MY BIG FAT BUT

I do believe I have been gaining some weight lately, but that's not the BUT I'm speaking of here.

In the last couple of months, I have come into contact with people who have been struggling with their BUTS; and it has made me realize that I struggle with my BUT as well. What BUT am I talking about? The plain, old, regular BUT that we hear and use ourselves several times a day without even realizing it: "I wish school was cancelled today, BUT since it isn't, I guess I have to go"; I want to eat chocolate cake BUT I need to lose weight, so I will eat a piece of lettuce with no dressing (that example is fictional, because I can't imagine anyone in their right mind ever making a decision like that!)."



Now that you know the word, let me be more specific on its usage. The specific use of BUT that I am referring to goes like this: I see that the Bible says that BUT...

The wording may vary, but the issue is clear: we know, deep down, that the Bible says something that we don't like or agree with, and so we struggle not only to apply it, but even to study it, and search it out. Our flesh is battling with the Spirit, and we know how to put up a good fight. I believe this is world wide problem, not just one I struggle with.



Let me just list here some of the ones that might be the most common:

I see what the Bible says:

• that I need to obey my parents even though I disagree, BUT you don't understand...


• that as a parent, I am not supposed to exasperate my children or discipline in anger, BUT you don't understand what my kids have done...


• that as a husband, I am supposed to love my wife as myself and as Christ loved the church BUT you don't know my wife...


• that as a wife, I am to submit to the leadership responsibilities that God has given my husband, BUT how could I be expected to, when my husband did this...


• that God hates divorce, and that no man is to separate what God put together, BUT in our case, we really have irreconcilable differences...


• that God makes all things work together for my spiritual good, BUT this circmstance certainly doesn't fit into that...


• that God tells me not to be anxious about anything and to give him all my burdens and He will give me His peace that surpasses human understanding, BUT if you knew what I'm going through you would be anxious as well...


• that I am supposed to obey and submit to my leaders at the church BUT God can't really mean that, can He...


• that God wants me to give financially to Him, through the church, joyfully, voluntarily and sacrificially, and that if I do not I am robbing God, BUT certainly that doesn't apply to a time of recession...


• that gossip is sin, BUT did you hear what he did...


• that God is soveriegnly in control of all things, BUT then why do bad things happen to good people...

I know the Bible says ______________________, BUT.....

Let me just share one passage of Scripture with you, to meditate on and apply when you want to respond to the principles and truths of God's Word with the response: BUT...

James 1:19-22 - "Know this, my beloved brother: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires. Therfore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meedness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

In context, I believe the primary application of verses 19-21 concern listening to, accepting the Word of God without fighting it; and then verse 22 connects it, by saying that it must be applied or we are just deceiving ourselves.

May God help me to read, study, meditate on, and apply His Word to my life, today...

no matter what...no ifs, no ands, and certainly no BUTS!

At just the right time

I have noticed, and perhaps you have as well, that God sends encouragement, at just the right time, when it is needed and in a way in which it will be accepted. Just this past week, I was sent a link to another pastor's blog, who also referenced a different pastor's blog entry as well. It is an entry from John Piper, a pastor of a Baptist Church in Minnesota. He is fairly well known as a speaker and writer and one of my favorite books was written by him: Desiring God. That is also the name of their ministry division and included on about everything he does, including his blog.

Although the specific topic that led him to his inner turmoil may be different, I know that the emotions and feelings that he describes are those I have been feeling over the past several months and came to a head just a couple of weeks ago. In fact, it was just after a week, in which I decided not to quit and to face Satan's attack head on here, that I received the aforementioned e-mail and read this particular blog entry. Perhaps it will also be an encouragement to you, in whatever area of life it might apply:

How I Almost QuitFebruary 16, 2010 By: John Piper Category: Commentary
Are you so discouraged you don’t know what to do next? I want to help you get through this. Maybe this will help.

