Are you bitter about the “various trials” that happen from time to time? I am. I am because I forget they have purpose. I’m not necessarily saying love the trials. But rather love the result of the trials. Long for the result of the trials. As a follower of Christ, all that happens to us is worked out for good! Longings and anticipations are needed in our life. Where would you be right now without them? If you are a follower of Christ you should be longing for his coming. What would that coming be like if there were no longing? How would Christmas be without Advent? Easter without Palm Sunday? These longings, trials, and dark days are serving a purpose in our life. Here are a couple journal entries that I pray will encourage you. Can you imagine where you would be and what you would do if you knew the date of Christ’s coming?

Friday, March 15, 2013

Life is fragile. We can have it “together” one minute and the next it is “falling apart.” I write today from the “together” side. It’s not often that I write about depression on a day that I’m not depressed. But it is fitting to do so because it may encourage me some day soon–or later. The Lord uses them. He brings me through tough times (undetermined length from our perspective; determined exactly by His perspective). May His grace be sufficient.

 

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

The longing to preach/pastor will be all the more sweet when it happens because of the longing. So too, our longing for the coming of Christ will be exceedingly sweet if indeed we have longed for his coming. Anticipation is built into our lives as part of  the consummation. We see it in Advent-Christmas, Palm Sunday-Easter. The anticipation is as much needed as the end. So also, our daily struggles cause us to long for his coming like one who is stuck in a long winter longing for spring. Dark days beget the dawn. One day he will come! Cherish the longing for the Bridegroom will satisfy! 

James 5:7-8   7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.  8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 

I know one will need much more context to fully understand this post. However, the glimpse is all I prefer to reveal. There are all kinds of factors involved. Some I am aware of and some that are not on my radar. Needless to say, I am not going to attempt explaining those either. I think this post might be helpful to the fellow struggler. It might be helpful to the pastor mentoring younger men sensing a call to ministry. It might help anyone who thinks they have it all together and exhibits little compassion for the slowness of others. Be patient with people like me. Slowness does not mean faithless. 

This is a journal entry from Monday, March 4, 2013. I am in the same place as I was one year ago. Stronger I believe. But the thorn is still there. Quick short context: Began following Christ almost 12 years ago; committed to follow a call to preach simultaneously; youth pastor for one year; went to seminary 8/04 to 5/09; moved back home…still waiting. 

I wonder if the call to preach is over? I don’t know if I can live out the rest of my days knowing this is so. My heart aches. I set out to follow the Lord selling home and leaving family and possessions behind. I’ve endured five years of seminary under the Lord’s care–still very hard. Many have given, even sacrificed I’m sure, to pay my way through seminary. And here I sit, back in my hometown hoping to plant a biblical church and God has already done it and is doing it. Where do I fit into this day? I do not desire to remain at the hardware store. If I were to choose something different it would be that which puts me at home. I want to help teach…my children. What am I not seeing? Would someone point it out to me. Do I just need to be honest with myself? But I don’t know. Most people do not desire full-time ministry–I do! I don’t think this is from me. I didn’t want this. I didn’t want to follow Christ. But the Lord pursued me and saved me and called me. It seems that I’ve not been sent yet. I need encouragement. Judson found himself in darkness during his missionary quest. The Lord sent encouragement and got him out of the grave. Lord please pull me out of this pit.

 

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Going to ask again! He hears. He is faithful. He will do what’s best.

Romans 4:18-25  In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead ( since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. 

The title could be taken a number of ways. By it I mean to communicate that we are strangers, aliens if you will, at work. It is not always the case that the Christian’s workplace is pleasant. It can be rather difficult. There are places Christians cannot work (e.g. abortion clinic). However, most jobs we can work but there will be many difficulties along the way.

At my job, there are particular difficulties that I encounter that others would not. And they encounter difficulties that I do not. That said, I think it’s apparent that the gospel collides with various things in our jobs. I’m not sure specific examples would be helpful in this public post but we need not assume our employer will do the will of God in all matters.

I am not saying we are responsible for the decisions of our employer. However, there are things we could be asked to do that we would be responsible for. There are also places we could make a real difference by talking with our employer. And there are times when you will make no difference at all and at the same time risk losing your job. I have encountered all of these. I still have a job and I have spoken against things–some changes were made for the better and some remain unchanged.

My journal entry from last year documented one of those situations where I spoke up about an issue and it has not changed. I am not responsible for this problem but I was burdened beyond what I could bear over the situation. I gave a gentle warning with all that was at stake in speaking out. I trusted that the Lord would take care of me and my family by providing other means if something did happen. In this case, I still have my job. I am sill very concerned. I am still praying for the situation. Yet I mourn the possible outcome of these actions.

