Ken Pierpont's Blog, page 140

Will You Praise Him To The End?

Some days unfold like an Irish Blessing. The road rises to meet you. The wind is at your back. The sun shines warm on your head. You have a secure sense that God is holding you in the palm of his hand. The birds sing and the flowers spread their beauty and fragrance all around you.

• The first flush of young love.

• The day of your graduation with all the wide world of opportunity spreading out before you.

• The birth of a healthy child.

• The day you land the job you dreamed of and prepared for.

• A perfect vacation day is crowned with a picture-perfect sunset.

There is something you need to know though if you haven’t already learned it. Not all days will unfold like an Irish Blessing. Not all seasons will be sunny and warm and fragrant. The cold, biting wind of trouble is sure to blow into your life one day. There will be hard days–hard seasons for all of us. We live in a fallen, sin-cursed world. Most of us will have to endure pain and disappointment that we never expected to face. There are times when the weight of life will be crushing. Some day you will receive news that you never thought would come to you. Your faith will be tested. Your joy will be threatened. Sin will do the ugly things it does and death will one day knock on every door. It is certain.

The Question Concerning Job

Like Job of the Old Testament, his story was one long season of unbroken blessing and prosperity before he became the subject of a conversation between God and Satan. After that things took a very, very ugly turn.

Though Job and his family did not know it, the question concerning him before the throne of God in heaven was this: Would Job curse God when his life began to unravel? Would he still bless God if he lost his wealth, his health, and his family?

Satan told God; “Job will curse you if you take his prosperity away.” At one low point in the story Job’s wife suggests this very thing… the thought could not have been original with her–no doubt it was planted by a demon or the Temper himself… She says; “Job, why don’t you just curse God and die.” But Job will not curse God. He affirms; “Even if he kills me I will trust him.”

Job’s story occupies 42 chapters of the Old Testament and ends without God ever explaining to him why he allowed Satan to take him through such sudden and horrifying loss. But Job will not curse God. He will not allow tragedy to rob him of his praise.

As long as you live you may not see all that is happening to you in the world unseen, but you will have to answer the same question down in the deepest part of your soul. Will you still bless him? Will you still praise Him? Will you still rejoice in God or will your trouble rob you of your joy and your faith?

My Affirmation

Lately life in our little Granville Cottage has not been unfolding like an Irish Blessing. (Sometimes it seems more like a Greek Tragedy), but I’ve been doing some thinking and I want to publicly affirm my resolve to praise Him. I hereby affirm that I will rejoice in God no matter how hard life gets. I will praise him no matter how heavy the news, no matter how crushing the weight of life. I will dance before Him and I will sing and praise him with my hands and heart uplifted even if tears are running down my face and my heart is heavy. I will seek God’s empowerment to faithfully praise him all the days of my life.

For all who are watching I want my life to inspire others to Praise the One Who alone is worthy of all praise, so this is my resolve: I will praise Him still and I will bless Him still. I will never curse Him. I will never let anyone or anything rob me of my joy. I will sing to the end. I will dance to the end. I will not allow anything to steal my peace or weaken my resolve to faithfully praise my faithful God. I will trust him to the end, even if he kills me.

I had a breakfast meeting this morning. My friend had to cancel at the last minute. I used the time in the restaurant to enjoy some steel-cut oats, watch the snow slow the pace of morning traffic, enjoy the fire, and write this little piece about my resolve to praise Him as long as I live. While writing our oldest daughter Holly posted his from her morning Bible reading: “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live and in your name I will lift up my hands.” (Psalm 63:3-4)

Ken Pierpont

Granville Cottage

Riverview, Michigan

February 7, 2013

Snow Day

(Photo credit to our good friend and awesome, virant Christian witness Julie Gardenour–public school teacher who loves snow days.)

The Pierpont Family has homeschooled for over twenty-five years. We’re pretty hard-core about it, but there is one thing about the public school system that we especially like. We like snow days. Something wonderful about them. Snow Days. We had one Monday. Had to call of school completely. We just looked out there at all that new-fallen snow and said, “No school today. Snow day.”

I once heard an anecdote about Dwight Moody in the early days of the Chicago Bible Institute. A great snow fell in the Windy City. Moody strode in a declared a holiday on the spot. The students poured out into the snow. Moody liked snow days so I’m in pretty good company here.

When snow days fall on Mondays you can count on it. There won’t be any schoolin’ going on around here. It’s my day off and we will milking that snow day for all it’s worth. Hope you all had a good Snow Day, too. You should really try it. It’s good for morale.