The following quote is from my journal dated November 6, 1986. I had been at Bethlehem 6 years. If you have ever felt like this, remember this is 24 years ago and I am still here.
The point is: Beware of giving up too soon. Our emotions are not reliable guides.
Am I under attack by Satan to abandon my post at Bethlehem? Or is this the stirring of God to cause me to consider another ministry? Or is this God's way of answering so many prayers recently that we must go a different way at BBC than building? I simply loathe the thought of leading the church through a building program. For two years I have met for hundreds of hours on committees. I have never written a poem about it. It is deadening to my soul. I am a thinker.

A writer. A preacher. A poet and songwriter. At least these are the avenues of love and service where my heart flourishes. . . .

Can I be the pastor of a church moving through a building program? Yes, by dint of massive will power and some clear indications from God that this is the path of greatest joy in him long term.

But now I feel very much without those indications. The last two years (the long range planning committee was started in August 1984) have left me feeling very empty.
The church is looking for a vision for the future—and I do not have it. The one vision that the staff zeroed in on during our retreat Monday and Tuesday of this week (namely, building a sanctuary) is so unattractive to me today that I do not see how I could provide the leadership and inspiration for it.

Does this mean that my time at BBC is over? Does it mean that there is a radical alternative unforeseen? Does it mean that I am simply in the pits today and unable to feel the beauty and power and joy and fruitfulness of an expanded facility and ministry?

O Lord, have mercy on me. I am so discouraged. I am so blank. I feel like there are opponents on every hand, even when I know that most of my people are for me. I am so blind to the future of the church. O Father, am I blind because it is not my future? Perhaps I shall not even live out the year, and you are sparing the church the added burden of a future I had made and could not complete? I do not doubt for a moment your goodness of power or omnipotence in my life or in the life of the church. I confess that the problem is mine. The weakness is in me. The blindness is in my eyes. The sin—O reveal to me my hidden faults!—is mine and mine the blame. Have mercy, Father. Have mercy on me. I must preach on Sunday, and I can scarcely lift my head.

BIBLICAL COUNSELING CONFERECE - Top 10

Now that I am back in the "real world", and the craziness has returned; and my blogging every day is as likely as summer arriving next week...I want to sum up my experience last week with a top 10 list. When I have a week like that, where I am hearing God's Word all day long and applying it to my life, I feel incredibly encouraged and humbled at the same time. I am encouraged because when my attention is on God and not on my circumstances, I realize who is in control and who I can rest in. I am humbled because I see my own weaknesses and the consequences of my sin. Although it was a week away form my "job", it is still hard work to listen intently all day long, every day,and to make sure that the truth being shared is reaching my mind and heart. It is the same difficult thing I ask of everyone who listens to me preach every week. O.k. - time for the top 10 list (in no particular order) of things I learned or was reminded of this week:

1. Romans 8:29 follows Romans 8:28. I bet you didn't know that did you? You probably knew that verse would logically come next, but do you know what it says? Most of the followers of Christ know Romans 8:28 by heart: "And we know that all things work together for good, for those who love God, for those who are called according to His purpose." But, it is equally important to include verse 29: "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son..."

I don't pretend to understand fully the doctrine of election and predestination; but this one thing is clear. It isn't just that God makes all things work together for our good; but the real purpose of that is in verse 29: "to be conformed to the image of his Son." In other words, God allows things in our lives, not to make us comfortable or happy or pain free. He allows things, even things we consider bad, for one main purpose: to make us more like Jesus.

2. The Bible is God's Word and is sufficient for what we need to address in our lives. In a world that is hyped up on professionals being the only one that can help in times of crises, we need to be remained that God begs to differ. He told us that we have "everything we need for life and godliness" (II Peter 1:3); and that the Bible is "God breathed and profitable" for all things in our lives. The Word of God is powerful (Hebrews 4:12) and able to teach us, rebuke us, and get us back on the right path. someone told me recently that because they have an anger problem, they need to go to a clinical psychologist. What they really need, most, is to go to the source of all truth - to God and His Word. The real answers, the lasting answers, will be found there.

