Encouragement

Job Wants to Know Why

By in Encouragement, wisdom

job_wants_to_know_whyJob wants to know why and so do I! This morning I found myself reading Job in my Chronological reading plan. The entire book seems to be a search in trying to answer that question. Job wants to know why. Why all of this trouble? His friends think they have figured it out. His wife has given up. We want to know why because we are searching for patterns and parallels for our own lives.

God does not answer the “why?” He does not answer that this is judgment, or discipline, or pruning for more fruit. He does not say he is trying to convince Satan or prove a point. He does not answer the “why?” But HE DOES ANSWER with the “WHO?”, and that is all that matters. It is all that ever matters. See Job chapters 38-42.

Who is God? A right view of God will mean a right view of myself, of life, of everything. A right view of God will ignite praise and thanksgiving in any and every circumstance we find ourselves in. In difficult times we can struggle to hold on to a right view of God – and even when we do, our emotions may take time to catch up to our theology. This was true for Job and it will be true for you and me.

At this (all of his calamity), Job got up, tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Job 1:20, 21.

The next time you go through a struggle and want to ask God, “why?”, consider exploring the “Who” instead. You will find yourself moving from discouragement and frustration to joy and praise.

Why Do You Worry?

By in Encouragement, Sermon

deb67f09a35ab2981d45e1df1fa7c6d0Have you ever stopped to consider how much time you spend worrying about things? We are Christians and we worry as if there is no God. Turn your thinking back from what “might happen” to what you know is true about God. His Word will instruct you in that truth and bring a confidence, peace, and joy back into your life—even in a trouble-filled world. What consumes your thinking? What do you mull over in your mind? A Word-filled life will be a joy-filled life.

Matthew 6:31–34 says, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

D. Martin Lloyd Jones says in his book Spiritual Depression; “Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?”

If you have time, listen to last Sunday’s message, “Joy Even in Uncertain Times” at https://valleycommunityco.org/media.php?pageID=19

I Missed It!

By in Encouragement

Last Saturday, while talking a walk with Diane, I commented on how I thought that this was the most beautiful fall we have enjoyed since we moved to northeast Wisconsin eleven years ago. Her take? “They’ve all been that way, you just haven’t noticed.” Hmm…

Looking back, I can see how often I have become so intensely focused on the task at hand that I have walked right by these works of God. I have probably walked by a lot of other important things.

Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” He is the same God “who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment” (I Timothy 6:17).

How much do we notice? How much have we missed? My prayer is that we will do a better job at pausing, contemplating all that God is showing us about himself, and then praising him!

I would love to connect with you! If you have any questions or would like to connect please use the contact page.

Common Sense & the Will of God

By in Encouragement, God

We tend to think that what “makes common sense” will most likely be the will of God for us. It is not wrong to use the common sense that God gave us but don’t count on your calculations unless you have figured God into the equation. There are times that God will lead us contrary to popular opinion, pragmatic reasoning, and common sense. But He will never lead us in ways contrary to His Word and His Spirit, and that is why it is most essential for us to walk by these means.

“Notice God’s unutterable waste of saints. According to the judgment of the world, God plants His saints in the most useless places. We say—‘God intends me to be here because I am so useful.’ God puts His saints where they will glorify Him, and we are no judges at all of where that is.” Oswald Chambers.

“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” I Corinthians 1:27-29 (ESV)

Do not be surprised when God leads you down a path that makes no earthly sense. He delights in doing impossible things, confounding the world, and exalting His name.

I would love to connect with you! If you have any questions or would like to connect please use the contact page.

The Discipline of the Quiet Place

By in Encouragement

The last three and a half years of his life, Jesus was incredibly busy. He taught and worked tirelessly as pressing crowds cried out to him with their needs. He was surrounded by the tyranny of the urgent and everything was a crisis.  It never let up. But he knew how to pull away and “unplug” when he needed to find refreshment for his soul and the strength to continue his work. He got alone with his father. And we can see that he longed for that time.

As we grow and take on more responsibility, the pace will not slow or the challenges ease. We will become more “connected” – to information, people, expectations, and demands. The more connected we become, the more the quiet place will be needed.

What I realized today is that even when I study and pray, I tend to have my cell phone in my pocket and my laptop open. There are about ten different ways to be distracted in that setting. While Jesus didn’t have the same modern day devices to distract him, he had plenty of noise around him. What did he do?

