom, Facebook, E-mail, Instagram, Phone, and Texting. It is a blessing also to access the Throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16) to pray for them daily. What a blessing!
When people inquire regarding my community relationships as I speak to them in the park, however, they are more interested in knowing what religion I am representing. It’s a fair question. What religion are you? Especially in Balboa Park, there are numerous religious communities (including the blind, religious adherence to atheism) that wave the banner of their philosophical claims which often have no basis in reality, since blind faith does not require a conviction based on evidence.
My answer: I am a born-again Christian. I do not associate myself with a religion. I have a relationship with the Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ, who verifiably fulfilled hundreds of detailed prophecies (Luke 24:27, John 5:39) when He “came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15), “rose from the dead” (Acts 10:41), and then entered into my life with the regenerating power of the new birth (John 1:12,13) when I opened the door of my heart to receive Him as my Lord and Savior (Revelation 3:20).
Since this has nothing to do with the religiosity of blind faith, but rather requires an examination of the evidence upon which saving faith is based (Hebrews 11:1), I am the “square peg” that does not fit into the round whole of a religious tradition that is SUBJECTIVE in nature. I am quite comfortable, however, in the scientific community that appeals to the OBJECTIVE proof that applies the scientific method in the fields of forensic and empirical science.
My COMMUNITY, therefore, is better defined as my spiritual FAMILY, since there is no entrance into this circle of God’s favor apart from the miracle of the new birth that places us into His family. We do not enter into this family through the portal of the church. Rather, we enter into the true church of God’s family through the access that we obtain by the risen Lord Jesus Christ upon receiving Him. It is at that very instant that we are instantly and forever placed into the family of Christ "in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13).
I am quite at home, therefore, in the company of those who love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. This kindred fellowship experienced in the family of God is the new intrinsic inclination of all who are truly born again. Our hearts are drawn to follow our Savior when we receive Him, as our Lord Jesus affirmed, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:27,28). As we have a mutual delight in our Savior, our hearts are knit together as we worship Him. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). The more we learn of His love for us, we grow in our desire to reciprocate the love that our Savior has toward us. “We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
If you have received the Lord Jesus Christ and are therefore looking for a place to enjoy the like-minded fellowship of others who love and serve Him, you can explore the online ministry of a large congregation such as Shadow Mountain Community Church (https://www.shadowmountain.org/) or a smaller congregation such as Mission Valley Community Chapel (https://missionvalleychapel.org/) as you listen primarily for the centrality of the Lord Jesus Christ and the clarity of the Gospel in the message and ministry presented. I hesitate to recommend a specific congregation, since the true metric to find a fellowship (Hebrews 10:24,25) that honors the Lord Jesus Christ is best discerned by drawing near to the Lord, listening to His voice in the Scriptures (Acts 17:11), and then following the Lord’s leading, as your Shepherd leads you “in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake” (Psalm 23:3). “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24). Yet it is important to identify, in this day of growing confusion, the places of worship and ministry that glorify our Lord, strengthen our relationship with Him, and equip us to reach the lost who need the Savior. Since it is our new inclination to follow the Lord Jesus where He leads (Psalm 23, John 10:27), it follows that we will also have a desire to reach others who may respond to a clear presentation of the Gospel, as the Lord Jesus affirmed to His disciples, saying "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19).
A church community should be able to present a "Statement of Faith" or a "What We Believe" statement that clarifies their essential doctrinal positions in alignment with Scripture. An example of such a statement can be seen online at the Shadow Mountain Community Church site: https://www.shadowmountain.org/default.aspx?page=3490 . This statement addresses eleven key doctrinal positions regarding:
A. The Authority of the Bible
B. The Triunity of God
C. The Person of Jesus Christ
D. The Work of Jesus Christ
E. The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
F. The Creation and Fall of Man
G. The Salvation of Man
H. The Destiny of Man
I. Nature/Organization of the Church
J. The Ordinances of the Church
(Baptism and the Lord's Supper)
K. Future Events
These are all valid concerns as we are called to "grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).
The Lord has gifted "evangelists... pastors, and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ... that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Ephesians 4:10-14).
Each of us are called to strengthen our faith by examining all things in the light of God's Word, as those who confirmed that the Apostle Paul's teaching was consistent with the Word of God and were commended "in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11).
"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).
Stay in the Word with a daily reading plan, as the Lord has confirmed a blessing to all who do so, as stated in the Book of Proverbs, "Blessed is the man that heareth Me, watching DAILY at My gates, waiting at the posts of My doors. For whoso findeth Me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the LORD" (Proverbs 8:34-35).
Please contact me via e-mail at david.hall@cox.net if I can assist in any way as you "trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5,6).
Sweet assurance!