3. God expects every believer to be able to "admonish" or counsel one another. Of course, there are those who are more highly trained that may have some answers for particular issues that we struggle with. But, since every Christian has access to the Word of God and can learn to use it skillfully (II Timothy 2:15), we are responsible to do the "one anothers" in the Bible, not necessarily pass someone off to a "professional". Going through this training, I keep being reminded that we can can give one another good counsel, because we can give one another the truths of God's Word. A place like this church in Indiana is a great help in teaching us how to use God's truth effectively in counseling one another.

4. It is all about the gospel. We would certainly agree that a non-believer needs to hear the gospel message, about Jesus dying for his sins, and that is the most important message he could hear and respond to. However, we easily forget that we who are believers need the gospel every day as well. No, not to get saved again (that only happens once); but to keep the right perspective of who God is, who we are in Christ, and what we are to be doing right now in the context of the gospel. If we apply the good news of Jesus Christ to our lives and circumstances, we can see more clearly, rest in His grace, and make sure our focus is on what is truly important and eternal.

5. It all begins with self counsel. That sounds a little weird, doesn't it? But, let me explain. Before you can truly help someone else, you need to make sure that you are regularly growing and learning on your own. I need to be spending time with God, making sure that I am filled up with His Word, so that His truth can change my heart today and then I am in a much better position to give His truth to someone else.

6. Prayer is key. We know this, of course, and yet it seems very easy to set it aside, again, for another day. We might go through the motions of quick prayers that are expected at certain times of the day; but do we really, truly, seek God in prayer? Even as a pastor, I can easily go without it. Of course, when I do, I am relying on my own power. What a stupid thing to do. The Word of God is important, as we hear from Him and study for personal growth. But, God also asks us to talk to Him, daily, throughout the day, to share our heart with Him and to ask Him to do His will.

7. Take these 2 pills and you will be fine. It is tempting to try to make biblical counseling all about steps 1,2,3, and everything is all better in our lives. But, we all know that sometimes, just giving a Bible verse to someone doesn't make it all better or remove the problem. There is benefit in taking some specific steps and prescribing certain actions, but one of the most important things I am reminded of is that the answers are not normally that easy. Most of what we need are just the foundational truths about God that at first may not seem to relate to our problems of those we are trying to help. But, if we do not have those foundational issues down, the external changes someone might make are going to be short lived. The first session I took last week was all about the attributes of God and how they apply to our trying to help people with their problems.

8. The "world's" answers to problems normally deal with the symptoms, whereas biblical counseling, using God's Word to address problems, goes to the root issues of the heart.

9. Helping a non-believer must focus on his first step: salvation. I hinted at this earlier, but once of the things that I am reminded of, over and over again, is that a non-believer cannot have true, lasting, eternal change, until his heart is made new by Jesus. Yes, he can make some external changes, or stop certain behaviors, but only a follower of Christ, who has the Holy Spirit living in Him, can truly live out the truths of God's Word over the long haul and in the most important areas. So, in my counseling of non-believers, I need to remember to always bring it back around to their need for a Savior.

10. There is always more to learn. I have spent many many years in school and have a few degrees. But, whenever I am in a conference like this one, I am reminded that I always have more to learn. And I think that is a good mindset to be in. I hope to stay there, even as I jump back into the craziness!

MORE ON THE WILL OF GOD

By request, I am including the rest of the notes that I have on the session I wrote about a couple days ago: How Do I Know the Will of God?

D. Diagram (sorry, I cannot draw it here for you)
The basic idea of the diagram was to show that sometimes there are many different options in an area of decision; and you can work your way through those options, eliminating some of them by using biblical principles, until you have only one, or two, or maybe still several choices. At that point, you can refer back to the previous notes on this:
III. C. 5. If narrowed down to two equally good decisions (based on biblical principles), may decide on the basis of preference.