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35 (NIV). This was the pattern of his life. His ministry flowed from the relationship with his father. That is the same way it should work for us.

Discipline your life to the quiet place.

I would love to connect with you! If you have any questions or would like to connect please use the contact page.

Never Once

By in Encouragement

Thank you to Matt Redman for these lyrics.

Never Once

Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we’ve come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You’ve done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Carried by Your constant grace
Held within Your perfect peace
Never once, no, we never walk alone

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we’ll be breathing out Your praise
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Rocky Mountain Youth Conference

By in Conferences, Encouragement, Friends in Ministry

IMG_7078Chris Anderson and I got to share speaking opportunities in Denver at the Rocky Mountain Youth Conference. (Yes, Jack Klem, you can thank me for the free Clearwater advertising in the background of this picture 🙂 I love what you are doing and there is no one I would rather do that for!) Chris recently took the pastorate at Killian Hill Baptist Church in Atlanta—a place where we have a lot of mutual friends. We are so happy for the Andersons and for the folks at Killian Hill.

We shared messages surrounding the theme “In Awe of HIm—the Heart of Worship”. Mike Durrill and Kip Doan did an outstanding job putting on the conference. Paul Ice led the worship time and had the teens singing better than I can ever remember hearing. It was amazing.

The theme was one that Chris and I are very passionate about in our own lives. We see it as core to the purpose of our living. As A.W. Tozer reminds us that our view of God is the most important thing about us. When that is right, everything else will fall into line. It is a simple thought and yet such a profound thought. Young people have so many things that compete for the place of ultimate worship in their hearts.

Whole life worship should be 24/7. My favorite line is from John MacArthur, “True worship is when all that I am responds rightly to all that He is.”

It was great to be out west and renew old friendships—including Steve Hafler who is now pastoring at Highlands Baptist Church. It was also great to get some time with Chris Anderson—another like minded brother. Thank you, Chris!

I would love to connect with you! If you have any questions or would like to connect please use the contact page.

Agendas & People

By in Encouragement, Leadership

“Nothing I have to do today is as important as the people I will meet.” That is a pretty good way to start your day. How quickly we become so consumed with what we have to do and where we have to go that we become blind to people around us.

We seem to power through our schedules, checklists, and agenda’s without even seeing what matters to God…and should matter to us. We are selfish by nature and quickly become caught up with what we have to do. We have little time or space for interruptions. And yet Jesus always seemed to have time for interruptions, for people—much to the frustration of His disciples. We, like those disciples, can tend to see people as a series of distractions, rather than a series of divine appointments. The next time someone steps across your path and blocks your way, stop and remind yourself who you are and why you are here. People.

“And his disciples said to him, ‘you see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?'” Mark 5:31

I would love to connect with you! If you have any questions or would like to connect please use the contact page.

How Long?

By in Encouragement

“O Lord, How long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear?” (Habakkuk 1:2).

I have prayed this so many times. How often we feel the same, wondering why God does not step in and answer our prayers. Where is he? Does he care? Yet, God is about so much more than what we see and feel. His work is everywhere and from eternity to eternity.

Later in Habakkuk 3:19, we read, “God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.”
Rather than smooth our path, he may give us the ability to walk it.

So, when we struggle with the “how long, Lord,” remember this:

  1. God is sovereign and working in ways we cannot see.
  2. His greater work may be changing us…not our circumstances.

I have found that when I falter it is usually because there is something I am not seeing about God, or something I am refusing to believe.

In difficult times may our response be like Habakkuk’s: “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3:17

I would love to connect with you! If you have any questions or would like to connect please use the contact page.

Steve Viars in Chapel

By in Encouragement, Sermon

Steve Viars challenged our students on Wednesday about the incredible opportunities that the church has in reaching its community. He warned against a “fortress mentality” and urged us to reach out in good works that open up gospel opportunities. It was one of the most challenging messages I have heard from the Northland pulpit. Steve is pastor of Faith Church in Lafayette. I would encourage you to listen to this sermon by clicking on to our website. We were also glad Steve was able to bring his wife Kris and their son Andrew. Thank you Steve for serving our students with the Word!

I would love to connect with you! If you have any questions or would like to connect please use the contact page.
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