I’m committed to being a happy man. I don’t have to have a Corvette (though that would be cool) or a cabin on the lake or a lot of money in the bank to be happy. I don’t have to be on a cruise to be happy. Sunny days make me happy. Work days make me happy. Days off make me happy… even snow days make me happy. It’s a sign of good emotional and spiritual health to look for reasons to be happy.

So here is some free advice: Be like Moody. Find something to celebrate today. Chose to rejoice and be happy.

Ken Pierpont

Granville Cottage

Riverview, Michigan

January 31, 2013

What to Do When Bad Things Happen

Title: What to Do When Bad Things Happen

Speaker: Pastor Ken Pierpont

Place: Evangel Baptist Church-Taylor, Michigan

Date: December 2012

Dealing with Feeling Unloved and Lonely

Title: Dealing With Feeling Unloved and Lonely

Speaker: Pastor Ken Pierpont

Place: Evangel Baptist Church-Taylor, Michigan

Date: December 2012

How to Face Fear

Title: How to Face Fear

Speaker: Pastor Ken Pierpont

Place: Evangel Baptist Church-Taylor, Michigan

How to Fight Sadness

Title: How to Fight Sadness

Speaker: Pastor Ken Pierpont

Date: December 2012

Place: Evangel Baptist Church-Taylor, Michigan

How to Overcome Worry

Series: Facing Big Problems

Title: How to Overcome Worry

Speaker: Pastor Ken Pierpont

Date: December 2012

Jesus on Religious Hypocrisy (Part 1)

Date: January 27, 2013

Title: Jesus On Religious Hypocrisy (Part 1)

Speaker: Ken Pierpont

Series: Matthew’s Gospel

Text: Matthew 23:1-12

Can I Get A Witness?

Here is a classic re-post. Tell me what you think…

Like millions and millions of other people in the world I love coffee. I love the aroma of coffee. I love the taste of coffee. I enjoy it in moderation – no more than one or two cups a day, though they are big cups. I’ve been a pastor all my adult life so I have had lots of different kinds of coffee, the good the bad and the ugly.

If coffee is bad for you the verdict should have come in by now since millions and millions of people have enjoyed it for centuries on every continent on the globe. Many of the people I see enjoying coffee seem physically and emotionally healthy and they are up in years, so maybe coffee contributes to emotional stability and longevity.

Some mornings I brew my own coffee at home, other times I drive through at the Golden Arches for a cup. When I have a little more time there are a few coffee shops and bagel shops I frequent often enough to be welcomed as a regular. Last week I stopped in at Einstein Bagels in Hinsdale and was warmly greeted by a young man I had not met before.

I laid my New Testament on the table to reserve my perch in the east-facing window where I could enjoy the sunrise and watch the traffic in the village. While I was filling my cup with Einstein’s Hazelnut-Vanilla the young man said; “Are you a Christian?”

“Yes, I am,” I gladly said. “I don’t know what I would do without the Lord. I love him with all my heart.”

He said, “I’m a Christian, too. He has been so good to me.”

There we were standing at the coffee makers, both of our hearts filled with gratitude and love for Christ, trying to think of ways to express the fullness of our hearts and our satisfaction in Him. I’m a witness. Jesus has filled my heart with joy, and joy is evidence to the world that Jesus can fully satisfy the human heart. I’m not ashamed. I’ll tell the world about it.

Ken Pierpont

Brook Place

Hinsdale, Illinois

July 23, 2007

Anointed Music

Singing Together is a Means of Being Filled With the Spirit

A few years ago I was meditating on the letter to the Ephesians. In the past I’ve always thought the list of things that follow “…be filled with the Spirit…” were results of being filled with the Spirit. I came to understand that:

singing together (19)

giving thanks together (20),

submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ (5:21-6:9), and

standing against the Devil’s schemes (6:10-18)

–these are not results–they are means God has given us to be filled and controlled by the Spirit. They are intended especially to work in the community of those who are redeemed–the church gathered.

This morning, when I rose I was not in the mood to pray or read my Bible. I was not interested in listening to a preaching podcast or read edifying things. My heart was cold and my spirit felt lifeless. I started to clean the kitchen and put some coffee on to brew. I lit a candle, then I put on a recording of thousands of pastors and christian leaders singing hymns. Within minutes tears were running down my face and my heart was warm for God. I had a powerful desire to worship and pray. Ideas came to my heart.

Even though I wasn’t there singing with others, they were singing together and my heart was filled with God. I hope this helps you to walk in the Spirit. Here is a link to the music.

Together for the Gospel Live 2