1. some principles will help you narrow options more than others
2. May be more than one biblically legitimate option

E. Illustration of the principles - marriage
1. Take a biblical look at single life
2. Define biblical standards for marriage partner
3. Evaluate person's sensitivity to biblical authority and influence
4. Look for evidence of spiritual growth, obedience to God's Word
5. Look for principles of solving problems biblically
6. If more than one "option" remains, choose preference

F. Misunderstanding God's Will
These are used from God's Word, by people looking for a subjective experience, but in the context, they are not really about finding God's Will

1. Leading - Romans 814; Galatians 5:18
2. Peace - Colossians 3:15 (this is talking about peace in the church, not the will of God)
3. Circumstances (yes, look at your circumstances, but people can use their circumstances to come up with what they want God's will to be)

IV. Holding Principle

Romans 14:13

BIBLICAL COUNSELING CONFERENCE - Day 4

BIBLICAL COUNSELING CONFERENCE – Day 4


This was the last full day (Thursday) for the conference; with Friday being morning only, and people getting on the road home. On the last night of the conference, after the last full day, there is a main session, after dinner, which everyone in the conference (about 1,500 people) are invited to. The main speaker was Paul Tripp. He is on the pastoral staff of a church in Philadelphia and the author of many books. He is often involved with this particular counseling conference ministry here in Lafayette, Indiana.


His message, last night, was about the Abraham and Isaac story, where God asked Abraham to go and sacrifice his son (the promised son of the covenant). Genesis 22 is the story and Hebrews 11:17-19 recaps it. God was working on my heart as he spoke about faith, and grace, and some foundational truths about God. Let me share some of this with you; and pray that it might be a challenge and encouragement as you study this special story in God’s Word.


What do you do when you don’t know what God is doing, or why?
· Faith is not irrational because it is based on the glorious Word of God
· You cannot remove God from your trouble; because your redeemer loves you enough to be more committed to your holiness than your comfort
· God will take you where you never intended to go in order to produce in you what you could never produce on your own
· It is intentional, uncomfortable, redemptive…GRACE!
· I think I need relief, but what I really need is refinement
· Abraham’s rest was not in his understanding. His rest was in the person who drove him into this moment.
· God graced Abraham with 4 things that are the foundational stones for his rest (and ours):

1. God’s clear commands
I will obey even though I don’t understand

2. God’s promises
I will move toward the promise even though I don’t see it
There is a confident expectation of a guaranteed result

3. God’s power
I will live as though I truly believe in God’s power

4. God’s faithfulness
I will trust in God’s provision
Abraham was a man holding tight with both hands to the faithfulness of God

BIBLICAL COUNSELING CONFERENCE - Day 3

There are so many good things I have been learning, been reminded of, and have been meditating on while I have been here, including yesterday (day 3); but I will resist writing it all down, and just focus on one session. The senior pastor of Faith Baptist Church here in Lafayette, Indiana is Steve Viars. He taught the session entitled: "How Do I Know the Will of God?" Since I have been wondering about God's will recently, this was timely for me (as this entire week has been). Here are the main points and subpoints, that perhaps you can gain something from:

Introduction: many of the ideas, out there, about the will of God, are based on personal testimony or wrongly interpreting God's Word.

I. Excuses for not using the Bible in decisions
A. What they are
1. Bible has nothing to say about everyday decision making
2. Additional revelation is available in the form of visions, dreams, feelings, circumstances, fleeces, etc.

B. Why they are wrong
1. II Peter 1:3 - we have EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness
2. II Timothy 3:16,17 - All Scripture is God breathed and profitable for...