Fellow followers of Christ, there are people who are struggling at their jobs with things they feel are wrong and they are afraid. They need to have conversations about the particulars of their dilemma. Be an encouragement to them. Talk through the issues. Pray for them. Consider whose responsibility it is and consider the outcome of your response. And always trust the Lord to care for you and be with you through it all. For He sees and knows what you are going through and He cares for you.

Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

I would like to begin this post with an encouragement to read the Bible daily. The amount can vary but the intake of truth cannot. There are seasons of life where more or less fits. I have been reading through God’s word with a daily reading plan for several years. I can say there have been times (more than I care to know) when I simply checked the box. There will be mornings like that. However, the faithful reader keeps reading. Life is a series of starts and stops. If you have stopped reading the Word pick it up and start again. If you are doing a plan and find yourself behind just start on the reading for today and move on.

God has worked wonders in me to say that last sentence. I have also been the one who would read sixteen (or more) chapters to get caught up. Now some might think that is commendable. However, I doubt I gleaned anything by reading that many chapters. So, I suggest that you read to see something in the text. You are not looking for some undiscovered truth. You are looking to see the same truth you probably already know.

The following is an entry from my journal after reading Matthew 27

Judas finds no forgiveness in the chief priests and elders. Not finding forgiveness will destroy a man. He was looking for it in the wrong places. Yet it fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah.

Pilate has far less power than he thinks. With multiple warnings, Pilate cannot release Jesus. In most typical situations, you’d think the governor could have done what “reason” was telling him–this man is innocent and I should let him go. Even in his attempt to wash his hands of this murder, Pilate’s soldiers carried out this gross act.

Having said all of this, the Ultimate Determiner was plucking the cords of this guitar. Yet they are responsible. And this act saves sinners. Wow. Who could have planned this but God!

Proverbs 21:1 “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.”

Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

A year ago this day, my daughter began asking about baptism. This was an exciting time and a cautious time. I did not want to affirm or deny God’s work in her life. I could see it. So, I played the role I was given, namely, answering her questions and praying for her. Here is a quote from my journal a year ago:

She asked me about baptism last night. It was a great conversation. She plans to read about Jesus’s baptism this morning in her quiet time. May it bear fruit in her life. O Holy Spirit teach her. Help her make sense of it. Give her understanding as she thinks about it this morning (and any other time she thinks about it).

I must say,  the Holy Spirit did give her understanding over the next several months. Yes, months. Patience is needed in this matter. I had witnessed God at work in her for a while. Yet I waited for her to ask the questions. So, parents, be ready to answer the questions and diligently pray for them. God is the One who saves. Your role is to tell them the gospel and ask Him to open their eyes. Praise God He is still saving sinners!

On this day, the 41st year of Roe v. Wade, a blog post like this should be read. It is a moving story of life in all its forms. If anything, hear how you should respond to such horrific sin with unusual compassion. And for the one who finds herself about to make a decision, I pray this will persuade you to say no. For the one who has already had the abortion, I pray you will be forgiven by the One who came to save sinner like you and me. Agree with God that it is heinous and throw yourself on Christ Jesus. 

Journal Entry on this day January 22, 2013:

How shall I respond? There seems to be various options before a man when he is pressed. These are not completely clear. One seems easy. Another seems hard. Others are less obvious to which of the two previous levels they might lead. Then you realize, “Why is this the first question to be answered?” It’s not. The first question to be asked is “How does God’s word lead me to respond?” I know that answer. Then whether hard or easy makes no difference. I’m following Christ. 

Related–Read Acts 22:

One can be zealously wrong. Zeal is not a definite indicator of truth. This is one thing you don’t want to be wrong about: “Who am I following?” Jesus of Nazareth.

I feel off. Disconnected. Wandering around. Unable to think. Unstable. The image would look like me standing between two trains going in opposite directions really fast. Almost nauseous. The days are speeding by like those before finals or when a big paper is due. Yet…that’s just it. I don’t know. I’m riding a rickety raft with no paddle in a ditch with no water. I’m going no where…but some where. Is this mid-life crisis? Oh, I just noticed something. There. In the bottom of the ditch lay a huge rock. Old. What is it? Erosion all around but none on the Rock. Yes. Life is strange. I am strange. This post is strange. Yet I’m more aware of my alieness in this world. Sojourning is treacherous. Faith keeps walking & waiting. Looking & resting. I think I see him. He’s just……oh yes. He’s coming!