II. Different Aspects of God's Will
A. Directive will
1. Moral will
2. what He's already revealed to us
3. Can only be found in the Bible
4. What He wants us to do

B. Decreed will
1. Soveriegn will
2. Ultimate, eternal, determined will
3. Can only be determined after the fact, cannot be known in advance

Examples of Directive will: Psalm 40:8; Mark 3:35; Ephesians 5:17; Romans 12:2
Examples of Decreed will: James 4:15; I Corinthians 4:19

III. Place of the Bible in Decision Making
A. Understand the difference between the Bible speaking directly and indirectly
B. Know three "Propositions about Biblical Guidance"
1. There is no way to know God's will and receive His guidance apart from the Scriptures
2. There are scriptural principles and practices to cover all areas of life
3. The Scriptures speak directly and indirectly by implication. They help us make either/or (yes/no) choices or they give us a limited number of equally legitimate choices.

C. Steps for good decision making
1. gather all facts - list pros and cons
2. write out all principles, examples, etc. of Scripture that have a bearing on the decision
3. apply these to the pros and cons and the various options
4. may need to seek godly counsel
5. if narrowed down to two equally good decisions (based on biblical principles), may decide on the basis of preference; so just pick one.
6. If question of possible sin is involved, use "holding" principle

That was just a part of the session, but a good place to start.
God's will in my situation has become much more clear this week.

BIBLICAL COUNSELING CONFERENCE - Day 2

Maybe God is trying to say something to me? Hmmm… On opening night, I wrote about how the speaker was dealing with the attributes of God in counseling; and I focused on the sovereignty of God. On day 1, was I was really struck by the session on humility and repentance. Today, day 2, was a great day as well. The sessions on anger and on prayer were great. But, I have to write about what I heard at tonight’s general session. James McDonald, pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel in the Chicago area, and a well known speaker and writer, was the keynote speaker.

You’ll never guess what topic he spoke on for the night…The sovereignty of God…Hmmm…I wonder. He is an excellent speaker, whom I have heard in person a couple of times, and on the radio many times. But, God knew what I needed to hear, through His servant, from His Word, tonight – to my heart.

He shared his heart, concerning the difficult circumstances he had been through over the past few years. That included a wayward daughter, a son in a serious car accident, financial problems, including lawsuits over his church building and radio ministry; and it also included cancer that he had for a while. I love it when guys who are sharing God’s Word also share their hearts and the reality of their lives with us. I hope I will always do that.

He used Acts 12 and the story of Peter being released from prison, to exalt the sovereignty of God. It touched my heart, and God is using this message to give me encouragement and strength, gaining more confidence in Him. In some ways, this seemed like the worst time to leave Ohio and come to a conference for a week. It is the busiest time of ministry I have had in 5 years. But, I am learning, day by day, here in Indiana, that God had some things He wanted to teach me and remind me of, in this place, at this time.

It is not the same as listening to him preach, but let me at least give you the outline, along with the verses, and a few sub points or statements; and you can meditate on it on your own, at your convenience:

God is in control: even when I suffer – Acts 12:1-5

God is in control: even when it’s midnight – Acts 12:6-11,18,19
· God: if you let this go any further, I won’t be able to fix it (if you need further explanation on this point, just let me know)

God is in control: even when my faith is weak – Acts 12:12-17
· Sovereignty trumps your lack of faith
· Nobody gets a pass on suffering
· God’s love is not a pampering love, but perfecting love

God is in control: even when the wicked seem to prosper – Acts 12:20-23

And what seems to happen, when there are difficult circumstances, and God shows up?
Acts 12:24 – “The Word of God increased and multiplied.”

BIBLICAL COUNSELING CONFERENCE - Day 1

The first full day (Monday) of the conference was a full one. Sessions began at 8:15 a.m. (for my track) and lasted until 7 p.m. One session follows another, with breaks and lunch scattered into the schedule. Probably the most significant thing that happened on this first day was what took place over a late dinner. I have some pastor friends in Ohio that I try to get together with on a regular basis. One of them called me last week, wanting to get together because he was going out of town and it had been a while since we talked. I was just too busy trying to get ready to go out of town myself. When he asked where I was going, and I told him about this conference, he laughed, and said: we are too! So, although this couple has not been able to meet with Teresa and I in Ohio, there we were, having dinner here in Indiana! That wasn't the best part. This couple, in ministry, who I count (even more so now) as great friends, were the gift of encouragement and exhortation that God knew I needed at that very moment. I am so grateful! Perhaps I will write more on that another time.

Let me share with you some quotes that were given in one of my sessions yesterday (day 1). A pastor from Kentucky was teaching the session entitled: Practical Steps for Killing Pride and Putting On Humility. The whole session was great. But, what really caught my attention were some of the great quotes he used. I will include some here, hoping that they may serve as helpful mediation for you, as you seek to humbly live before and serve our great God.

Charles Bridges: "Pride lifts up the heart against God and contends fr the supremacy with Him. How unseemly moreover is this sin? A creature so utterly dependent and so fearfully guilty, yet proud in heart."

John Stott: "At every stage of our Christian development pride is our greatest enemy and humility our greatest friend."

R.C. Sproul: "The grand difference between a human being and a supreme being is precisely this. Apart from God I cannot exist. Apart from me God does exist. God does not need me in order for Him to be. I do need God in order for me to be...we are dependent, we are fragile...no human being has the power of being within himself. Life is lived between two hospitals. We need support systems from birth to death in order to sustain life. We are like flowers that bloom and then wither and fade, and this is how we differ from God. God does not wither. God does not fade. God is not fragile."

Gary Thomas: "I have a theory: behind virtually every case of marital dissatisfaction lies unrepented sin. Couples don't fall out of love so much as they fall out of repentance. Sin, wrong attitudes, and personal failures that are not dealt with slowly erode the relationship, assaulting and eventually erasing the once lofty promises made in the throes of an earlier (and less polluted) passion."

Paul Tripp: "God's grace is most powerful and effective at the moment of my greatest weakness. How practical and life changing is this? One of the most significant problems in marriage is that there is no economy of grace. With all their obvious difficulties, what is most shocking is the profound gracelessness of their marriage. There is no willingness to look within and confess deep seated sins, so they never find sweet forgiveness. There is no vertical hope to carry them in dark and discouraging times. There is no rest that comes from entrusting each other to the God of grace. There is no faith that He will give them all they need to respond to each other in godly ways. As a result, their relationship is reduced to human demands, human performance, human failure, human judgment, and human punishment. There is no hope or power for change. And because they are not daily soaking in the fountain of God grace, they do not extend it to one another. "

Mike Renehan: "Men do not like to admit their faults, nor confess they are sinners. I am guilty on both counts. But the sooner we admit and confess, the quicker we can deal with our pride. The taxonomy of the problem looks like this. Premise: All men are sinners. Upon further examination we find that sinners fall into two distinct classes, those who admit their sin, and those who don't. Those who admit themselves to be sinners fall into two more classes, those who do something about it, and those who do not. It is only those who deal with their soul's true dire need before God who may make progress out of their sin."

C.J. Mahaney: "At the end of your time close your Bible and say, 'God, what I just did makes absolutely no contribution to the basis of my justification, but what I just did is a statement of my need for you and dependence on You.'"

Richard Baxter: "Pride is a deep-rooted and a self-preserving sin; and therefore is harder to be killed and rooted up than other sins. It hinders the discovery of itself...It will not allow the sinner to see his pride when he is reproved; neither will it allow him to confess it if he sees it; nor...to loathe himself and forsake it...Even when he recognizes all of the evidences of pride in others, he will not see it in himself...If you would go about to cure him of this or any other fault, you shall feel that you are handling a wasp or an adder; yet when he is spitting the venom of pride against the reprover, he does not perceive that he is proud; this venom is a part of his nature and therefore is not felt as harmful or poisonous..."

C.J. Mahaney: "And don't be put off when a friend's observations may not be 100% accuarate. I've found that there's truth to be gleaned at times even from an enemy's critique. Humility doesn't demand mathematical precision from another's input. Humility postures itself to receive God's grace from any avenue possible."

Terry Lindvall: "Laughter is a divine gift to the human who is humble. A proud man cannot laugh because he must watch his dignity; he cannot give himself over to the rocking and rolling of his belly. But a poor and happy man laughs heartily because he gives no serious attention to his ego."

C.J. Mahaney: "We also want to continue throughout the day expressing gratefulness for the innumerable manifestations of God's grace. It's as if God is placing sticky-notes in our lives as daily reminders of His presence and provision...how perceptive of them are you? An ungrateful person is a proud person."

BIBLICAL COUNSELING TRAINING CONFERENCE - opening night

It is a good thing I didn’t care to watch the super bowl this year; because I spent all afternoon traveling with my family (most of it) to a counseling conference in Indiana, only to sit through a couple hours of an opening session on Sunday night. But, God knows me and knows my heart, and knows exactly what I need. I guess there are over 1,500 people here and they are spread out over 6 tracks, beginning with new people on track 1. Several people from my church have taken some of these when they have gone “on the road” to Ohio. But, I enjoy being here, at the home church of the Biblical Counseling Training Conference: Faith Baptist Church in Lafayette.

The opening session for my track, track 2, was entitled: Counseling and the Attributes of God. It was fitting, given my out of control feeling I had entering the conference setting, that the first attribute of God discussed was His SOVEREIGNTY: God is in control of all the events of our lives. There were 9 attributes discussed, as it relates to the practice of counseling, but I will just mention this one here.

The speaker said: “This phrase could certainly be said this way: the fact that God is sovereign means that God is in absolute, total, control of all the events of our lives.” This attribute of God is tough for many of us to accept and impossible for any of us to fully understand. Our human finiteness and inability to control things (no matter how hard we try), together with the fact that only God has no beginning and ending and is perfect, makes it impossible for us to fully comprehend. But, it is still true, if we are willing, by faith, to believe in the infallible Word of God.

Here are the Scripture passages that the speaker listed, as it relates to God’s sovereignty. Any of these, all of these, would be beneficial to meditate on and learn from. Of course, before I think about how to use this in counseling someone, I need to apply it to my own life first. So, I read these with that primary intention in mind:

I Chronicles 29:11 – “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all.”

Job 42:2 – “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

Psalm 115:3 – “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.”

Isaiah 45:9 – “Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, What are you making? Or Your work has no handles?”

Daniel 4:35 – “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, What have you done?”

Ephesians 1:11 – “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.”

Romans 8:28,29 – “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

After reading through these passages, the speaker talked about how this attribute of God applies to certain counseling situations:
1) Temptation (sinful choices)
2) Worry (assuming responsibility God never intended me to have)
3) Trials/suffering (circumstances)

One thing I wrote down, that the speaker said, about this area of trials and suffering. When people are going through difficult times, they don’t want to “be there” and just want the difficulty to pass and “be better”. However, I like what the speaker said: “If you want to be like Christ, you are going to have to experience some of the things He did.” Think about that for a while.

God’s sovereignty: I believe in it, and although I don’t understand it fully, I trust in Him, to always do what is best – for my spiritual good. How does God’s sovereignty apply to your life today?

PSALM 42 paraphrase

As a dog that has been running all day, trying to survive, never stopping, never eating or drinking; and now, at the end of the day, just longing for a drink of water - so my soul is in need of you, God - right now.


I need you - I want to be with you - now


I seem to be crying a lot - what is that all about? What others are saying makes me feel all that much more alone.


I think of the desires of my heart, in serving you and leading others to honor you - it was my joy and I was grateful for the opportunity


Why am I so discouraged because of my circumstances? Why am I so down? I need to place my hope in God, not people. I need His presence.


God, I feel alone and am in a deep pit. I am reaching out to you, thinking about you, needing you.


I want your love to overwhelm me, and refresh me


You are the God of my life. I will sing to you, in the darkest hours


I will continue to cry out to you and tell you how I feel - how attacked I feel, by those who have made themselves my enemies


They seem to taunt me, with statements and expectations that are not true or cannot be met. Somehow it seems as though they are leaving you and your grace completely out of the picture

What do I have to be discouraged about? Nothing. I have God. That is all I need. I will look to Him. I will praise Him. I will hope in Him. My trust in Him and full dependence on Him will allow me to smile, to love, to keep going.

THIS CLOSE TO RETIREMENT

I almost retired last night...from basketball. I'm sure some would say I should have retired long ago: I can't jump, can't run fast, and can't play inside by the basket very well (oh, wait - I've never been able to do those things). They might be right. But, based on what happened, or almost happened, last night, I seriously considered retirement from the game. Make no mistakes: I don't get paid for playing basketball. I just love the game. I love playing it. I have played it since growing up as a young boy in Iowa (no jokes please about playing in a corn field with an apple basket as my hoop).

When it comes to sports, I am a very competitive person. I like to win; or at least give my all in trying. I have coached sports teams as well, and although winning was never the most important thing, I did emphasise giving your very best to everything you do: including sports. So, perhaps you can understand, then, why I almost retired last night from this incredible game. I guess you need a few more details don't you?

I play in a basketball league at our church on Tuesday nights. One of the greatest things about this league is that there are very few guys, from any of the 8 teams, that actually go to our church. It was designed that way. And many of them do not yet have the most important thing in place in their lives: a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Sorry - that has nothing to do with my story.

So, last night, we were ready to play game 5 in a 10 game season, knowing that we were one of the two undefeated teams left in the league; and we were playing the othe undefeated team. That, normally, gets the "juices flowin" for any competitive athlete or team. But, that entusiasm was greatly diminished when we realized that the other team only had 4 players. For those of you who know nothing, and I mean nothing, about basketball, you use 5 players at a time for each team on the court. You can play with 4 but the other team can play with 5. If you even for a moment are wondering why we didn't just sit one of our guys down and "play fair" with 4 guys, you probably have no competitive bones in your body, and don' understand basketball (sorry to be so harsh, but it is simply my opinion)

But, there is a major problem with having 5 guys when the other team only has 4; especially when the team of 4 has very athletic, good basketball players out on the court: the team of 5, espcially with a couple of substitutes on the bench, loses the edge in their mind. They begin to relax a little, knowing they have 5 guys and there is just "no way" they are going to lose! But, what sometimes happens is that the team of 5 mentally "checks out" of the game, and the team of 4 gets excited about the possibility of an incredible upset and becomes laser focused on the game.

And that is the way it was going last night. They were the ones running down the floor and getting the easy baskets when we should have been. I can only remember one or two baskets where we had easy layups because we beat them down the floor. They were the ones rebounding with great hustle when we should have gotten every rebound, having an extra guy on the floor. They were playing with confidence and resolve and it seemed we were just warming up, like before a game, with no thought whatsoever that we could ever lose...to 4 guys!

Well, we were down by 3 points at halftme; and most of the way through the second half, they were very close, cutting it to 1 point, I believe, with just a couple of minutes left. At that time, I felt I let the team down, and even Dr. Naismith, who invented this incredible game 120 years ago. There is no way, if you play smart, that 4 guys should beat 5 guys, especially in a regulation game with referees, foul limits, etc. I wondered what retirement would look like, and how everytime I walked down the street, I would hang my head as passersbys would point and say: "weren't you the guy who played on and coached the team of 5 guys who lost to 4 guys"? Can you imagine the embarrasment?

To my relief, we got a couple of easy baskets and hit our foul shots near the end of the game, to win it. So, this morning, I am officially announcing that I am not retiring from basketball...not yet. Check in again next week. Have a great week, and don't forget to play some basketball!